JOU4(3)C02 INTRODUCTION TO T.

V AND CINEMA

MODULE I

Characteristics of Television

1. AUDIO VISUAL MEDIUM

While radio has sound, television content includes both sound and visuals. This audio
visual character of television makes it a magic medium which allows us to watch the world
from our drawing rooms. This powerful visual nature helps television to create vivid
impressions in our minds which in turn leads to emotional involvement. The audio visual
quality also makes television images more memorable.\
2. DOMESTIC MEDIUM

To watch television, we need not leave your drawing room. No need of going to the movie
theater or buying tickets. We can watch television in the comfort of our home with our
family. This is why television is generally regarded as a domestic medium. It provides
entertainment and information right inside our homes and has become an integral part of
our everyday lives. It can actually pattern our daily activities. Even our family makes it a
point to watch their favorite serial at a particular time and adjust dinner timings
accordingly. This domestic nature of television influences the content also. We have
noticed that a newspaper report has an impersonal tone, whereas the television anchor
addresses us directly. The domestic nature of television makes it an intimate medium. This
makes the viewers experience a sense of closeness to the Television.

3. LIVE MEDIUM.

The important characteristic of television is that it is capable of being a live medium. This
is because the live nature of television allows it to transmit visuals and information almost
instantly. The visuals of an earthquake in Indonesia can reach our television set in almost
 no time. This capacity of the medium makes it ideal for transmitting live visuals of news
and sports events. If we are watching a cricket match in a television channel, we can almost
instantly see the wicket hit by our favourite player. On the Television allows you to
witness events which happen thousands of miles away.

4. MASS MEDIUM

All of us know that there are a large number of people who cannot read or write.
Such people may not be able to read a newspaper, but they can watch television.
Anyone with a television receiver can access the information shown on television.
This makes it an ideal medium to transmit messages to a large audience. In a country like
ours, with a huge illiterate population, this characteristic of television makes it an ideal
instrument for transmitting social messages. Television also has a very wide output, range
and reach. It is truly a mass medium.
5. A TRANSITORY MEDIUM.

Television programmes are not easy to be recorded by viewers. It may be practically

impossible to record every programme which appears on your television. Therefore,
television is generally identified as a transitory medium.
6. EXPENSIVE MEDIUM
There is need to large amount of machinery and expertise needed to run a television station.
We can write articles and stories and draw our own pictures. All we need will be paper,
pen, drawing instruments and time. However, a television programme can never be made
this. However, a television programme can never be made this easily. It requires lots of
money, machinery and experienced people. Broadcast media in general and television in
particular involves complex technology and organization. We will need crores of rupees to
start a television station.

Limitations of Television
1. Very Expensive Media Cost
2. Very Expensive Production Costs
3. Difficult to generate adequate reach and frequency unless media budget is very large.
4. Emerging Consumer Experience
Origin and Development of Television
Experiments in television broadcasting were initiated during the 1920s in the United States
and Europe. These experiments used a mechanical scanning disc that did not scan a picture
rapidly enough. In 1923, however, came the invention of the iconoscope, the electric
television tube. The invention of the kinescope or picture tube, the electronic camera and tv
home receivers arrived in rapid succession during the next few years and by the 1930s the
national broadcast corporation (NBC) had set up a TV Station in New York, and a BBC a
TV station in London, offering regular telecast programmes. Germany and France too
established TV stations around the same time.
The World War put a break on further developments in TV, though in Nazi Germany
television was widely used as an instrument of political propaganda.
In 1948, for instance, there were as many as 41 TV stations in the United States covering 23
cities through half a million receivers. Canada, Japan and the European coutries did not lag
very far behind.
History of Indian Television
John Baird is the father of Television. British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) o Britain
began the first television service in 1936. By 1939, television broadcast began in the United
States. The first successfull programme in colour was transmitted by Columbia
Broadcasting System (CBS) in USA in 1953. In today’s world, television has become one
of the most powerful means of mass communication. It can impart education, information
and entertainment. Television has become an integral part of our lives.
Television came to India on September 15, 1959 with experimental transmission from
Delhi. It was a modest beginning with a make shift studio, a low power transmitter and only
21 community television sets. All India Radio provided the engineering and programme
professionals. A daily one-hour service with a news bulletin was started in 1965. In 1972
television services were extended to a second city—Mumbai.
By 1975 television stations came up in Calcutta, Chennai, Srinagar, Amritsar and Lucknow.
In 1975-76 the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment brought television programmes
for people in 2400 villages in the most inaccessible of the least developed areas tlirough a
satellite lent to India for one year.
Doordarshan is a Public broadcast terrestrial television channel run by Prasar Bharati, a
board formed by the Government of India. It is one of the largest broadcasting
organizations in the world in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters.
Doordarshan had its beginning with the experimental telecast started in Delhi in September,
1959 with a small fransmitter and a makeshift studio. The regular daily transmission started
in 1965 as a part of All India Radio.
The television service was extended to a second city Mumbai in 1972. Till 1975, only seven
cities were covered by Doordarshan and it remained the only television channel in India.
Television services were separated from Radio in 1976. Each office of All India Radio and
Doordarshan were placed under the management of two separate Director Generals in New
Delhi. Finally, its existence came into being when Doordarshan became a National
Broadcaster. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in the world in terms of the
infrastructure of studios and transmitters.
Recently it has also started digital Terrestrial Transmitters. Doordarshan is the only network
that it is permitted to broadcast television signals domestically. In a communications
breakthrough for Indian Television in July 1995, Doordarshan agreed, for a US $1.5 million
annual fee and 50 percent of advertising revenue when it exceeds US$1.5 million, to allow
CNN to broadcast twenty-four hours a day via an Indian satellite. Indian television channel
Doordarshan offers national, regional, and local service of Indian television viewers. DD
became national when it started to telecast national programmes in the year 1982.) In the
same year, colour TVs were introduced in the Indian markets.
The first colour programmes were the live telecast of the Independence Day parade on 15*
August, 1982, followed by the Asian Games being held in Delhi J The eighties was the era
of Doordarshan with soaps like Hum Log (1984), Buniyaad (1986-87) and mythological
dramas like Ramayana 91987-88) and Mahabharata (1988-89) glued millions to
Doordarshan. (Other popular programmes included Hindi film songs based programs like
Chitrahaar and Rongoli followed by the crime thrillers like Karamchand (starring Pankaj
Kapoor), Byomkesh Bakshi and Janki Jasoos. Now more than 90 percent of the Indian
population receives Doordarshan (DDl) programmes through a network of nearly 1400
terrestrial transmitters. About 46 Doordarshan studios are presently producing TV
programme. Currently, Doordarshan operates 19 channels - two All India channels, 11
Regional Languages Satellite Channels (RLSC), four State Networks , an International
channel, a Sports Channel and two channels (DD-RS & DD-LS) for live broadcast of
parliamentary proceedings. On DD-1 national programmes, regional programmes and local
programmes are carried on time-sharing basis. DD-News channel was launched on 3*^
November 2003 which replaced the DD-Metro Entertainment channel that provides 24 hour
news service.
The Regional Languages Satellite channels have two components i.e., the Regional Service
for the particular state relayed by all terrestrial transmitters in the state and additional
programmes in the regional language in prime time and non-prime time available only
through cable operators. Sports channel is exclusively devoted to the broadcasting of
sporting events of national and international importance. This is the only sports channel
which telecasts rural sports like Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, etc., something which private
broadcasters will not attempt to telecast as it will not attract any revenues. Doordarshan is
often criticized for low quality of programmes and sometimes even poor telecast and
presentation in quality. Additionally, since it is not a profit and loss enterprise like private
channels Sun Network or Zee TV or Sony TV or Star Plus, it does not have the requisite
push for better programming. Despite being heavily funded and protected by the
government, many critics have pointed out that it second priority.
Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) is India's national public broadcaster. It
is a board nominated by the Government of India. It comprises Doordarshan television and
All India Radio which was established in November 23, 1997. It was due to the demand
that the government owned broadcasters in India should be given autonomy like those in
many other countries. The Parliament of India passed an Act to grant this autonomy in
1990. But it was not enacted until September 15, 1997.
Doordarsan is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in the world in terms of the
infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently it has also started Digital Terrestrial
transmitters. Gone are the days of Indian T.V. serials with which the people could relate.
The journey from Doordarshan to Zee, Sony and Star plus has been a long one. Indian Soap
had its humble begirmings in "Hum Log" the first ever T.V. serial to be broadcasted by
Doordarshan the sole T.V. channel in 1984. People were glued to their television sets to
watch each episode of Manohar Shyam Joshi's "//w/w Log". This was a story of an Indian
family that a large section of people could identify with. People could relate to the
characters, their happiness and sorrows.
Over the years, Doordarshan has presented many popular and engrossing serials. For
example "Waghley Ki Duniya", "Yeh Jo Hain Zindagi", "Nukkad", "Rajni" and the list goes
on. The common theme across all these stories was the background setting which reflected
everyday life's struggles, failures and triumphs. These serials had an underlying positive
message upholding tradition, moral values and strengthening the fabric of Indian culture.
From the mid 1990's, Cable TV brought about a home entertainment revolution.
Doordarshan found itself struggling to compete with a network of privately owned quality
entertainment channels powered by commercials, and latest technology. Doordarshan made
an effort to catch up but like most state owned efforts, soon became lackluster in
comparison to the glitz and glamour of Zee, Sony and Star Plus.
The following are some major landmarks in the history of Doordarshan
1959 - Experimental Transmission in Delhi
1961 - School Television for Delhi Students
1965 - Regular service with daily news bulletin in Hindi
1967 - Krishi Darshan Programmes for farmers.
1972 - Television in a second city – Mumbai
1975 - SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment) launched
1976 - Commercials introduced, Doordarsan delinked from All India Radio
(AIR)
1982 - National Programmes, Colour transmission and networking through
satellite.
1984 - First mass appeal serial Hum Log, second channel at Delhi
1985 - First Regional Satellite network in Maharashtra
1987 - Morning transmission were started
1993 - Regional language satellite channels
1999 - DD Sports channel inaugurated.,News on the hour.
1999 - DD News and current affairs channel. (Test transmission).
Cable TV
cable television, generally, any system that distributes television signals by means of
coaxial or fibre-optic cables. The term also includes systems that distribute signals solely
via satellite. Cable-television systems originated in the United States in the late 1940s and
were designed to improve reception of commercial network broadcasts in remote and hilly
areas. During the 1960s they were introduced in many large metropolitan areas where local
television reception is degraded by the reflection of signals from tall buildings. Commonly
known as community antenna television (CATV), these cable systems use a “community
antenna” to receive broadcast signals (often from communications satellites), which they
then retransmit via cables to homes and establishments in the local area subscribing to the
service. Subscribers pay a specified monthly service charge in addition to an initial
installation fee.
Since the mid-1970s there has been a proliferation of cable-television systems offering
special services. Besides bringing high-quality signals to subscribers, the systems provide
additional television channels. Some of these systems can deliver 50 or more channels
because they distribute signals occurring within the normal television broadcast band as
well as nonbroadcast frequencies. A frequency-conversion device is connected to the
television set of the subscriber to accommodate these signals of nonbroadcast frequencies.
The increased number of channels allows expanded programming, including broadcasts
from distant cities, continuous weather and stock-market reports, programs produced
by community groups and educational institutions, and access to pay-TV program materials
such as recent motion pictures and sports events not telecast by other broadcasters.

Satellite TV
Satellite television (satellite TV) is a particular kind of broadcast delivery based on using
space satellites to deliver signals. Companies make use of satellites that have been sent out
of the Earth's atmosphere by beaming a signal up to the satellite and delivering it to
individual customers via the use of receiving equipment.
The basic setup for a satellite TV involves a satellite dish, also called a "parabolic reflector
antenna," along with a "low-noise block down converter" and a receiver. Satellite TV helps
deliver signals in areas where customers may not be served by cable television or
"terrestrial" broadcasting.Satellite TV generally uses two different frequency sets to deliver
signals. One is the Ku band, a dedicated channel for satellite TV communications. A type
of satellite TV known as direct-broadcast satellite TV (DBSTV) often uses the Ku band.
Other analog "big dish" systems use the lower C band, which is also used for certain other
kinds of technologies. Although the Ku band is the dedicated channel for satellite TV, the C
band can help signals withstand some interruptions, such as signal disruption from
inclement weather.

DTH (Direct to home)

The DTH technology enables a broadcasting company to directly beam the signal to your
TV set through a receiver that is installed in the house. There is no need for a separate cable
connection.
In India, direct-to-home (DTH) Broadcasting Service refers to the distribution of multi
channel TV programmes in Ku Band by using a satellite system by providing TV signals
direct to subscribers' premises. For DTH connection the broadcasting company provides a
set that comprises the dish and a receiving set. The company beams an encrypted signal that
only the set installed in your household can receive and enable viewing.

DTH has many advantages like one can do away with the cable operator who will give you
channels of his choice and there is no assurance of quality. The quality of signals in this
case is expected to be superior since the signal is not split through a cable. By choosing just
the signals that one needs, there is a possibility of reducing your monthly cable bill.

