One of the top most grossing industries or sectors in the contemporary society is the entertainment industry. Increasing standards of living around the world have allowed individuals to accumulate bigger disposable incomes. Lifestyle changes continue to arise within the contemporary society owing to the growing, improving incomes. Consumables that were previously unprofitable have since become among day-to-day products. The growing entertainment industry is one such sector. The focus of this paper is to analyze the industry, growth process, and evolution of the cinema industry in India.
The growth of the movie sector is one of the indicators of a growing economy. With globalization reducing the world into a smaller community, ideas have begun to spread all over the world. The entertainment industry, in particular cinema one, has been growing steadily around the world and is considered within the modern popular culture. Its growth has, however, been gradual and steady over the decades.
Evolution of Cinema in India
A staggering one thousand films are shot every year in India, a statistics that is higher than any movie industry of any country, making this film industry one of the biggest worldwide. The history of the cinema industry in India can be traced back to the nineteenth century during their colonization by the British Empire (Jain 34). The very first films from India were shot in Bombay by the Lumiere Brothers. However, the major upturn in the industry began with the Save Dada shot; “The Wrestlers” at the hanging gardens. The very first film was thus the recording of wrestling match that would later be screened in 1899 (Gopalan 63).
The film entered the history books as the first film from the cinema industry in India. The first full-length feature film, however, came much later on, in 1913. Dadasaheb Phalke is often referred to as the father of Indian cinema when he shot the Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913. It was one of the successes of the era even though it was a silent commercial shooting. The Dadasaheb played the role of camera operator, writer, producers, and makeup artists in the movie. From 1913 to 1918, Dadasaheb went on to shoot over twenty films and thus planted the seed of development and growth within the Indian movie and cinema industry (Jain 36).
The initial basic camera work gave rise to the famous Bollywood name of Indian cinema. During the 1920s, some production companies went on to emerge and were based on the coverage of historical and mythological aspects of the Indian culture. The Mahabharata and Ramayana formed a huge reference point for scriptwriters and moviemakers. The concept was to begin with the basic and normal concepts that people were used to. However, the Indian population welcomed the Hollywood movies too, with action films receiving more acknowledgments.
A great part of the initial films and screenplays remained silent, until the entry of talkies. The Alam Ara became the first sound film to come out of the Indian market. The sound film initiated a new era in the Indian film industry. This meant that music directors began to play a crucial role in the production of movies. Phiroz Shah then became the first music director in the Indian movie sector in the movie Alam Ara. The emergence of innumerable production companies brought about competition within the production industry and ultimately enhanced the development of cinema in India (Jain 77).
Competition allowed for the speedy growth of the sector allowing the enhancement of quality. In 1927, the number of films in India was countable and only amounted to 108 and in four years the number increased to 328. The number of audience was growing by this time and with it came huge movie halls. The 1930s and 1940s saw an increased acceptance and viewership of Indian movies and thus brought forth the movie acting career as well. Top actors and film personalities such as Debaki Bose and Chetan Anand began emerged.
The growth of the film industry in India was not limited, majorly by the global effort. Interests in filmmaking meant that new cameras and better performing tools were being developed to enhance the filming process. The regional blocks around the world competed to develop the best motion pictures for their audiences.
Like any other business, the best films, stories, and picture qualities made the most revenue. As the Hindi films industry took shape, neighboring countries also experienced the emergence of their film production. Bengali for instance, shot its first film in 1917 even though it had Italian actors playing the leading roles.
Bollywood
Financial support provides the very basis upon which any industry grows. Looking at the filming industry, it is resource intensive, and returns can only be realized after the production of a movie. The success or failure of a given film determines the returns to the production company. In as much as the contemporary movie industry has realized a growth in the number of revenue streams of a movie, in the past, the industry relied heavily on the sales of given films.
The production costs of a movie determine its quality in a number of ways. For one, the equipment, cast, costumes and level of professionalism can be attend only through attractive paychecks and ability to use the best tools of the industry. The Bollywood industry therefore has to come up with means on how to acquire quality material to ensure that it remains at per with the top competitors such as Hollywood.
Obtaining powerful cameras and seasoned actors thus remains an advantage for the resource-rich production companies. In Bollywood, the industry remained largely unrecognized by the Indian government for decades. The legitimacy of the film industry was doubted for years, thus attracted an aura of uncertainty within the industry.
For one, the banking system failed to provide loans to movie producers and thus a great deal of the liquidity was dependent on sponsorships. The quality of the films was also subjected to the amount of financing that the producer had (Jain 103). Considering the liquidity demands of the movie industry, a growing desperation for financing, pushed some producers to seek financial help from the mobs and mafia.
