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Art & Culture

History of Bollywood

Song, dance, heartbreak, and a billion hearts — the world's most prolific film industry.

9 eventsMay 3, 1913 — March 12, 2023

No film industry on Earth produces more films, sells more tickets, or provokes more emotion than Indian cinema. It began in 1913, when a self-taught filmmaker mortgaged his wife's jewelry to make a silent movie about a mythological king. It survived the transition to sound by inventing something no other cinema had: every film is also a musical. The Golden Age of the 1950s produced Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt. The '70s gave us Sholay and the Angry Young Man. The '90s reinvented romance for a global diaspora. And in 2023, a Telugu film's dance number won the Academy Award, proving that Indian cinema's maximalist magic had finally conquered the world. This is the story of Bollywood — and beyond.

1
May 3, 1913Art & Culture

Raja Harishchandra — India's First Feature Film

A Marathi visionary makes India's first movie — with an all-male cast, since women couldn't act

Dadasaheb Phalke produced and directed Raja Harishchandra, India's first full-length feature film, founding an industry that would become the world's largest by output.

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2
March 14, 1931Art & Culture

Alam Ara — India's First Talkie

India's cinema finds its voice — literally

Ardeshir Irani's Alam Ara became India's first sound film, featuring songs that established the tradition of music-driven cinema that would define Bollywood.

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3
~1955Art & Culture

The Golden Age of Indian Cinema

Satyajit Ray, Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor — Indian cinema becomes art

Directors like Satyajit Ray, Guru Dutt, and Raj Kapoor created masterworks that won global acclaim, establishing Indian cinema as a serious art form on the world stage.

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4
1973Art & Culture

The Rise of Amitabh Bachchan — The Angry Young Man

A tall man with a deep voice channels a generation's rage — and becomes the biggest star in the world

Amitabh Bachchan became the biggest star in Indian cinema history, his "Angry Young Man" persona channeling the frustrations of a generation and dominating Bollywood for two decades.

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5
August 15, 1975Art & Culture

Sholay — India's Greatest Blockbuster

Two outlaws, one villain, and a film that India has never stopped quoting

Ramesh Sippy's Sholay became the definitive Bollywood blockbuster, running for over five years in theatres and creating characters and dialogues that became permanently embedded in Indian culture.

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6
October 20, 1995Art & Culture

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge — The Romance That Never Ended

Raj and Simran define love for a generation — and the film never stops running

Aditya Chopra's DDLJ became the longest-running film in Indian cinema history, defining a generation's idea of love and making Shah Rukh Khan the king of Bollywood romance.

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7
2001Art & Culture

Lagaan — India's Oscar Moment

A cricket match against the British Raj — Bollywood's most ambitious crossover goes to the Oscars

Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan became India's most celebrated international film, earning an Academy Award nomination and proving that Bollywood could captivate global audiences.

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8
July 10, 2015Art & Culture

Baahubali and the Rise of Pan-Indian Cinema

A Telugu epic becomes India's biggest film — the Bollywood monopoly is broken forever

S.S. Rajamouli's Baahubali became India's highest-grossing film, proving that South Indian cinema could dominate the national box office and setting the stage for RRR's global triumph.

AsiaRead full account →
9
March 12, 2023Art & Culture

RRR Wins the Academy Award

Naatu Naatu conquers Hollywood — India's cinema announces itself to the world

S.S. Rajamouli's Telugu epic RRR won the Academy Award for Best Original Song with "Naatu Naatu," introducing global audiences to Indian cinema's maximalist spectacle.

AsiaRead full account →
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