TV on Web
TV streaming involves utilizing the internet to access video entertainment on demand. The
streaming service stores the files for the show, so you don’t have to download them to your
device. Streaming TV almost resembles the traditional way we watch TV, and however, it
allows us to use the internet to watch shows, movies, sports, or news channels across many
devices.In simpler terms, streaming TV is TV that you can watch on the internet either in
real-time or at your convenience without watching them with an antenna, cable, or satellite
services.Most devices that can connect to the internet can take advantage of streaming TV,
including smart TV sets, smartphones, computers, and tablets.You can connect to a
streaming service through your smart TV’s interface, directly from streaming sites, with
apps, or through streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.
Streaming TV has been around for years. Switching from cable TV to streaming services
was once more of a cost-cutting rarity. However, it’s become more mainstream now. There
are many people who started to watch streaming TV during the pandemic instead of
traditional TV to add to their entertainment options while social distancing.
If you’re thinking of switching from cable to streaming TV, here are several reasons
you might take the plunge:

● It costs less: You can find some streaming services that cost less than $10 a
month, compared to cable or satellite prices.
● Some shows are only available from streaming services: Many popular
shows like Netflix Originals and Apple TV programs are only available if you
subscribe to their service online.
● You can sometimes catch first-run movies: With fewer people going to the
theater in-person during the pandemic, you may be able to watch some first-
run movies with services like HBOMax.
● You can binge-watch what you want to binge-watch: You can watch all the
TV episodes of a tv show from start to finish at your own pace, never missing
an episode.
● You can watch from anywhere: Wherever you are, you can watch your
favorite movies and TV shows any time of the day, as long as you have
internet access.

TV on Mobile

Mobile television is television watched on a small handheld or mobile device. It

includes service delivered via mobile phone networks, received free-to-
air via terrestrial television stations, or via satellite broadcast. Regular broadcast
standards or special mobile TV transmission formats can be used. Additional features
include downloading TV programs and podcasts from the Internet and storing
programming for later viewing.

Mobile television refers to television broadcasting over handheld or mobile devices.

This new type of broadcasting is changing the market for television programming in
many ways.

One of the biggest aspects of mobile television is the provision of television

broadcasts through smartphones. With smartphone adoption experiencing
exponential growth, broadcasters are using systems like third-party pay-for-
performance services and Internet portals to deliver television broadcasts directly
through these portable devices. The cost models are different, but many of the
underlying principles are the same. For example, 30-second ads have been integrated
into these portals, so that the funding for the broadcasting remains essentially the
same — pay for airtime on the part of large corporate sponsors.

Other kinds of mobile television are also being introduced to this broadening
consumer environment. Mobile television is evolving from the traditional broadcast
medium in the same way that cable television evolved from traditional network
television. The difference is that the venues for broadcasts are being fragmented into
different types of wireless networking setups.

Mobile television also involves different kinds of technical production. One is Wi-Fi
or WiMAX, where TV broadcasts are streamed through the Internet. Other systems
use terrestrial networks to send wireless or radio signals from terrestrial base stations
locally. Other methods use existing satellite technology to deliver broadcasts. All of
these tactical strategies support the versatile nature of mobile television, which may
overshadow traditional cable television or satellite dish setups in the same way that
today's smartphone carrier models have eclipsed the landline telephone service of the
20th century.
 MODULE II

Structure of TV News

News is very important in today’s media scenario and there are a numbers of factors to modify
the importance of news in actual practice. The policy of the news medium may increase or
diminish the importance of the story. The class of viewers and listeners that dominates the
audience of a channel determines largely what is news for that medium. The amount of time
available on tv determines whether is told briefly or in detail and thus time alters the value of a
news story.

Repeating the same news also sometimes decreases the importance. The news story is totally and
radically different from all other kinds of composition. A narrative, a short story, a novel, a
play, a drama, book or a film script begins with a description of the background or with the
introduction of various characters and conditions. The story ends soon after the climax is
reached. On the contrary, a standard news story stands with the climax and leaves the details for
the closing sentance.

Most common structure for broadcast news; it has three parts

1. Climax – It gives the listener the point of the story in about the same way the lead of a print
news story does; it tells the listener what happened.
2. Cause – It tells why the story happened. – the circumstances surrounding the event.
3. Effect – It gives the listener the context of the story and possibly some insight about what the
story means.

Contents of news :

What ? : what happened and what is the event?

When ? : when it occured, at what time it took place?\

Where ? : the place, whre the incident occured?

Who ? : the persons involved at that occasion.

Why? : the reason of that particular issue.

How ? : the sequence of the event.

Types of news formats

1. Mini Documentary : This format allows a story to run more than a minute. , and as long as
15 minutes. It allows for a variety of sound bites, interviews and even misic to be
incorporated into the broadcast.
2. Reader copy : news read by an anchor
3. Voice overs : Reporter speaks over video, with original sound turned down, or off.
4. Voice over to sound bites : Reporter talks over the video until time for the sound bit, then his
voice is turned down and the sound bite is turned up.

News Anchoring

News anchors are journalists who inform the public by reporting news stories and events
happening on a local, national, and international level. In the role of lead journalist on a
television news broadcast, they use their public speaking skills to accurately and concisely
deliver the news to their audience. As the job title suggests, they are the professionals
who anchor or hold a news program together. They maintain program continuity between
segments after field reporters deliver their respective stories.

Responsibilities of a News Anchor

he following is a list of some of the chief responsibilities of a news anchor. It should

be noted, however, that the size of the station may dictate the degree to which the
news anchor is involved in research and writing. Larger organizations commonly
employ people in these specific roles.

● Research local community, state, national, and international current events

● Meet with the news director, reporters, and other news anchors to be briefed on the
day’s news
● Collaborate with the news director to choose stories to broadcast, considering source
reliability and audience preferences

● Organize the news to present in a logical, compelling order

● Write, revise scripts and prepare to deliver them on-air

● Ensure late-breaking news is added to newscasts

● Engage in editorial commentary, when appropriate

● Interview individuals involved in particular stories

● Introduce news correspondents reporting on scene and ask them relevant questions

● Comply with the moral code of the journalistic profession

● Keep abreast of news developments by studying papers, attending events, etc.

● Stay in contact with industry professionals

There are four key moments in the life of a newsroom, and the news anchor is a key
participant throughout each of them:
(1) The provisional meeting
This meeting takes place once a week. Its objective is to plan the reporting packages
and anticipate on current or future events. Attending are the news director, the news
anchor, department directors, the chief editors, writers, cameramen, researchers, and
assistants. All external solicitations are examined, selected, or rejected. Elected
stories are consigned in the newsroom’s agenda.
(2) The newsroom meeting
The newsroom meeting typically takes place six to eight hours before the newscast,
to build the newscast of the day. It is held with every journalist in the room and,
depending on the size of the station, may also include managers and technical teams.
This meeting starts with the news review and a look into the agenda. Attendees
contribute their points of view and ideas. The news director picks the stories that will
be treated, and from which angles. As the meeting progresses, a pre-rundown begins
to take shape. This meeting lasts between twenty and forty-five minutes.
(3) The preparatory meeting
This meeting takes place four to two hours before the newscast. The director or
assistant director, the continuity staff, and the anchor settle the newscast’s rundown.
The rundown is used for all producing teams: the on-set cameramen, the technical
teams, the assistant director, the special effects staff, the sound producers, and the
news anchor.
(4) The debriefing
The debriefing happens immediately following the newscast. It’s about point out
strengths and weaknesses and discussing them with all journalists and technicians
involved in the newscast. All technical issues, failures, and successes are discussed.
They are also discussed at the following day’s first meeting. A reviewing of the
newscast may take place to help improve the next newscast.

PCR (Production Control Room)

The production control room (PCR) or studio control room (SCR) is the place in
a in which the composition of the outgoing program takes place.

The production control room is occasionally also called an SCR or a gallery – the
latter name comes from the original placement of the director on an ornately carved
bridge spanning the BBC's first studio at Alexandra Palace which was once referred
to as like a minstrels' gallery Master control is the technical hub of a broadcast
operation common among most over-the-air television stations and television
networks. Master control is distinct from a PCR in television studios where the
activities such as switching from camera to camera are coordinated. A transmission
control room (TCR) is usually smaller in size and is a scaled-down version of central
casting.

Facilities in a production control room include:

● A video monitor wall, with monitors for program, preview, VTRs, cameras,
graphics and other video sources. In some facilities, the monitor wall is a series of
racks containing physical television and computer monitors; in others, the monitor
wall has been replaced with a virtual monitor wall (sometimes called a "glass
cockpit"), one or more large video screens or video walls, each capable of
displaying multiple sources in a simulation of a monitor wall.
● A vision mixer, a large control panel used to select the multiple-camera setup and
other various sources to be recorded or seen on air and, in many cases, in
any video monitors on the set. The term "vision mixer" is primarily used in
Europe, while the term "video switcher" is usually used in North America.[1]
● A professional audio mixing console and other audio equipment such as
audio effect units or devices.
● A character generator (CG), which creates the majority of the names and
full digital on-screen graphics that are inserted into the program lower
third portion of the television screen.
● Digital video effects, or DVE, for manipulation of video sources. In newer vision
mixers, the DVE is integrated into the vision mixer; older models without built-in
DVE's can often control external DVE devices, or an external DVE can be
manually run by an operator.
● Hard drive or SSD docking stations or memory card readers
● A still store, or still frame, device for storage of graphics or other images. While
the name suggests that the device is only capable of storing still images, newer
still stores can store moving video clips and motion graphics. It may also be
integrated into the vision mixer.
● The technical director's station, with waveform monitors, vector scopes and
the camera control units (CCU) or remote control panels (RCPs) for the CCUs
which are used to control the professional video cameras in the studio floor
● In many facilities, a lighting control console used to control the lighting on the
studio floor
● In some facilities, VTRs, VCRs, CCUs, Video servers and video and audio
converters, processors and routers may also be located in the PCR, but are also
often found in the Central Apparatus Room (CAR)
● Intercom and IFB equipment for communication with talent and television crew
● A signal generator to genlock all of the video equipment to a common reference
that requires color burst.

Tele Prompter

A teleprompter , also commonly referred to as a prompter or Autocue, is a device that

allows a presenter to read a script whilst maintaining direct eye contact with the
audience. Because the speaker does not need to look down to consult written notes,
he/she appears to have memorized the speech or to be speaking spontaneously.
Teleprompters have traditionally been used in two main scenarios – by television
presenters who want to be able to look straight in to the camera whilst reading the
script, or by presidents, politicians and public speakers who want to be able to
maintain natural eye contact with their audience rather than looking down at their
notes. In more recent times, the use of teleprompters has widened to include any
scripted video production, video bloggers, power point presentations, as well as
singers performing on stage as a way to help remember their lines.

Scripting for TV Programmes

A TV interview can be as simple as asking questions of people on the street, or it
can be as involved as a one-on-one, sit-down discussion with the president.
Getting good answers in a TV interview can make a news story come to life and
build your reputation as a probing journalist.
A television interview can help give you and your business great exposure in front of
your target audience and also help you to visually connect with your audience. As
your audience is able to see you, television can help you build trust and let people
feel like they know you.

unlike other mediums, having an interview on televisions means your body language,
dress , back ground and movement can all contribute to how you capture your
audience’s attention.
To appear credible on television, you need to look and sound professional.

Being interviewed on television can be intimidating, particularly if it is live. Having

little room for mistakes can make you feel vulnerable and nervous, however it is
important to work on your television interviews skills to help you make the most of a
valuable opportunity.

Here are some tips to help you deliver a good television interview.

Prepare and practice

The best thing you can do for a television interview is to deliver a clear, concise
message. For this to happen, you need to prepare and practice thoroughly before
every interview.

Write out a game plan which covers key issues, possible questions and answers for
each possible question. Think about the messages you want to communicate
throughout your interview. Once you have decided what these are, you will be better
prepared to weave your key messages into your responses.

Practicing your responses is extremely important in your preparation. Practice

answering questions in front of the mirror or film yourself to identify areas for
improvement. The better prepared you are, the better you will be able to get your key
messages across.

How to appear
It is important to look relaxed and calm, particularly as the audience will be able to
see your facial expressions. If you look and speak confidently, you will appear more
credible and if you do make a mistake, it will not be as noticeable.
Try to use slow, controlled gestures. If you are seated in a swivel chair, try not to
move around. Only use hand gestures if they complement what you are saying.

Wear a simple and professional outfit. Avoid wearing stripes, checks, herringbone,
small intricate designs or flashy jewellery as they can be distracting when viewed on
a screen.

How to speak
It is important to speak more expressively and energetically than usual. Otherwise
your recorded voice can sound monotone. Your voice should lift and drop, and
increase and decrease in volume.

What to say
It is important not to ramble. Take a moment to think about what you will say. Say it
and then stop. If the journalist is quiet, don’t feel as though you need to keep talking.
Keeping your words concise will help people digest what you are saying.

If you make a mistake, just correct yourself and move on. Don’t dwell on it.

Where to look
Don’t stare directly at the camera or continuously shift your gaze between the
journalist and the camera. This can make viewers feel uncomfortable and they may
not pay attention to what you are discussing.

It is best to hold eye contact and focus on the journalist and pretend the camera is not
in the room.

Relax
 It is important to relax and take a break from reading your notes in the 30 minutes
prior to your interview. Give your brain some time to unwind and occupy yourself to
calm your nerves by calling a family member or a friend.
interviews are an excellent way to deliver your key messages directly to your
audience. Ensure you do adequate preparation for the interview, particularly if it is
live television. Practising will help you feel more confident in your presentation and
approach to the interview.