The ensuing relationship allowed the mafia to clean their money through loaning while the filming industry benefited from a greater degree of liquidity. The end goal was to see the film industry grow, but the growth came at a price. Looking at the nature of the industry, films would flop while others would succeed.
For the films that flopped, it meant that the producers could not manage to break even and therefore, repaying their financiers became impossible. Extortion and death threats became commonplace in the Indian movie industry because of the relationship to the mafia world. It was only in 2001 that the Indian government finally acknowledged and accepted the cinema and film industry of India as a legitimate business (Joshi, 38).
The acknowledgment of Bollywood saw the entry of banking as the primary financiers and thus shifting it from the illegality of the mafia and making it a cleaner business. The banking sector and its loaning allowed the industry to flourish in a number of ways. For one, it allowed for the entry of foreign production houses, which revolutionized the operation of the industry. The foreign entities brought with them longer experience and professionalism for the local Indian industry.
Competition is a necessary process for ensuring that standards are improved, another component that was created after the legitimization of the industry. Lack of competition causes lagging, as there is lack of pressure. The film industry has always competed with various industries around the world all to produce the best quality. Competition is important as it causes pressure and need for better results (Jain 143).
The absence of government regulation and acknowledgment meant that the industry was left to be run unchecked. The cost of production was high, and insurance of the production was not available. The status of the industry indicates a growing success and development. It has become one of the top grossing industries in India with a potential to grow even further.
Another challenge for the Indian industry has been the violation of the intellectual property rights and piracy. The piracy issue robs the industry a large sum of money that would otherwise increase the income for the industry players. During the period from 1940 to 1960, the film industry underwent innumerable setbacks. For one, the period was highlighted by the Second World War (Joshi 81).
For the Indian nation, the period represented the struggle for independence from British rule. The social and political environment of India was undergoing tremendous changes. The film industry captures the turbulence within the society in their movies with a good example being the ‘Kismet’ that was shot in the 1940s starring Ashok Kumar. The theme of the movie was centered on the concept of anti-hero and aspects of unmarried pregnancy. This period saw the development and creation of movies in multiple languages. The 70s and 80s marked one of the most essential eras in the movie industry in India. It was characterized by sweeping social changes that shifted the working of the industry.
The characterization, narrative style, and content of movies shifted to depict and capture the ongoing changes. The ideology of Masala films arose during this particular period. The goal of the films was to ensure maximum entertainment for the audience through captivating and mesmerizing acts (Gopalan 171).
Manmohan Desai was one of the most successful directors of the 1970s and is often considered as one of the founders of Masala movies. The era was synonymous with a number of actors including Amitabn Bachachan, who thrived during the Masala period. India considers them as legends for they strained to keep the industry alive, despite the exploitation and problems they faced.
One of the greatest challenges of the film industry of India has been the language barrier. Expanding the local industry holds one of the greatest potential and opportunities for the industry in India; however, the challenge remains the highly differentiated languages. Language barrier means that the industry has remained hugely segmented to cater for the needs of the diverse cultures and languages. The caste system is another instrumental element in the Indian film industry. The differences in socio-economic classes create and define the ideology of day-to-day choices (Joshi 106).
The choice of movies and films is based on a person’s perspective. This means that the success of the movies is based on the choice of the audience. Blockbuster movies are usually entertaining to a wider portion of the population and thus readily accepted. The attraction that is accorded to a specific movie is usually dependent on the type of reaction that a person attaches to a given film. The entertainment aspect of a movie is largely attributed to the degree of connection that an audience develops towards the movie.
Movies are looked at as a mode of entertainment, but more importantly, they provide a basis for understanding the society. The themes in movies are the attractive aspects that people are drawn to. This, therefore, means that a movie has to resonate with a person’s way of life before they can get to buy it.
The caste system in India remains one of the most crucial determinants of the success of movies. The caste system forms the basis of audiences of a given movie in that, people are going to buy a movie that reflects and captures their way of life. The result is a hugely fragmented market that cannot reap from the entirety of the industry. The socio-economic classes and language barrier result in clustered sectors within the industry.
Tapping into the entire market requires the creation of movies that are sensitive to the local languages and caste systems. The legalization of the Indian film industry by the government allowed it to be corporatized and in effect created the foundation for growth and expansion. It allowed for the streamlining of the value chain where ventures and formalized networks could be formed.
The corporatization aspect can be linked to the tremendous growth that has been realized within the industry. For instance, by the year 2006, 15% of the movies in Bollywood had been corporatized. This meant that there was an increase in the size of the film business. Consequently, there was increased revenue for the country. The country also through the sales of the films to the rest of the world was advertised and as a result, people were attracted to the region, hence the growth of the tourism industry.