TV Magazine
A television program that presents a variety of topics, usually on current events, in a
format that often includes interviews and commentary.
Examples:

● 60 Minutes (CBS)
● 20/20 (ABC)
● All Things Considered (NPR)
● Blue Peter (BBC)
● Dateline (NBC)
● Entertainment Tonight (syndicated)
● EPCOT Magazine (Disney Channel)
● Inside Edition (syndicated)

Live Programmes
Live television is a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the
present. In a secondary meaning, it may refer to streaming television over the Internet
when content or programming is played continuously (not on demand).
In most cases live programming is not being recorded as it is shown on TV, but rather
was not rehearsed or edited and is being shown only as it was recorded prior to being
aired. Shows broadcast live include newscasts, morning shows, awards shows, sports
programs, reality programs and, occasionally, episodes of scripted television series. Live
television was more common until the late 1950s, when videotape technology was
invented. Because of the prohibitive cost, adoption was slow, and some television shows
remained live until the 1970s, such as soap operas. To prevent unforeseen issues, live
television programs may be delayed, which allows censors to edit the program. Some
programs may be broadcast live in certain time zones and delayed in others.

Sting Operation
A sting operation is a search done by the media to expose the evils prevailing in
society. It is an integral part of modern news casting, although it involves questionable
ethical issues. There are many questions on the legality and fairness of the sting
operation.
Media is recognized as the fourth pillar of our democracy. It plays a critical role in
discovering the truth. To bring truth in front of the general public, it uses various
investigative techniques, one such being sting operation. A sting operation is an
investigative tool used by the media to uproot the malpractices existing in society. In this
method, the journalists get access to vital information by utilizing a false identity. The
sting operation was first used in a movie named “Sting” which highlights two men trying
to con a mob boss for money. A sting operation can also be referred to as investigative
journalism or undercover journalism. In other words, sting operation refers to a deceptive
technique used against a person to get vital information. On one hand, the media has the
freedom of press, which gives them the power to conduct such investigations, but on the
other hand, such techniques are against various essential rights of an individual.
Positive Sting Operation: These are the operations carried out for disclosing
information which is crucial for the interest of the society. A sting operation can make
the government accountable for its action. According to S.P. Jain vs Union of India, it
was held that no democratic government can survive without accountability and people
should have information about their government.
Negative sting operation: It is an operation done which breaches the privacy of an
individual. These are merely sensationalized news done with an intent to gain
viewership. This type of operation doesn’t protect the public interest but in turn, violates
it. This operation ends up trapping innocent individuals.
Guidelines to be followed while conducting a Sting Operation

News Broadcasting Association’s Code of ethics and broadcasting standards set

certain guidelines for conducting sting operations. Some of the important guidelines
are listed below.

● A sting operation cannot be conducted without the permission of the head of

the editorial team and the person concerned of that news channel.

● A sting operation should be done for the public interest.

● During the sting operation, it is not appreciated to induce a person to

commit a wrongful act.

● The recordings of the sting operation should not be tampered or

manipulated.

● If the sting operation is proved to be fabricated then all concerned would be

liable for their actions.

● Sting operation can only be relied on and there are no other effective means
to collect information.

● According to Section 6 and Section 5 of the cable and broadcasting network

rules, 1994, a sting operation can only be telecasted if there is any prima
facie evidence to show the culpability of the wrong-doer.

● Concurrent and contemporaneous recording in writing of various stages of

sting operation should be made and be preserved for 90 days or any other
period prescribed.
 MODULE III

Film

The primary unit of expression in film is the image, or the single shot.
The attribution of magical properties to images has a long history. This association is well
documented among many primitive peoples, and it is even reflected in the term magic
lantern as a synonym for the film projector. Any image taken out of the everyday world
and projected onto a screen to some extent appears to become magically transmuted. This
magical quality helps to explain the enthusiastic reception accorded such early films as La
Sortie des usines Lumière (1895; “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”), which were
merely photographic records of commonplace scenes in France in the 1890s by the French
film pioneers the Lumière brothers.

cinema, the mind follows the eyes.

Characteristics of Film
Four characteristics may be stressed as factors that differentiate the motion-picture
medium, either in degree or in kind, from other mediums for works of art:
luminosity, movement, realism, and montage.
1. Luminosity
The intense brightness of the picture projected by powerful light onto a coated screen
in itself transforms the most mundane element of reality. The appeal of a luminous
picture is attested by efforts of advertisers to achieve luminous effects in posters and
displays. The luminosity of the motion-picture image also results in a considerable
range of tone, between the brightest highlight and the deepest black. In both black-
and-white and colour films, the most delicate gradations in the image are therefore
possible.
2. Movement
As a feature of the motion picture, movement is so obvious that its central
importance is sometimes forgotten. The motion picture has much in common with
the graphic arts, but the added dimension of movement transforms it, allowing a
narrative or a drama to unfold in time in a way no other graphic art can. Both in
filmmaking and in film appreciation, movement must constantly be borne in
mind: composition in the motion picture is kinetic rather than static. It is not a single
colour but the cumulative effect that matters, not a single situation but a developing
plot. The composition within any frame, or exposure, of a motion picture is as
important as the relationship of that frame to those that precede and follow it.
3. Realism
Another essential element of the motion-picture image is that it gives an impression
of reality. Whether in a drama enacted expressly for the camera or in a documentary
film of an event at which the camera just happened to be present, this feeling of
realism deriving from motion-picture photography accounts for much of the force of
motion pictures. Animated films, which lack this element of photographic realism,
tend to be taken as fantasies.

4. Montage

Perhaps the most essential characteristic of the motion picture is montage, from the
French monter, “to assemble.” Montage refers to the editing of the film, the cutting
and piecing together of exposed film in a manner that best conveys the intent of the
work. Montage is what distinguishes motion pictures from the performing arts, which
exist only within a performance. The motion picture, by contrast, uses the
performances as the raw material, which is built up as a novel or an essay or
a painting, studiously put together piece by piece, with an allowance for trial and
error, second thoughts, and, if necessary, reshooting. The order in which the
segments of film are presented can have drastically different dramatic effects.

5. The film experience

The viewing of motion pictures began as an experience limited to a one-
person audience. Soon after, the advent of motion-picture projection transformed the
medium predominantly into a form of theatrical entertainment viewed by large
numbers of people simultaneously. By the end of the 20th century, new technologies
had made possible a wide variety of viewing options, ranging from the solitary
spectator sitting at home to audiences of thousands in a single space or of millions
over many venues.

Types of Film

Types of film

Most connoisseurs of the art of motion pictures feel that the greatest films are the
artistic and personal expression of strong directors. The cinema exists, however, for
many social functions, and its “art” has served many types of film that do not set out
to be artistic. In practical terms these functions divide films into what are usually
termed “modes,” including the documentary, the experimental, and the fictional. The
documentary mode incorporates those films relying primarily on cinema’s power to
relay events in the world. The experimental includes the variety of approaches that
have tested and played with the technological limits and capabilities of the medium,
including animated (nonphotographic) and computer-generated images. The fictional
is the mode most often thought of as simply “the movies.” It has adopted the forms of
storytelling that have always existed in culture, creating various cinematic languages
to convey its tales. Each of these three modes can in turn be subdivided
into genres (i.e., commonly recognized types of stories or forms).
1. The documentary
The turn of the 20th century witnessed not only the invention of the motion picture
but also tremendous growth of popular interest in journalism, picture postcards,
lectures by travelers (frequently illustrated with slides), and so forth. The motion
picture quickly came to serve society’s need to learn about the geography and social
conditions of the world at large. Some of the first motion pictures depicted exotic
locations, contemporary events (battles, coronations), and unknown cultures. Indeed,
as late as 1908 such a major company as Biograph actually produced more nonfiction
films than narratives. This would soon change, in part because the production
of documentary films is dependent on world events and is therefore more haphazard
and more difficult than the fully controlled process of making fiction films in studios.
The decline of the nonfiction film has also been attributed to the belief that, after a
decade, audiences were saturated with “views” and “actualities,” as such films were
called. Moviegoers were no longer drawn to the sheer recording ability of motion
pictures; they demanded imaginative entertainment instead.
2. Travelogues and ethnographic films
One sort of film that has had continuous appeal, albeit for a specialized audience, has
been the travel film. Much of the attraction of such films—from the crude pictures
cranked out by Lumière cameramen in Japan, Africa, and the Arctic, to Robert
Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922) and other films, to National Geographic
Society presentations on television—results simply from the thrill of seeing a foreign
culture or a distant location. Flaherty proved, however, that there could also be
tremendous artistry in such films. His unforgettable compositions matched the
harmonious rhythm of his editing to render the lives of his subjects in a
gloriously romantic tone.

Both anthropologists and Hollywood producers immediately recognized the

attraction of Flaherty’s work, initiating several long-lived genres. In
Hollywood, King Kong (1933), one of the most famous monster movies ever made,
was conceived by producer-director Merian C. Cooper, who was inspired by his
experience shooting travel documentaries. The surprising success of The Gods Must
Be Crazy (1981), a comedy about life in the Kalahari desert of Botswana, shows that
audiences half a century later continued to enjoy a mixture of foreign locations and
familiar dramas. The San of the Kalahari are also the subject of an important
ethnographic film, John Marshall’s The Hunters (1958). Marshall’s tradition dates to
the 1930s and to the films the anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory
Bateson made in the Pacific.

Most scholars prefer that all artistry be eliminated from ethnographic films so that the
visual data recorded by the camera remain as fresh and uninterpreted as possible. The
audience for these films typically consists of members of a university or
museum community for whom entertainment is less significant than authenticity.
When such films are prepared for mass television audiences, however,
many concessions may be necessary, including the addition of extensive explanatory
narration, musical accompaniment, and scenic photography.
3. Newsreels
The argument over the role of art and artlessness in travelogues and ethnographic
films is also pertinent to newsreels, where the standard principles governing
journalism must apply. Since then, viewers have required that newsreel material be
neither prearranged nor fabricated, and they have become aware of the effects of the
intrusiveness of the reporter and the limitations of point of view on the objectivity of
any documentary film.
4. Propaganda

In presenting a background, an environment, and characters who behave in a certain

way, every motion picture may be said to be propaganda. The term is usually
restricted, however, to pictures made deliberately to influence opinion or to argue a
point. During the 20th century, the most powerful and most consistent use of the
cinema for propaganda was seen in the Soviet Union. After the 1917 revolution,
Soviet films exploded on the screen with fervent conviction. Gradually, however, the
pictures became lifeless, and in the 1930s and ’40s, during the Stalin regime, great
directors such as Eisenstein and Aleksandr Dovzhenko worked under severe
restraints. Nazi Germany produced its own brand of propaganda in the 1930s, the
most striking being Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph des Willens (1936; Triumph of the
Will), a terrifying spectacle of a huge Nazi rally that had in effect been staged for the
film made about it.

Few filmmakers would admit to making propaganda, although, in effect, many so-
called educational films and all advertising or promotional shorts, whether featuring
consumer products, vacation sites, or religious groups, may be seen as examples of
propaganda. This form of film bears a stigma because of its undisguised aim: to
influence ideas and change behaviour. Cinematic artistry serves merely as a tool in
propaganda.
 5. The experimental and animated film
While the motion picture developed rapidly as a medium predominantly based
on recording actual events and creating narrative fictional stories, from its early
decades there were artists and filmmakers interested in exploring the
new technology’s potential outside or beyond the mainstream modes. Although
extremely varied in form and subject matter, their endeavours have been grouped
together under the terms experimental film or avant-garde film, as well as under the
broader rubrics of alternative cinema or art cinema.

6. Fictional genres

Motion pictures were the most important narrative art form of the 20th century,
having taken on the functions served earlier by dime novels, serial novels, staged
melodramas, wax museum displays, epic paintings, and professional storytelling.
These earlier forms continued into the century and were supplemented by comic
books, radio, and television, but it is the motion picture that came to dominate them
all. Still, most films can be seen as descendants and variants of types of stories and
storytelling that predated the invention of the cinema.

Always plagued by the need for a constant flow of new products to satisfy patrons
returning to the movies week after week, film companies quickly began to rely
on genres to help regularize production and to help presell their motion pictures. A
studio that decided to make half a dozen police thrillers in one year could organize its
production schedule efficiently, saving time and money by reusing sets, costumes,
and other items. More important, the studio could assign the same personnel to
certain genres, allowing writers, directors, technical crews, and actors to establish a
routine that often resulted in quicker and improved filmmaking from work to work.
In addition, it was found that the initial success of a new film was
frequently enhanced by the popularity of previous films in the same genre. Viewers
knew, to a great extent, what to expect from a genre film; they recognized the stars,
or at least the characters, in it, and they were sensitive to music, lighting, and plot
devices because of long familiarity with the type of story being portrayed.
History of Cinema

The first public Kinetoscope demonstration took place in 1893. By 1894 the
Kinetoscope was a commercial success, with public parlours established around the
world. The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience were the
Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris, France. The history of film cannot be
credited to one individual as an oversimplification of any history often tries to do.
Each inventor added to the progress of other inventors, culminating in progress for
the entire art and industry. Often masked in mystery and fable, the beginnings of film
and the silent era of motion pictures are usually marked by a stigma of crudeness and
naiveté, both on the audience's and filmmakers' parts. However, with the landmark
depiction of a train hurtling toward and past the camera, the Lumière Brothers’ 1895
picture “La Sortie de l’Usine Lumière à Lyon” (“Workers Leaving the Lumière
Factory”), was only one of a series of simultaneous artistic and technological
breakthroughs that began to culminate at the end of the nineteenth century.

These triumphs that began with the creation of a machine that captured moving
images led to one of the most celebrated and distinctive art forms at the start of the
20th century. Audiences had already reveled in motion pictures through clever uses
of slides and mechanisms creating "moving photographs" with such 16th-century
inventions as magic lanterns. These basic concepts, combined with trial and error and
the desire of audiences across the world to see entertainment projected on to a large
screen in front of them, birthed the movies. From the “actualities” of penny arcades,
the idea of telling a story in order to draw larger crowds through the use of differing
scenes began to formulate in the minds of early pioneers such as Georges Melies and
Edwin S. Porter. This Discovery Guide explores the early history of cinema,
following its foundations as a money-making novelty to its use as a new type of
storytelling and visual art, and the rise of the film industry.

Major Film Movements

a film movement is a wave of films usually following a particular trend in cinema of
the time.. most trending movements in cinema are regional but influence world
cinema. These films have cultural origins usually influenced by national tragedy,
popular culture, or social issues.

Experimental techniques can be used to creat the innovating filming styles. These
innovating films impact Hollywood and are very important in not only the history but
also the future of cinema.

1. German Expressionism

German expressionist filmmakers used visual distortion and hyper-expressive

performance to show inner turmoils, fears and desires of that era. German
Expressionism reflects the inner conflicts of its 1920s German audience by giving
their woes an inescapably external presence. By rejecting cinematic realism,
expressionist films showcase dramatic, revolutionary interpretations of the human
condition.

In 1916, the German government decided to ban all foreign films. With a sudden
demand for more domestic titles, there was an understandably dramatic increase in
the number of films produced in Germany each year. However, German audiences
had become less preferential towards romance and action flicks since the beginning
of WWI, and themes of violence, cruelty and betrayal become more relevant topics
for discussion. This unfortunate set of circumstances, along with the constant fear of
hyperinflation, provided a platform for daring, innovative filmmakers such as Fritz
Lang (Metropolis) and F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) to make German Expressionism one
of the most important and influential movements in cinematic history. Unlike most
other cinematic movements, Expressionism doesn't solely belong to filmmaking, and
existed prior to the invention of cinema. Fortunately, this helps us understand
Expressionist principles and how they were utilized by filmmakers. Consider Edvard
Munch's The Scream, arguably the most famous Expressionist painting of all
time; you can clearly see how the concept allows moods to be expressed by creative
distortion. It shows an impression of a scene, as opposed to its physical reality. On
film, this ideology can apply to every aspect of the creative process, from dream-like
set designs to melodramatic on-screen performances. For this reason, German
Expressionist cinema also has close-knit ties to architectural design. Films such as
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis are often studied as perfect examples of
how set design can be used to create a world that is aesthetically controlled by the
film's emotional instructions.

The movement radically challenged conventional filmmaking at the time, and has
provided food for thought for the industry ever since. Today, the enduring influence
of German Expressionism can be seen throughout the medium, with critically
acclaimed directors such as Ridley Scott and Tim Burton consistently taking
influence from Expressionist work. On a broader scale, German Expressionism's
enduring impact within the horror genre cannot be overstated, helping to shape the
genre's frameworks upon which the entire genre still relies on.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (German: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) is a 1920
German silent horror film, directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans
Janowitz and Carl Mayer. Considered the quintessential work of German
Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who
uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders. The film features a dark and
twisted visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique and curving lines, structures
and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light
painted directly onto the sets. Some critics have interpreted Caligari as representing
the German war government, with Cesare symbolic of the common man conditioned,
like soldiers, to kill. Other themes of the film include the destabilized contrast
between insanity and sanity, the subjective perception of reality, and the duality of
human nature.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released just as foreign film industries were easing
restrictions on the import of German films following World War I, so it was screened
internationally. Considered a classic, it helped draw worldwide attention to the
artistic merit of German cinema and had a major influence on American films,
particularly in the genres of horror and film noir.

2. Soviet Montage

Soviet montage theory is an approach to understanding and creating cinema that

relies heavily upon editing (montage is French for "assembly" or "editing"). It is the
principal contribution of Soviet film theorists to global cinema, and brought
formalism to bear on filmmaking.

The word ‘montage’ is rooted in the French language as a term to describe the
connection of individual pieces, whether they be film, music or images, into a
cohesive whole.

But to understand why montages became a major component of Soviet cinema, we

have to first look at how the industry got to that point.

The Moscow Film School or VGIK was founded in 1919 during the midst of the
Russian Revolution. One of the foremost professors at the School was Lev Kuleshov,
who had begun experimenting with new ways of editing film by 1920.

In 1923, Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks usurped control of the Russian
government. What followed was a period of radical change, both socially and
economically. Consequently, at this time it was incredibly difficult to find film stock
in Russia, so instead, the people were left to study film rather than create it.

Kuleshov, along with his students, explored the process of film editing rigorously.
During his professorship, Kuleshov released a short film that would go on to become
the foundation of Soviet Montage Theory.

Types of Montage :
Intellectual Montage - The idea behind Kuleshov’s short film was to combine a
single, center-framed shot of the popular actor Ivan Mosjoukine with three other
distinct shots: The first is a bowl of soup, the second is a girl in a coffin, and the
third is a woman lying on a couch.

The goal behind this method was to create a montage where the combination of shots
would evoke something different each time, such as hunger (soup), sadness (coffin)
and desire (woman.) Kuleshov was credited with pioneering the evoking of emotion
through contrasting images, therefore the technique became known as the Kuleshov
effect.

The Kuleshov effect is still widely used in cinema today, as it allows a filmmaker to
communicate with the audience solely through editing.

a. Metric Montage - After Kuleshov created the intellectual montage, other

types began to pop up in its wake. One such example is the Metric Montage in
which a film is cut per frame.
b. The Metric Montage is inspired by the pacing of a musical score, AKA the
meter. This is used to create a visual pace within a film scene by cutting to the
next shot after a finite number of frames no matter what is happening on
screen.
c. Rhythmic Montage - If the Metric Montage is used to establish a visual pace,
then the Rhythmic Montage is used to keep to the pace, in both a visual and
auditory sense.
d. Tonal Montage - The Tonal Montage is the use of two or more shots that
support one another and build a theme, quite to the opposite effect of the
Intellectual Montage. Here's a video essay on Parasite's montage; Director
Bong Joon-ho crafts a scene which skillfully weaves integral themes of social
inequality, deception, and infiltration.

As the name implies, the Tonal Montage helps to establish the tone of a scene
through editing shots together that have the same thematic aim.
 e. Overtonal Montage - The Overtonal Montage is a sort of amalgamation of the
four other types of montages: Intellectual, Metric, Rhythmic and Tonal.

Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, who was once a student of Lev Kuleshov, is credited
with outlining Soviet Montage Theory through the five steps we’ve just gone over.

Both Eisenstein and Kuleshov used the five steps of Soviet Montage Theory through their
careers, which helped them to become some of the most influential technical filmmakers of
all-time.

As such, Eisenstein directed the propaganda film Battleship Potemkin in 1925 to

commemorate the revolutionary events of 1905. He employed ground-breaking editing
techniques to sway audiences into feeling sympathy towards the soldiers of Battleship
Potemkin who rebelled against the Tsar’s superiors. I will discuss two editing techniques,
metric and rhythmic montage, because these are the techniques that are still very dominantly
used in films today. One of the most brilliant scenes is the “Odessa steps” sequence where
civilians are brutally massacred by the Tsar’s soldiers. It begins with quick close-ups of a
woman who is startled by the sound of gunfire. This is followed by a mix of point-of-view
shots that immerses audience into the scene, wide shots of the masses of civilians fleeing
from the soldiers, and individual close-up of the victim’s faces which fully emote shock and
horror.

In this sequence, there is part where a mother pushes down her baby, who is in a baby
carriage. Here, Eisenstein employs metric montage to drag the time that the mother takes to
fall to the ground. He cuts from the medium shot of her hands over her wound as she slowly
lowers down, to a close-up of her face grimacing in pain and dropping off-screen, then back
to the previous medium shot where her fall is repeated and she drops off-screen completely.
Then it intercuts with the soldiers marching down the steps mechanically, back to another
shot of her falling down from a different camera angle, then to the crowd fleeing from the
mounted Cossacks, and back to one final shot of her falling and pushing the baby carriage
off the steps. This lengthens the time she would take to fall in real time to dramatize the
moment and evoke suspense in the audience.
I think that it is very apt for Eisenstein to employ such editing techniques at the time to
convey the chaos, violence and the revolutionary spirit of his time. Nevertheless, I feel that
his montage techniques still survives to this day, because they are very effective at
communicating additional layers of ideas and meaning without relying on just the content of
individual shots. Moreover, these techniques also evoke very powerful emotional responses
in audience. I see rhythmic editing in contemporary actions films to stir up excitement and
urgency in the audience; I see metric editing in drama films to evoke a sense of tension and
anticipation. It is no wonder that the Soviet montage movement is hailed as such a
tremendous milestone in cinema history.

3. Italian Neo Realism

Neorealism was an influential and significant movement in film history, which took place in
Italy at the ending of World War II. Italy moved from fascism and dictatorship, whereby
much was revolved around a single-party state seen in World War I, to an equal and
democratic society. This change in society brought about characteristics and principles which
became noticeable in cinema during this time period. These principles not only molded the
film Bicycle Thieves ( vittorio Desseca), but were used to bring about a message to the
audience.

The filmmakers and directors believed they had an ethical responsibility to use cinema to
promote the social change that had just occurred post the war. Ideally, it wasn’t so much
about the storyline of the film, but more about making the public aware of the difficulties
that working people had to face. Here we see a Marxist approach on the rebuilding of Italy –
whereby unlike the mythology of Classic Hollywood, no single person can change the world
and the ultimate society would be a classless society.

Neorealism’s origin of strength lies in the documentary excellence which is used to portray
the realism of the story. One might speculate what Bicycle Thieves would be like in colour,
however the black and white aspect highlights the tone of the film being a bleak, depressing
emotion – contrary to the usage of colour which would highlight liveliness and energy and
go against the tone of the film. Thus, clearly showing that the sentiment brings about the
tone of the film which enhances the message of presenting the gloomy conditions of
poverty in post-war Italy. The reconstituted reportage, based on daily life and events, also
adds more ‘truth’ to the film and is not the making of a documentary but rather shown and
seen in a documentary-type way and aids to make available the focus of temporary altering
and moving from one area or subject to another.

Truth is an important principle of neorealism, as truth brings realism. This can be seen
through the truth of the characters, lighting, location, décor, camera shots, camera angles
and editing. This not only brings about authenticity but also creates a much stronger
message for the audience. In Bicycle Thieves, there is a correlation between truth and
sentiment, and truth and the political statement – Which are justifiably both used in this
film without over powering one another in order to positively enhance the films message.
Inevitably, in order for a director to get an actual event (post-war) understood by his
audience – truth and realism is the most effective approach.

Neorealism focuses on the characters and themes without much focus on the plot itself as
the plot is seen to warp the truth about people. Thus, the film would’ve not only been
boring if there was no sentiment (due to there not being enough material if there was no
storyline about characters), but to know and understand a situation, one must be put in a
position where you have the opportunity of learning a great deal about the faith and
frustrations of a human being. Equally, a boring film is a failed film. Through this,
neorealist’s are able to portray truth to a greater extend through bringing about simplicity
yet a means of understanding the ‘real’ life; a main appeal in films even today.

The storyline being as simple as the search for a bicycle doesn’t take the political statement
too far away from the message. Likewise, the actual characters in the film are everyday
normal people. The workman was found in the factory, the child was wondering around the
streets and the wife was a writer. This is known as ‘Typage’ whereby there is no star
system which immediately creates a far more realistic/truth approach and feel. Similarly,
the locations and décor are real and not built-up or made-up, the lighting is natural which
attempts to present reality as it is, the editing is invincible which enhances truth and the
camera is free which is unrestricted and brings about a far more convincing viewing.
Instead of a cold theoretical approach, we are introduced to a family who are ordinary and
by no means are glamorous hero’s – which is commonly seen in Classical Hollywood.
Quite frankly, if we weren’t introduced to characters and the sentiment they bring, which
play a role in this film, I personally don’t think much of a political statement would be
made – as one needs interest to grasp a statement. The character of Ricci is the focus of the
film, however we are not interested in him but rather what will happen next in the film’s
sequence of events. And even though characters bring about sentiment and the viewer starts
becoming attached to the role the characters plays, in Bicycle Thieves, Bruno the son
unsentimentally still criticizes his father.

In response to the representation of the political statement made in this film, we are clearly
able to see this in noticeable scenes in the film. In the first scene, the camera follows Ricci
from the unemployment gathering to his wife where the housing project is in the
background, which is fully exhibited to the viewer showing the bleak conditions. We see
the men and woman arguing about employment and shortage of water. This emphasis on
long and medium shots which appeals to the ‘truth’ in the film enhances the political
message due to the events getting exhibited on a whole – Whereas close up would bring
more sentiment. Long and medium shots show the actor loosely framed in his environment
and allow the viewer opportunity to look around in that environment with the added
enhancement of the shots taken at eye level. As well as minimized jumps and shifts through
editing to bring more ‘real life’ to the cinema audience.

Thus we see here that sentiment is not overwhelming the political statement, but rather the
political statement is actually taking dominance in the shots. Of course the neorealist did
move in for close-up’s every now and then which in effect is therefore very strong and still
strings along the story of the characters and the central object, which is needed to (as
mentioned earlier) keep the audience interested and not bored. The central object is the
bicycle. They are everywhere and yet precious, and the frailty of the Ricci family’s position
is enforced when Antonio’s bicycle is stolen. Here, the object brings sentiment to enforce
the political statement, and what I find even more interesting is how the title changed from
‘Bicycle Thief” to “Bicycle Thieves” as ultimately it becomes a vicious cycle of survival –
as one has to steal their own bicycle back from the thief, therefore becoming a thief –
resulting in ‘thieves.’