The introduction of government regulations allowed for a safer business environment and thus higher profits could be attained. Large-budget projects became possible with the corporatization phenomenon. Another benefit of the corporatization was the fact that the degree of access to finances was increased. This was instrumental in minimizing the interest rates that were previously imposed on the sector due to the nature of uncertainty (Joshi 103). This meant that the industry was opened up event to the small players and producers who were previously limited by financial constraints.
The quality of the content of movies is enhanced by the budget of a production company through the ability to own equipment that is more sophisticated and sign up experienced directors. Sound technology and cinematography have allowed for the re-evaluation of the film industry in India, creating improvement and growth within the industry. The ongoing technological innovations in the contemporary world create a potential for great advancement of the sector. The advancements result in more efficient management approaches in filmmaking and recording (Rajadhyaksha and Paul 88).
Technology is one of the areas that the Indian industry can leverage to enhance its competitiveness in the global sector. The reference point for the entertainment sector has been the Hollywood standards. Adoption new technologies will allow for the development of a dynamic filmmaking experience that allows for quality work production. Looking at the evolution of the characterization and depiction of roles in Indian movies, one realizes that women who were largely left out of the main character scene have since been incorporated into every day acting capacities.
In the early stages of the growth of the industry, women were subjected to roles that displayed them only as elements of amusement. Their roles revolved around keeping the public interested and entertained. This has since changed with women being accorded roles that allow for active participation.
Women have been accorded roles that allow for the depiction of their importance in entertainment beyond the concept that was previously assigned to them. ‘The Dirty Picture’ is an example of the evolution of the role of women in the cinema industry in India. Looking at the general status of the Indian woman has changed since the inception of the Indian film industry. Looking at some of the movies from the Indian cinema industry one can realize and appreciate the changes that the industry has created (Gopalan 117). The movies show a transition in time from the first silent movies to the blockbusters that are being currently produced.
Mississippi Masala
One such movie is the Mississippi Masala that was shot back in 1992. The movie showcased the evolution of the Indian movie industry over time. The movie is breakdown of some of the stereotypes that the Asian American society experience. The movie talks of an interracial love story between an African American and Asian American. It does a good job of showcasing some of the stereotypes that societies develop (Mississippi Masala). The story captures the story of Indians around the world, from Uganda to America. Not only has the Indian Cinema transformed in a century, but also engrained itself within the global society (Mississippi Masala).
Conclusion
The social systems around the world are formed and shaped based on a number of things. Music, art, religion, and schooling are some of the most essential elements of society. However, entertainment is just as important as any other field owing to the fact that it allows for the momental relief from the daunting aspects of life. Entertainment has evolved into a huge business industry over the years, raking in billions of dollars every year. The film industry, more importantly, has created a unique reproduction ability of various aspects of life. Themes in most of the films provide criticism and solutions to some of the challenges of society. In as much as the primary goal is to entertain the audience, education, and creation of awareness also become integrated in the process.
As much as the process has been slow, with numerous obstacles, it has been instrumental in shaping the nature of the industry in India. One of the top most grossing industries or sectors in the contemporary society is the entertainment industry. Increasing standards of living around the world have allowed individuals to accumulate bigger disposable incomes. The major change that occurred to propel it to the status was through accepting of its legitimacy by the government.
It allowed for the development of regulatory aspects for the industry. The inclusion of regulations enhanced the degree of investment to allow for better filming capacities by production companies that could access financing from banks and other financial bodies. From a rudimentary system that started with silent movies to have evolved into a system that makes a thousand films a year, a person can only imagine the magnitude of changes that have been created in the few years of revolutionary changes.
Creativity and originality have since been incorporated by Indian directors and producers unlike the copying that were prevalent before the foundation of the Indian industry. The contemporary cinema scene in India depicts great evolution from what it used to be a few decades ago. Creativity has allowed for the old systems to be challenged and in the process, the development of a new and original industry in India.
Work Cited
Gopalan, Lalitha. Cinema of Interruptions: Action Genres in Contemporary Indian Cinema. London: British Film Institute, 2002. Print.
Jain, Manju. Narratives of Indian Cinema. Delhi: Primus Books, 2009. Print.
Joshi, Lalit M. Bollywood: Popular Indian Cinema. London: Dakini, 2001. Print.
"Mississippi Masala." YouTube. YouTube, 2015. Web. 03 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbNqk0b82NE>.
Rajadhyaksha, Ashish, and Paul Willemen. Encyclopedia of Indian cinema. Abingdon : Routledge, 2014. Print.