Great Masters in Cinema

1. Charles Spencer Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin, byname of Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, (born April 16, 1889, London,
England—died December 25, 1977, Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland), British comedian,
producer, writer, director, and composer who is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist
of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history.

From 1923 through 1929 Chaplin made only three features: A Woman of Paris (1923),
which he directed but did not star in (and his only drama); The Gold Rush (1925), widely
regarded as his masterpiece; and The Circus (1928), an underrated film that may rank as his
funniest. All three were released by United Artists, the company cofounded in 1919 by
Chaplin, husband-and-wife superstars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, and
director D.W. Griffith. Of the three films, The Gold Rush is one of the most-memorable
films of the silent era.

In 1932 Chaplin began a relationship with young starlet Paulette Goddard. His next
film, Modern Times (1936), was a hybrid, essentially a silent film with music, sound
effects, and brief passages of dialogue.

The Great Dictator was simply too bitter and too outraged to permit much in the way of
gentle comedy. The film did well at the box office, and he received his only Academy
Award nomination as best actor.

After making just three movies over a 10-year period, Chaplin would take seven more years
before his next film. Problems in his personal life were again partly to blame. Chaplin took
another five years to launch his next film, the melancholy Limelight (1952).
In his last years Chaplin was accorded many of the honours that had been withheld from
him for so long. In 1972 he returned to the United States for the first time in 20 years to
accept a special Academy Award.

2. Akira Kurosawa

He was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning
over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential
filmmakers in film history.

Kurosawa entered the Japanese film industry in 1936, following a brief stint as a
painter. After years of working on numerous films as an assistant director and
scriptwriter, he made his debut as a director during World War II with the
popular action film Sanshiro Sugata. After the war, the critically acclaimed Drunken
Angel (1948), in which Kurosawa cast the then little-known actor Toshiro Mifune in
a starring role, cemented the director's reputation as one of the most important young
filmmakers in Japan. The two men would go on to collaborate on another fifteen
films.

Rashomon, which premiered in Tokyo, became the surprise winner of the Golden
Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival. The commercial and critical success of that
film opened up Western film markets for the first time to the products of the Japanese
film industry, which in turn led to international recognition for other Japanese
filmmakers. Kurosawa directed approximately one film per year throughout the
1950s and early 1960s, including a number of highly regarded (and often adapted)
films, such as Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957)
and Yojimbo (1961). After the 1960s he became much less prolific; even so, his later
work—including two of his final films, Kagemusha (1980) and Ran (1985)—
continued to receive great acclaim.

In 1990, he accepted the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Posthumously,

he was named "Asian of the Century" in the "Arts, Literature, and Culture" category
by AsianWeek magazine and CNN, cited there as being among the five people who
most prominently contributed to the improvement of Asia in the 20th century. His
career has been honored by many retrospectives, critical studies and biographies in
both print and video, and by releases in many consumer media.

3. Kim Ki Duk

Kim Ki-duk (Korean: 20 December 1960 – 11 December 2020) was a South Korean
film director and screenwriter, noted for his idiosyncratic art-house cinematic works.
His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit, rendering him one of
the most important contemporary Asian film directors.

His major festival awards include the Golden Lion at 69th Venice International Film
Festival for Pietà, a Silver Lion for Best Director at 61st Venice International Film
Festival for 3-Iron, a Silver bear for Best Director at 54th Berlin International Film
Festival for Samaritan Girl, and the Un Certain Regard prize at 2011 Cannes Film
Festival for Arirang. His most widely known feature is Spring, Summer, Fall,
Winter... and Spring (2003), included in film critic Roger Ebert's Great Movies. Two
of his films served as official submissions for the Academy Award for Best
International Feature Film as South Korean entries. He gave scripts to several of his
former assistant directors including Juhn Jai-hong (Beautiful and Poongsan) and Jang
Hoon (Rough Cut).

4. Mohsen Makmalbaf.

Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Persian: Mohsen Makhmalbaaf; born May 29, 1957) is an

Iranian film director, writer, film editor, and producer. He has made more than 20
feature films, won some 50 awards and been a juror in more than 15 major film
festivals. His award-winning films include Kandahar; his latest documentary is The
Gardener and latest feature The President.

Makhmalbaf's films have been widely presented at international film festivals in the
past ten years. The director belongs to the new wave movement of Iranian
cinema. Time selected Makhmalbaf's 2001 film Kandahar as one of the top 100 films
of all time.[2] In 2006, he was a member of the Jury at the Venice Film Festival.

Makhmalbaf left Iran in 2005 shortly after the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
and has lived in Paris since the events of the 2009 Iranian presidential election.
 MODULE IV : INDIAN CINEMA

Indian Cinema: Early experiments

Indian films are unquestionably the most –seen movies in the world. Not just talking about the billion- strong
audiences in India itself, where 12 million people are said to go to the cinema every day, but of large audiences
well beyond the Indian subcontinent and the Diaspora, in such unlikely places as Russia, China, the Middle East,
the Far East Egypt, Turkey and Africa. People from very different cultural and social worlds have a great love for
Indian popular cinema, and many have been Hindi Films fans for over fifty years. Indian cinema is world –
famous for the staggering amount of films it produces: the number is constantly on the increase, and recent
sources estimate that a total output of some 800 films a year are made in different cities including Madrass ,
Bangalore , Calcutta and Hyderabad . Of this astonishing number, those films made in Bombay, in a seamless
blend of Hindi and Urdu, have the widest distribution within India and Internationally. The two sister languages
are spoken in six northern states and understood by over 500 million people on the Indian sub – continent
alone – reason enough for Hindi and Urdu to be chosen above the fourteen official Indian languages to become
the languages of Indian Popular cinema when sound came to the Indian Silver screen in 1931 . Silent Era – The
cinematographe (from where we have the name cinema) invented by the Lumiere brothers functioned better
the Kinetoscope of Edison and Dickson.
The Lumiere brothers who invented the cinematographe started projection of short (very short, one to two
minutes long) films for the Parsian public on November 28, 1895. Cinema was shown for the first time in India
by the Lumiere brothers on July 17, 1896 at the Watson Hotel in Mumbai. This was just six months after their
first show in Paris. Indian cinema thus has more than a hundred years of history, like the European or American
film industry. That first show was just a show of a series of visuals, moving scenes and nothing more, but it
inaugurated a long line of movies made by talented Indians. Today India has the distinction of being the
country that produces the highest number of feature films every year. As mentioned above, the earliest show
of moving pictures in India was done in 1896. But for the next fifteen years, there was no indigenous
production of movies. N.G.Chitre and R .G. Torney of Bombay were the first to make a film based on a story. It
was PUNDALIK, a film based on the life of a Holy man in Maharashtra, it came out in 1912.
The next movie in India was Dhandiraj Govindraj Phalke’s RAJA HARISCHANDRA released on May 3, 1913. D. G.
Phalke is acclaimed as the father of the Indian cinema because he laid the foundation for the future of the
Indian film industry and because he trained several young film makers in his studio in Nasik. The Phalke award
perpetuates the memory of this pioneering film maker and it goes to theperson who enriches Indian cinema
through remarkable contributions to it.
Phalke always be remembered for his contributions to the development of the film industry. Phalke established
his studio in 1913 after his return from England with plenty of enthusiasm and dedication, besides a stock of
raw film and a perforator for making holes on the edges of film stripes. He believed that ‘Indians must see
Indian movies on the Indian Silver screen.’ After his RAJA HARISCHANDRA, Phalke started other projects, but he
could not complete them because of lack of funds .Other silent movies started coming out from Calcutta
studios: for example, ‘SATYAVAADI HARISCHANDRA ‘(1917) and ‘KEECHAKAVADHAM’ (1919). But Phalke’s
Nasik studio was the first regular studio where he could also train many promising young people as film
technicians. It was still the era of silent movies all over the world. During the Silent Era (1896 – 1930) over a
thousand films were made in India; however, only ten of them survive, now restored and preserved in the
Pune archives. Meanwhile, American and European films continued to grow in popularity, though a major
source of worry for the imperial Government was that they would ‘corrupt’ Indian minds. In 1917, the
European Association warned the Government against a film called ‘The Surpentine Dance’, which was
certainly calculated to bring the white men and women into low esteem in the Indian mind.

Age of sound – The films of the Silent Era did not ‘talk’ but they were never watched in ‘silence’. Dialogue was
presented through inter – titles, which were often in English, and two or three Indian languages. Almost every
film had a background score, which ran through the length of film. The score was ‘live’, and helped to
dramatise the narrative. Sometimes there was only a piano accompaniment, but there were several films
where a violin, a harmonium, tablas and other musical instruments could be added. The first sound movie or
talkie, viz, Al Jolson’s ‘Jazz Singer’ in the U.S. ended the silent era in October, 1927.
Silent movies continued in India for another decade although the first Indian talkie came out on March 14,
1931. It was ‘Alam Ara’ (The Light of the world), made by Ardeshir Irani, admitted that the idea of making an
Indian talkie came from Universal pictures production of ‘Show Boat’,which was a 40% talkie . But what kind of
Indian film could maintain this strong link with audiences when sound came to the Indian screen in 1931? Over
150 million people at that time understood Hindustani (a mix of Hindi and Urdu, also known as the language of
the Bazaar) and as the first talkie was to be made in Bombay, Hindustani was chosen over the fourteen official
Indian languages to be the lingua Franca of popular cinema. Once the language question had been resolved,
films looked to the Urdu Parsee Theatre for subject matter. Based on Joseph David’s Urdu Parsee play, Alam
Ara is a costume drama telling the story of the rivalry of two queens and involving many characters, plots and
subplots. This film songs immediately proved a smash, particularly the one sung by actor / singer W.M.Khan in
the role of a fakir, ‘De de Khuda ke naam par pyare’( Give alms in the name of Allah). Thereafter, songs and
dances were established as an integral part of Indian Popular cinema .This genre evolved out of the Urdu
Parsee Theatre, a narrative form that had already skillfully dramatized Victorian plays and Persian Love
Legends. The courtly love stories of the Urdu Parsee Theatre are probably the reason behind Indian cinema’s
dependence on romantic themes and the way they link love, obstacles and tragedy. Another popular genre of
this period was the historical film, based on stories of real characters or legendary hero’s .The importance of
the historical film lay in its patriotic undertones. The grandeur of Pre – Raj India, the splendid costumes, the
etiquette of the nobility and high drama were a direct invitation for national self – esteem and the will to be
independent. Of course, India did not need to be independent to produce films: thousands of miles of celluloid
had run through the projector gate before the British finally packed their bags in 1947. Despite having first
blossomed under a political power so alien to its own conventions, Indian cinema’s thematic and aesthetic
development seems to have remained largely free of direct concern with colonial rule. Individual film director’s
were deeply concerned by the independence movement led by the congress party and demonstrated their
allegiance to the concept of a free India in films such as ‘Sikandra’ ( 1941 ) and ‘Shaheed’ ( 1948 ) . In the 1940s
and 1950s, a small number of patriotic films and a handful of songs with a clear message of Indian nationalism
were produced – the most famous is ‘Door Hato O Duniya Valo, Hindustan Hamara Hai’ (‘Go away, you
invaders! India is ours’) in the 1943 film Kismet – but by and large the patriotic film isn’t a genre that is hugely
popular today. Indian films have never been overtly political, unlike Africa or Algerian cinema, the classics of
which are clear indictments of French colonial rule.
When talkies came an unexpected criticism from art lovers was that sound destroyed the aesthetic quality of
the movies. Moreover, the universal language of the cinema was adversely affected, they said. People speaking
different languages could watch the silent movie and derive meanings from the acting and expression, and the
visual effectiveness of the whole movie. Cinema is a visual medium, they argued, and it has its own language.
An Englishman must be able to appreciate a Hindi or Tamil movie as much as a Hindi or Tamil – speaking Indian
should be able to enjoy an English movie even if the movies are silent ones. But can we imagine how a silent
movie would appeal to us now? We have become so used to sound movies. And in India, we cannot easily
appreciate a movie without songs and dancing! The silent movies are now in the archives and they are taken
out for research or for satisfying someone’s historical curiosity. Though colour movies started to come out of
American studios from 1935 onwards, it took more decades for color to come to Indian screens.

Themes in Indian cinema – Early Indian cinema in the 1920s was founded on specific genres, such as the
mythological or the devotional film. The sum and substance of the mythological theme is the fight between
good and evil, and the importance of sacrifice in the name of truth. The retelling of stories known through an
oral tradition was an important element in the success of the mythological film: The Ram Leela (a celebration
and re – enactment of the exploits and adventures of Ram) and the Ras Leela (episodes from Krishna’s life) are
said to be of particular influence in Indian cinema. Such reconfirmation has always been an element of Indian
culture. As Arundhuti roy says in her novel, The God Of Small Things, ‘The Great stories are the ones you have
heard and want to hear again.’ Roy was speaking of the Kathakali dance form, but the argument holds good for
cinema too. This trend was visible not only in the silent era. It continued in the talkie era. NALLATHANGAL in
Tamil, BHAKTA PRAHLADA in Malayalam and other languages, KEECHAKAVADHAM in Tamil etc. are good
examples. In almost all the languages of India, during the silent as well as the talkie era, themes and episodes
from the PURANAS, THE RAMAYANA and MAHABHARATA were treated cinematically. Some folk tales and
legends also became cinematic themes.
A change in this trend came about in the 1950s, particularly in Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali movies. JEEVITA
NAUKA (The Boat of life) introduced social and domestic theme, family life in Kerala and social humour , and it
was among the earliest Indian movies to run for more than six months at a stretch . A more bold theme of
socio – economic disparities and indication of prospective social revolution was expressed in NAVALOKAM. But
among the socially relevant movies of the early 1950s in Malayalam, NEELAKKUYIL (Blue Koel) of 1954 depicted
the story of powerful love breaking caste barriers but yielding finally to social pressures and the leading
characters coming to grief in the face of social ostracism. This period also saw big spectacles like
CHANDRALEKHA in Tamil and the beautiful celluloid portrayal in the trilogy of Satyajit Ray starting with PATHER
PANCHALI. PARAASAKTI, the Tamil movie which took Sivaji Ganesan to the heights of fame was a strong and
defiant portrayal of the collusion between religious and economic forces in the suppression of the poor. DO
BIGHA ZAMIN questioned landlordism.
Later on, Social themes were portrayed. Stories were based on the life of ordinary families. Most films were
produced in the Bombay and Madras studios. The largest number of movies came out in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu,
Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali- in that order. Among the social movies, Andaz and Mela stand out .The
production of movies in all languages has dwindled in the closing years of the 20 th century, but the reduction
has been more in Malayalam than in the other five languages in which production was consistently high in the
1970s and 1980s.
Of the Historical movies of those days, the first choice falls on ANARKALI. Then come MUGHAL – E – AZAM and
MOTHER INDIA. To the credit of Raj Kapoor and his R.K. Studios, a series of mild but poignant criticism of the
oddities in social life of the 1950s and 1960s came, that were also great entertainers and pieces of artistic
attainments: AWARA, SHRI 420, etc. In the 1970s, Amitabh Bacchan ruled the Indian cine world portraying the
defiant angry young man of the new generation.
Till the late 1960s, movies were directed by people who learnt the art on the job. There were no schools or
training institutes for actors, directors, producers and technical experts. The National School of Drama, New
Delhi and the Film and Television Institute (FTII), Pune trained actors and directors and several other personnel
connected with film. This was also the period when serious thinking was given to a cinematic style that was
entirely different from what it was in the past. Critics have called the new trend ‘New Wave Cinema’. What is
termed the ‘New Wave’ in the history of Indian Cinema is not the ‘nouvelle vogue’ of French cinema with which
Bresson, Godard and other experimental film makers were associated in the fifties and sixties. In the Indian
context, the terms are rather loosely used to describe the deliberately realist and non-commercial style of film
making that sometimes experiments with form and content. Its roots are in IPTA theatre, the realist novel, and
European cinema (especially Russian, French and Italian). It eschews the escapist Hollywood and the Bombay
film traditions, and is concerned more with real – life issues of Indian society than with just entertainment.
Other terms used to talk about this cinema are ‘alternative’, ‘parallel’, and even ‘another’ cinema.

Golden Age Of Indian Cinema – The 1950s was led film historians to refer to this glorious time as the golden
age of Indian Cinema. Film makers created authored and individual works while sticking strictly within the set
conventions of the films. The example of Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Nehru’s vision of the newly
independent nation was also highly influential throughout the decade, and many excellent Urdu poets and
writers worked with film makers in the hope of creating a cinema that would be socially meaningful. It is no
surprise that the 1950s is regarded today as the finest period in Indian cinema, and the era has profoundly
influenced generations of Indian film makers in a way that no other decade has done since.
The best directors of the time, including Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt, brought new
depth to established themes. They drew on the wide spectrum of cinema stories, but brought to them a
personal vision. The films of the late 1940s , 1950s and early 1960s were lyrical and powerful and dealt with
themes including the exploitation of the poor by rich landlords (DO BIGHA ZAMEEN, 1953), the importance of
sacrifice and honour (MOTHER INDIA), survival in the big city ( BOOT POLISH, 1954) , untouchability (SUJATA,
1959) , the changing role of the woman (Mr. and Mrs.55, 1955), urban vs rural morality (SHREE 420, 1955),
nature vs nurture (AWAARA, 1951), dilemas faced by modern Indians (ANDAZ,1949), materialism vs
spiritualism (PYAASA, 1957) and the importance of destiny (CHAUDHVIN KA CHAND, 1960). These films show a
complex and sophisticated mix of characters, plots, ideas and morals. The important film makers of this period
not only made commercially successful works but also mastered the language of cinema. They understood how
performance, photography, editing and above all, music could be used to create a new aesthetic. It was around
this time that Indian films started to receive regular worldwide distribution, and films such as AWAARA made
by Raj Kapoor and his co- star Nargis major celebrity in places as far afield as Russia and China. Mehboob’s AAN
(1952, AKA MANGALA, Daughter of India) and MOTHER INDIA (Perhaps the best known Indian films of all) also
won large audiences beyond the Indian sub continent. The average Indian film does not pretend to offer a
unique storyline. A new twist to a familiar storyline helps a film to succeed, if the audience is looking for
originality, they know it is principally to be found in the score. Film music is of such primary importance in
today’s Indian cinema that it more or less determines the box- office fate of most movies. Leading
choreographer Farah Khan believes that, ‘What is saving Indian cinema from being engulfed by Hollywood is
our song and dance routines, because they just can’t imitate that’.
The Middle Cinema - Indian Cinema , dominated in the 1970’s by the Sippy’s , Hrishikesh Mukherjee , B.R.
Ishara and Vijay Anand , was jolted out of its wits when Shyam Benegal assisted by Blaze enterprises , shot into
prominence with ‘Ankur’ (1974), and later with ‘Nishant’(1975), ‘Manthan’, ‘Bhumika’(1977) and Junoon
(1979). Benegal turned his back on the standard ‘Kalyug’ and ‘Aradhana’ (1981) genre, injecting a dose of caste
– politics into his first three films. He was closely associated with the making of Govind Nihalani’s ‘‘Akrosh’
(1980), a political film about the exploitation of illiterate Adivasis. ‘Ardh Satya’ (1984), ‘Party’ (an expose of the
upper middle class), and his TV serial on the partition of India, ‘Tamas’, have been significant success.
While the films of Mrinal Sen, Mani Kaul and Kumar Shahani did not fare very well at the box office, those of
the ‘middle cinema’ reaped a good harves. Saeed Mirza’s ‘Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai’ , ‘Mphan Joshi
Hajir Ho’ and ‘Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro’ , Rabindra Dharmaraj’s ‘Chakra’ and Ketan Mehta’s ‘ Bhavni Bhavai’ (in
Gujarati and Hindi), ‘ Mirch Masala’ , and later ‘ Maya Memsahib’ , ‘ Sardar’ , started a trend in the making of
socially conscious and political films which were entertaining as well . Both the New Wave and the Middle
Cinema wilted under the impact of multichannel television , ‘ Commercial cinema’ , the commercialization of
the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), and above all the abysmal lack of exhibition outlets . The
gradual decline of the Film Society movement too had a arole in the fading away of ‘Parallel cinema’.

New wave Cinema

– Mrinal Sen , a talented movie maker from West Bengal is considered a pioneer in the new genre called ‘ New
wave’ cinema . In the early 1970s, he was its main proponent and he had to do a lot of explaining soon after
the release of his BHUVAN SHOME (1969). Without imitating the techniques of commercially successful movies
which are usually mixtures of rapid action , maudlin drama , violence , erotic dancing and singing , Mrinal Sen
could produce a film that was not only a financial success at the box – office but cut a new path in filmography .
Some critics are of the view that Shyam Benegal’s ANKUR (1974) was the real path – breaker and that Benegal
was the pioneer of the New Wave genre. His cinematic language shook the audience with its bluntless and
originality.
Both Mrinal Sen and Shyam Benegal inspired many young film makers of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly
graduates of the FTII, Pune . There were admirers and detractors for the new cinema. Some of the film makers
created movies that could not easily be followed by ordinary spectators. Only intellectuals of a certain kind
could appreciate them.
There is no doubt that these movies opened a new chapter in the history of movies in India. A totally new
generation of film makers emerged. They used new techniques and evolved a new cinematic language, which
was sometimes called idiosyncratic. They are all known for their originality, subversion of conventions and firm
belief in the ‘auteur’ theory of the film.
Cinema, according to these directors, was the art of the director rather than of the artistes or the script
writers . Each film is the personal expression of a view point , a personal filmic expression of the director .
Many of these movies were not ‘ hits’ at the box office but they earned the respect and admiration of National
and International film – makers and critics . Big names include Govind Nihalani , Ketan Mehta , Mani Kaul ,
Kumar Shahni , Sayeed Mirza , Adoor Gopalkrishnan , G. Aravindan , John Abraham , Nirad Mahapatra and
Girish Kasaravalli . All of them pioneered a new path in film making. All their films differed from the ones
generally ‘manufactured’ in the ‘masala’ or ‘ fixed formula’ mould .
Since these movies were not produced for any particular segment of the audience, distributors and theatre
owners were not keenly interested in them; they found the conventional movies were drawing large
audiences. Even the great director, Satyajit Ray’s SHATRANG KE KHILAADI (1977) was not a financial success.
The New wave directors were more devoted to the artistic side of their creation. The distinction between ‘art
movies’ and ‘commercial’ movies became a popular way of labeling movies ever since the new movies came on
the scene. But sometimes this distincton becomes artificial or even meaningless because some ‘ art’ movies
have been commercial successes and some ‘ commercial’ ones have shown great merit and distinction on the
artistic side and been acclaimed as aesthetic productions .
Some of new movies in the early 1980s dealt with sensitive socio- economic issues. They were also commercial
successes. For example, AAKROSH ( 1981 ) which won the Golden Peacock Award ; ARDHA SATYA, CHAKRA,
PATINAARU VAYATINILE ( Tamil ), SAMSKAARA, MARO CHARITA, ELIPPATTAYAM and CHIDAMBARAM .These
won National and International honours . In the 1970s, there was also the parallel cinema, with directors like
Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee and Guljar and later, Sai Paranjpye. Their films had songs and
dances and sentiment and appealed to the middle class. By the 1980s, all the art cinema directors were making
serials for television. The middle classes wouldn’t step out of the house. The cities had become so over
crowded and lawless that the middle classes, even if they had a car and driver, would prefer to see something
on television rather than go out. The art cinema was finished by the 1980s because there was no audience. The
justification given for such films is that the average Indian cinegoer wants relaxation. Why should he go after
realism on the screen after all the hardship he encounters daily in real life. The Indian cinema is different from
other types of cinema because the Indian spectator is different. He wants relaxation, entertainment, fun, frolic,
singing, dancing, maudlin and sentimental stories, crying and miraculous escape from the hard realities of life –
so goes the argument.
Commercial Movies
The early years of the 21 st century witnessed several dramatic developments in Indian cinema . Cinema was at
last declared an ‘ industry’ in 2001 by the Indian Government and no sooner did this happen than the gradual ‘
corporatisation’ of the entertainment and media industry took off . Banks, insurance companies and the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) were persuaded to support the industry. The
decline of the active dependence on funding from the ‘underworld’ of Bombay also had its beginnings around
this time.
But perhaps the greatest impetus to the shake up of the industry was the rapid proliferation of ‘ multiplexes’
( multt-screen theatres ) and digital cinema theatres , first in the metros and later in the big cities such as
Bangalore , Hyderabad , Ahmedabad and Pune . Multiplexes offer a different experience to cinema goers, for in
most cases they are part of a shopping malls and comprise theatres of different sizes. Thus small budget films
could be released in multipleses and digital cinema theatres. Ticket rates are much higher in such multiplexes
than in single screen theatres and therefore attract upper middle class families.
This has given rise to what has to be known as ‘multiplex’ films that is small budget experimental films on
subjects which are rarely touched on in mainstream cinema. Young directors like Nagesh Kukunoor (Hyderabad
Blues, Bollywood Calling and Iqbal), Sudhir Mishra ( Hzaron Khawaishen Aisi ) and Anurag Kashyap (Black
Friday) have been able to make a mark thanks to the multiplex phenomenon . Small low budget films like Being
Cyrus, Mixed Doubles, Joggers Park and other feature films were released in such theatres. At the end of 2005,
there were at least 300 screens in around a hundred multiplexes across urban India.
The potential of low budget films at the box office has led to the introduction of new and bold themes by
young directors both in the mainstream and parallel traditions. Homosexuality, old age (Being Cyrus), HIV-Aids
(My Brother Nikhil), live-in-relationships (Salaam-Namaste), communication with the physically and mentally
challenged (Black, Iqbal ) , religious fundamentalism (Bombay , Roja) , nationalist history (Mangal Pandey : The
Rising) , patriotism (Lagaan) , and rural development (Swadesh ) have been some of the issues taken up for
analysis in feature films and documentaries over the last decade .
FTII
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up by the Government of India in
1960, in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Studios in Pune.
 The FTII Campus currently stands on the grounds of the erstwhile Prabhat Studio. Prabhat
Studio was a pioneer in the business of filmmaking and shifted to Pune from Kolhapur in
1933. The archaic studios of the time, which were the production grounds for the films of
Prabhat are still present and are being used at FTII. The old Studios of Prabhat are now
heritage structures and FTII students continue to work at the world's oldest functioning film
shooting studios.
The present-day FTII campus was initially a land bought by the Prabhat Film Company
way back in the year 1933. The company was founded in Kolhapur in 1929 and moved to
Pune 4 years later. A stellar and pioneering film company of its time, it produced several
important and iconic films such as Shejari, Sant Dyaneshwar and Sairandhri, which was
the only colour film made by Prabhat. Such was the legacy of this iconic studio, that at
the time, it was the biggest film studio in Asia! The productions made by the Prabhat Film
Company in its heyday included 45 films made in both Marathi and Hindi languages.

The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was established in the year
1960 and was formerly known the 'Film Institute of India'. It was a department
of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India.
In 1971, FTII came to be known as the 'Film and Television Institute of India'
(FTII) and soon started in-service training programs for Doordarshan, India's
public broadcaster. The Television Training wing, which was earlier functioning
in New Delhi, shifted to Pune in 1974. Thereafter, the institute became fully
aided by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Along with the name change, FTII became an Autonomous Society under the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, run by a Governing Council and its
appointed Director.

Great Indian Masters in Film

1. H.S. Bhatwadekar

Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatwadekar was the first Indian to make a film, or a motion
picture, in India, way back in 1899. Read on to know the real story.

The first cinema was shown in India on 7 July 1896. The credit for this goes to Lumiere
Brothers. It was shown in Mumbai at Watson Hotel, to British audience. Harishchandra
Sakharam Bhatavdekar was one of the viewers. He was a local photographer and popularly
known a Save Dada. He was very much impressed with cinema and resolved to make films
in India. The rest, as they say, is history.
H.S. Bhatavdekar was born in Bombay, now called Mumbai, on March 15, 1868. His family
were Maharashtrin Karhade Brahmins and lived in Mumbai.

He started his professional career as a portrait photographer. He also had a business dealing
with cameras and film equipments. He was very popular, and affectionately called Save
Dada. On 7 July 1896 when Bhatavdekar saw the first film made by Lumiere Brothers, he
was wonder-struck. He decided to make such films in India, and immediately ordered a cine
camera from UK.

In 1899, Bhatavdekar made his first movie, titled ‘The Wrestlers’, which was the first film
by an Indian film-maker. He filmed a wrestling match in Hanging Gardens at Mumbai. The
film was sent to UK for processing, and then brought back to India. During this time he also
bought a projector and screened foreign-made films.

He began making films on day-to-day life in Mumbai city, and also shot important events.
He also began screening the films that he made.

In 1902, he shot a film titled Sr. Wrangler Mr. R.P. Paranjpye. It showed the return of the
mathematics scholar and Minister of Education in Bombay Presidency, R.P. Paranjpye from
Cambridge, England and his landing in India by ship. This can be considered as the first
Indian news film.

In 1903, he made ‘Delhi Durbar’, a short documentary, which showed Lord and Lady
Curzon on an elephant at the coronation of King Edward VII in Calcutta, now called
Kolkata. In 1911, he also made Coronation Darbar in Delhi which showed the coronation of
King George V as the Emperor of India. This film is considered to have historical
significance.

With his reality films which covered the events, he can be called the first documentary
filmmaker of India. His films became India’s first newsreels. Bhatavdekar continued to shoot
and screen Indian films. He also bought the Gaiety Theatre in Mumbai and showed films.
Later he sold his assets and equipments to Karandikar of S.N. Patankar’s company, before
retiring from cinema.

Although Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatavdekar was the first Indian filmmaker, he has not
been given due credit or recognition. His first short film came in 1899, whereas Dada Saheb
Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra came in 1913, thirteen years later. However the point to note is,
cinema as we know now, is about feature films which contain story and professional actors
and actresses who play the roles. Bhatavdekar’s films were reality films, better known as
Documentaries. Despite this distinction, for the sake of records, Bhatavdekar will always be
remembered as the Pioneer and First Filmmaker of India.

2. Dadasaheb Phalke
Dadasaheb Phalke, byname of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, (born April 30, 1870,
Trimbak, British India [now in Maharashtra, India]—died February 16, 1944, Nashik,
Maharashtra), motion picture director who is considered the father of the Indian cinema.
Phalke was credited with making India’s first indigenous feature film and spawning the
burgeoning Indian film industry today chiefly known through Bollywood productions.
As a child, Phalke displayed great interest in the creative arts. Determined to pursue his
dreams, he joined the Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay (now Mumbai), in 1885. While there
he pursued a variety of interests, including photography, lithography, architecture, and
amateur dramatics, and he became adept even at magic. He briefly worked as a painter, a
theatrical set designer, and a photographer. While working at the lithography press of
celebrated painter Ravi Varma, Phalke was significantly influenced by a series of Varma’s
paintings of the Hindu gods, an impression that was evident in Phalke’s own portrayal of
various gods and goddesses in the mythological films he later made.
In 1908 Phalke and a partner established Phalke’s Art Printing and Engraving Works, but
the business failed because of differences between them. It was Phalke’s chance viewing of
the silent film The Life of Christ (1910) that marked a turning point in his career. Deeply
moved by the film, Phalke saw it as his mission to bring all that was Indian to the moving
picture screen. He went to London in 1912 to learn the craft from British pioneer filmmaker
Cecil Hepworth. In 1913 he released India’s first silent film, Raja Harishchandra, a work
based on Hindu mythology. The film, scripted, produced, directed, and distributed by
Phalke, was a huge success and an important milestone in Indian cinematic history.
Likewise important, he introduced a female actor in the leading role in his film Bhasmasur
Mohini (1913) at a time when professional acting was taboo for women.
Phalke, with the help of several partners, established the Hindustan Film Company in 1917
and went on to produce several films. A talented film technician, Phalke experimented with
a variety of special effects. His employment of mythological themes and trick photography
delighted his audience. Among his other successful films were Lanka dahan (1917), Shri
Krishna janma (1918), Sairandari (1920), and Shakuntala (1920).

With the introduction of sound in cinema and the expansion of the film industry, Phalke’s
work lost popularity. He left filmmaking in the 1930s and died lonely, embittered, and sick.

In recognition of Phalke’s contribution to the Indian cinema, the India government

instituted the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1969, an award presented annually by the
president of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

Satyajith Ray
Satyajit Ray, (born May 2, 1921, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India—died April 23, 1992,
Calcutta), Bengali motion-picture director, writer, and illustrator who brought the Indian
cinema to world recognition with Pather Panchali (1955; The Song of the Road) and its two
sequels, known as the Apu Trilogy. As a director, Ray was noted for his humanism, his
versatility, and his detailed control over his films and their music. He was one of the
greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.
Ray was unable to raise money from skeptical Bengali producers, who distrusted a first-
time director with such unconventional ideas. Shooting could not begin until late 1952,
using Ray’s own money, with the rest eventually coming from a grudging West
Bengal government. The film took two-and-a-half years to complete, with the crew, most of
whom lacked any experience whatsoever in motion pictures, working on an unpaid
basis. Pather Panchali was completed in 1955 and turned out to be both a commercial and
a tremendous critical success, first in Bengal and then in the West following a major award
at the 1956 Cannes International Film Festival. This assured Ray the financial backing he
needed to make the other two films of the trilogy: Aparajito (1956; The Unvanquished)
and Apur Sansar (1959; The World of Apu). Pather Panchali and its sequels tell the story of
Apu, the poor son of a Brahman priest, as he grows from childhood to manhood in a setting
that shifts from a small village to the city of Calcutta. Western influences impinge more and
more on Apu, who, instead of being satisfied to be a rustic priest, conceives troubling
ambitions to be a novelist. The conflict between tradition and modernity is the great theme
spanning all three films, which in a sense portray the awakening of India in the first half of
the 20th century.
Satyajit Ray, an Indian filmmaker and among the dozen or so great masters of world
cinema, is known for his humanistic approach to cinema. He made his films in Bengali, a
language spoken in the eastern state of India – West Bengal. And yet, his films are of
universal interest. They are about things that make up the human race – relationships,
emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.

Satyajit Ray, the master storyteller, has left a cinematic heritage that belongs as much to
India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation
and subtle handling of characters and situations. The cinema of Satyajit Ray is a rare blend
of intellect and emotions. He is controlled, precise, meticulous, and yet, evokes deep
emotional response from the audience. His films depict a fine sensitivity without using
melodrama or dramatic excesses. He evolved a cinematic style that is almost invisible. He
strongly believed – “The best technique is the one that’s not noticeable”.

Though initially inspired by the neo-realist tradition, his cinema belongs not to a specific
category or style but a timeless meta-genre of a style of story telling that touches the
audience in some way. His films belong to a meta-genre that includes the works of Akira
Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Chaplin, David Lean, Federico Fellini, Fritz Lang,
John Ford, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Renoir, Luis Bunuel, Yasujiro Ozu, Ritwik Ghatak and
Robert Bresson. All very different in style and content, and yet creators of cinema that is
timeless and universal.
Satyajit Ray’s films are both cinematic and literary at the same time; using a simple
narrative, usually in a classical format, but greatly detailed and operating at many levels of
interpretation.

His first film, Pather Panchali (Song of the little road, 1955) established his reputation as a
major film director, winning numerous awards including Best Human Document, Cannes,
1956 and Best Film, Vancouver, 1958. It is the first film of a trilogy – The Apu Trilogy – a
three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of this
trilogy are Aparajito (The Unvanquished, 1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu,
1959).

His later films include Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958), Devi (The Goddess,
1960), Teen Kanya (Two Daughters, 1961), Charulata (The Lonely Wife, 1964), Nayak
(The Hero, 1966), Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder, 1973), Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess
Players, 1977), Ghare Baire (The Home and the World, 1984), Ganashatru (An Enemy Of
The People, 1989) and Shakha Prashakha (Branches Of The Tree, 1991). Agantuk (The
Stranger, 1991) was his last film.

Ritwik Ghatak

Ritwik Ghatak was an Indian filmmaker and also a playwright poet and writer of short
stories. Ghatak started his creative career as a poet and a fiction writer. Then he began
writing for the theater and became involved with Gananatya Sangha and Indian People's
Theatre Association. Later he moved to film direction. He also wrote more than 50 essays
on film. Satyajit Ray wrote that these essays "cover(ed) every possible aspect of the
cinema"

In 1948, Ghatak wrote his first play Kalo sayar (The Dark Lake) and participated in a
revival of the landmark play Nabanna. Ghatak, who was a member of the Communist Party
of India till he was expelled in 1955, was one of the main leaders behind the party's cultural
wing, the Indian People’s Theatre Association. He was renowned for his partition
 trilogy Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-capped Star), 1960; Komal Gandhar (E Flat), 1961;
and Subarnarekha (The Golden Thread), 1962.

Ghatak entered the film industry with Nimai Ghosh's Chinnamul (1950) as actor and
assistant director. Chinnamul was followed in two years by Ghatak's first completed
film Nagarik (1952), both major breakthroughs for the Indian cinema. Ghatak's early work
sought theatrical and literary precedent in bringing together a documentary realism, a
stylised performance often drawn from the folk theatre, and a Brechtian use of the filmic
apparatus.

Ghatak moved briefly to Pune in 1966, where he taught at the Film and Television Institute
of India (FTII). His students included film makers Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Adoor
Gopalkrishnan, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, John Abraham. During his year at FTII, he was
involved in the making of two student films: Fear and Rendezvous.

● Padma Shri for Arts in 1970 by The government of India.

● Musafir had won the Certificate of Merit for Third Best Feature Film at 5th National Film
Awards in 1957.
● Madhumati Nominated for Filmfare Best Story Award.
● National Film Award's Rajat Kamal Award for Best Story in 1974 for Jukti Takko Aar
Gappo.
● Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Feature Film in Bengali for Subarnarekha at 13th
National Film Awards
● Heerer Prajapati had won the Best Children's Film Award (Prime Minister's Gold Medal)
at 16th National Film Awards in 1970.

Mrinal Sen

Sen is one of his nation's most politically active filmakers. After having studied physics at
university in Calcutta, Sen worked as a freelance journalist, a salesman of patent medicines
and a sound technician in a film studio. In the mid-1940s he joined the Indian People's
Theatre Association and at that time began to read about and study film. The association
had links to the Communist Party of India and this heralded the beginning of Sen's
involvement with Marxist politics. In 1956 Sen made his debut with Raat Bhore(1956), the
first of his 30 (as of 2002) films. Although his first film was openly political, he achieved
national status as the director of a comedy, Bhuvan Shome (1969). Influenced by Italian
neorealism and the work of fellow countryman Satyajit Ray, Sen used location shooting
and non-professional casts in his early films. By the 1970s he was making wider use of
symbolism and allegory. Although he remains politically committed, Sen feels that the
"difference between party Marxists and a private Marxist like me is that others think they
pocketed truth, whereas I am always in search of truth... " Sen's films have won numerous
international awards. The Case Is Closed (1982), a scathing look at the hypocritical reaction
of a bourgeois Calcutta family to the death of a servant boy, took home the Jury Prize from
the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.

Girish Ksaravalli

Girish Kasaravalli (born 3 December 1950) is an Indian film director, in the Kannada
cinema, and one of the pioneers of the Parallel Cinema. Known internationally for his
works, Kasaravalli has garnered fourteen National Film Awards, including four Best
Feature Films; Ghatashraddha (1977), Tabarana Kathe (1986), Thaayi Saheba (1997)
and Dweepa (2002). In 2011, he was awarded with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest
civilian award by Government of India.
A gold medalist from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, The film he made to
fulfill his diploma, Avashesh, was awarded the Best Student Film and the National Film
Award for Best Short Fiction Film for that year. He has received fourteen National Film
Awards.

K Balachandar

Kailasam Balachander (9 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an Indian film maker and
playwright who worked mainly in the Tamil cinema. He was well known for his distinct
film-making style, and the Indian film industry knew him as a master of unconventional
themes and hard-hitting contemporary subject matter. Balachander's films are well known
for their portrayal of women as bold personalities and central characters. Popularly referred
to as Iyakkunar Sigaram (lit. "Director Paramount"), his films are usually centred on
unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He started his film
career in 1964 as a screenwriter and graduated to a director with Neerkumizhi (1965).
In a career that spanned 50 years, he had contributed to nearly 100 feature films either as a
screenwriter or director, thus becoming one of the most prolific filmmakers in the
country Known among his colleagues as a tough task master, he was credited with having
nurtured numerous actors, notably Nagesh, Sujatha, Kamal
Haasan, Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Jaya
Prada, Sridevi, Jayasudha, Saritha, Renuka, Nassar, Prakash Raj, Ramesh
Aravind and Vivek.

In his film career, Balachander had won nine National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare
Awards. He was honored with the Padma Shri (1987), India's fourth highest civilian award,
and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema.

He also made films under his production house, Kavithalaya Productions. Apart from
Tamil, he made films in other languages such as Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. Towards the
tail end of his career, he directed a few TV serials and made a few film appearances as well.

Module V

Malayalam Cinema

Early Malayalam Films K.W.Joseph was the first person to show films in Kerala in 1913 through Jose
electric Bioscope. Later J C Daniel a dentist by profession produced Vigathakumaran in 1928. It was a
silent film produced by Travancore pictures, a temporary Malayalam studio. The second Malayalam film
Marthandavarma was directed by Sunderraj on the basis of a novel written by C V Raman Pillai. In 1938,
the first sound cinema was produced by T R Sundaram directed by M Sundaram of Nagercoil named Balan
(Boy). Again in 1940 Nettoni directed a movie named Jnanambika which carried the screenplay and songs
written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. Before independence, in 1941 Madras United Artist Corporation
produced Prahlada and no other films came until independence.

Malayalam Films after Independence

Later in 1948 after the independence artist P.J.Cheriyan produced Nirmala on the banner of Kerala Talkies
Limited. The dialogue was written by Puthezhath Raman Menon and lyrics by G Sankara Kurup.
Immediately after the independence Udaya studio was established in 1948 and in 1949 he produced the
next film titled Vellinakshatram. During 1938- 1949 there were totally five films produced in Malayalam
language according to Aravindan Vallachira (1968). In 1950, films titled Sthree (Women), Prassanna
(Name), Sasidharan (Name) and Nalla Thanka (A Good Thanka) were produced in Kerala. Among them,
Sasidharan and Nalla Thanka received public appreciation. Subrahmaniyan started the Meriland studio
near Nemom and Appachan brought his studio Navodaya which were other next studious during this
period. The first cinemascope Malayalam film was Thacholi Ambu and the first 70mm film was
Padayottam. The first 3D film in Malayalam was My dear Kuttichathan which was produced by Appachan.
About 70 films were produced in Kerala during 1950-60.

Prominent among them include - Jeevitha Nauka directed by K Vembu in 1951, Navalokam by V Krishnan
in 1951, Vishappinte Villi by Mohan Rao in 1952, Loka Neethi by R Velappan in 1953, Shariyo Thetto by
Thikkurushi in 1953, Neelakuyil in 1954, Newspaper Boy in 1955, Randidangazhi in 1958, Naayaru
Pidicha Pulivaalu in 1958 and Umma. Especially, Jeevitha Nauka and Vishappinte Vili were the hit films
of this period. In 1960, Kunchakko’s Umma was the first Muslim social film which grabbed that year’s
record collection. Navalokam, Loka Neethi and Shariyo Thetto were also appreciated by the audience. The
film Randidangazhi directed by Subrahmaniam and a comedy film Naayaru Pidicha Pulivaalu directed by
P.Bhaskaran got huge applause. Neelakuyil in 1954 was directed by P.Bhaskaran and Ramu Karyat was
produced by T.K. Pareekutty under the banner of Chandrathara received silver medal from the President.
News Paper Boy was the first realistic film directed by Ramdas in 1955 in Malayalam film history.

Malayalam cinema earned national recognition in 1954 for Neelakuyil which got a gold medal. During
1960s, about 230 films were produced in Malayalam. Most of them were known for mass appeal. In 1966,
Ramu Karyat directed the film Chemmeen which received appreciation of the critics for its cinematic
excellence. Other films namely Unniarcha (Name) and Bharya (Wife) also received lot of appreciation
from the audience since they were based on true stories. These films grabbed huge revenue to Navodaya
productions. Another film Kutti Kuppayam (Small dress) directed by Krishnan Nair based on a story from
Moidu Padiyathu encompassed enthralling lyrics and music of P Bhaskaran and M S Baburaj created
record in the box office.

Malayalam Cinema was enriched by the creative writings of M.T.Vasudevan Nair who provided scripts for
famous films like. Murapennu (Cousin), Nagarame Nanni (Thank You City), Eruttinte Aathmaavu (Soul of
the Darkness) etc. Another film Bhargavi Nilayam (Name of a House), directed by A.Vincent was a horror
and fantasy experience to the viewers. Thoppil Bhasi also emerged as another creative writer and
contributed stories for popular films like Mudiyanaya Puthram (A Spendthrift Son), Ashwa Medham
(Sacred Horse) and Tulabhaaram (Weighing Balance). Thespian Sathyan also became a popular film
personality through famous Films like Kadal Palam (Sea Bridge) and Vaazhve Maayam (Mysterious
World). During this period, Sethumadhavan emerged as another great director of Malayalam film industry.
Tulabhaaram (Weighing Balance) directed by Vincent brought the Urvasi award for Sharada which bagged
the national award for 2nd best film in India at that time. Famous novels like Mudupadam (Mask, S K
Pottekadu), Aadya Kiranangal (Prime Rays), Anweshichu Kandetheela (Searched but not found) and Ara
Naazhika Neram (For a Moment) authored by Parapurathu became the sources for films which attracted
great appreciation. Other prominent novels Odayil Ninnu (From the garbage, Keshavadev),
Kallichellamma (Name of a mischievous woman, Vivekanandan), Adimakal (Slaves, Padman) were also
used by the film makers to produce popular films during 1960s. Anweshichu Kandetheela (Searched but
not found) could reap the Silver Medal from the President in 1967. Some cinematic experiments were also
done through films like Rosy (Name) directed by P.N.Menon and Chitramala (Festival of Pictures) by
T.S.Mutthaiah. Subrahmaniam bagged the state award in 1969 for his movie Kumara Sambhavam (An
Incident) and the award for the best director in that year was grabbed by Vincent for his film Nadi (River).
Awards for national integration was given for Janmabhumi (Mother Land) directed by John
Sankaramangalam and Thurakkatha Vathil (Closed Door) by P.Bhaskaran.\

Golden era of Malayalam Cinema

The decade of 1970’s witnessed the production of new wave films in Kerala. Films like - Olavum
Theeravum (Waves and the Shore) directed by P.N.Menon, Priya (Name) directed by Madhu and Ara
Naazhika Neram (For a Moment) directed by Sethumadhavan received the first, second and third prizes at
the national level. S.L.Puram Sadanandan received the national award for screenplay Agniputhri (Fire
Daughter) which was directed by M.Krishnan Nair and the actress Sheela was also appreciated for her
performance. During this decade many talented film makers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, K.P.Kumaran,
M.T.Vasudevan Nair, Karyat, Aravindan, Bekker, K.G.George, K.R.Mohan, John Abraham, Neelambur
Balan and others enriched the Malayalam film industry through their creative cinematic experiments.

Prominent films of 1970s include – Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swayamvaram (One’s Own Choice) and
Kodiyettam (Ascent), K.P.Kumaran’s Panitheeratha Veedu (Unfinished House), Sethumadhavan’s
Kanyakumari, (Famous Place) Karyat’s Nellu (Grain), Bharathan’s Prayanam (Journey), Aravindan’s
Thakara (Name of a Plant), Utharayanam (Climb), Kaanchana Seetha (Golden Seetha), Thambu (Name)
and Kummatti (A Deity), Bekker’s Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol (River Kabani turns red), Mani
Muzhakkam (Sound of Bell), Chuvanna Vithukal (Red Seeds) and Sankha Gaanam (Group Music),
Panicker’s Ekakini (Lone Women), K.G.George’s Swapnaadanam (Dream Travel) and Ulkadal (Deep Sea)
Padmarajan’s Peruvazhiyambalam (Divine Street), K.R.Mohan’s Ashwadhamavu (Name), John
Abraham’s Cheriyachante Krurakrithyangal (Misdeeds of Cheriyachan) and Nilambur Balan Anyarude
Bhumi (Strangers Earth) and so on. These films were rated as the most creative and meaningful new wave
movies during 1970s. Some of these films also received regional and national awards for cinematic
excellence. During this period, Malayalam cinema carved a niche for itself at the national level and
Sethumadhavan’s film Achanum Baapayum (Synonym for Father) bagged the best film for national
integration in 1972. Adoor Gopala Krishnan’s debut film Swayamvaram (One’s Own Choice) also bagged
the national award for best Indian director and Sharada received the ‘Urvasi award’ for best female actress.
Later on in 1973 M.T.Vasudevan Nair received the national award for best film through Nirmalyam
(Cleansing) followed by Aravindan for his film Kanchana Seetha (Golden Seetha) in 1977 and Thambu
(Name) in 1978 respectively.

The decade of 1980s did not witness any remarkable progress in the Malayalam film industry which was
commercialized in letter and spirit. The committed film makers could not achieve any progress financially
and professionally due to the change of mindset of the audience who were won over by the market forces
and formula films. Despite certain drawbacks and limitations, the film makers continued their venture
confidently and produced some prominent films. They include – Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Elipathayam
(Rat Trap) and Mukhamukham (Face to Face), Aravindan’s Pooku Veyil (Evening Sun) and Chidambaram
(Name) Padmarajan’s Oridathoru Phayalvaan (Champion in a Place) and Thinkalazhcha Nalla Divasam
(Monday a Good Day), George’s Kolangal (Symbols), Yavanika (Curtain) and Erakal (Preys), Bharathan’s
Marmmaram (Chirping), Chamaram (Sail) and Ozhivukaalam (Vacation), Lenin Rajendran’s Venal,
Aalkuuttathil Thaniye (Alone amidst a crowd), Aksharangal (Letters), Sasi’s Anubandham (Attached),
Aarudam (Mind) and Kaana Marayathu (Unseen), Hariharan’s Oppol (Sister), Bekker’s Vellam (Water)
and Chaappa (Head), Sashidharan’s Sree Narayana Guru (Name of a Hindu Saint) and Akkare Kaanathaya
Penkutty (Girl unseen across), Sivan’s Aalolam (Rhyme) and Mangalam Neerunnu (Wishing you the
Best), Ravi Varma’s Yaagam (Mass Prayer) and so on.

Some popular commercial Malayalam films were also made during 1980s. Jeejo’s My Dear Kuttichathan
and Padayottam (Race in the Battle Field), Balachandra Menon’s Kelkkatha Shabdam (Unheard Voice)
and Eenadu (This Place), Shashi’s Angadi (Market), Mohan’s Elakkangal (Movements), Edavela (Interval)
and Vida Parayum Mumbe (Before Saying Bye), Balu Mahendra’s Oolangal (Ripples) and Yaathra
(Travel), Fasil’s Manjil Virinja Pookkal (Flowers Bloomed on Mist), Ente Mammatti Kuttiyammakku (My
Dear Most), and Nokkethadoorathu Kannum Nattu (Looking Deep Ahead), Joshi’s Ithihasam (Legendary),
Aarambam (Beginning), Nirakoottu (Colour Mix) and Shyama (Name), M.T.Vasudevan Nair’s Vaarikuzhi
(Deep Pit), Rasheed’s Veedu (Home), Bharathan’s Oormakkayi (To Remember) and Ethiripoove
Chuvanna Poove (Little Red Flower), Chandrakumar’s Uyarum Njan Naadake (I will Raise Above) and
Sibi Malayil’s Oduvil Kittiya Vaartha (Late News), Yatheendradas Muthram Kunnu PO (Name of a post
office) and Sree Kumaran’s Gaanam (Song) were the famous commercial films produced in the decade of
1980s.

In the age of globalization, Malayalam film industry faced challenges from other film industries and
television industry. The people were also attracted by the forces of globalization which glorified unhealthy
tendencies through film and television. The people of Kerala are known for commendable literacy
development and concern for the people and environment. The film makers continued their innings in
1990s and produced both commercial and new wave films confidently. The audiences have also supported
the healthy cinematic experiments of committed film makers. In the new millennium, the film makers have
 adopted certain creative and innovative measures to enrich the process of film making in Kerala. In
particular, Adoor Gopalakrishnan emerged as the prominent new wave film maker who brought
international recognition to Malayalam films through his constructive and creative cinematic contributions
over a period of time.

Masters in Malayalam Cinema

Adoor GopalaKrishnan

Writer – Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan was born in Kerala, India in 1941 into a family
that patronized Kathakali and other classical performing arts. He started acting on the
amateur stage at the early age of eight. Wrote and directed several stage plays during his
student days.
Adoor had his graduation from the Gandhigram Rural University in 1960 specializing in
Economics, Political Science and Public Administration. He left the governmental job of a
statistical investigator to study cinema at the Film Institute of India, Pune. On graduating
in1965 with specialization in Screenplay writing and Advanced Film Direction, he pioneered
the film society movement in Kerala. The same year, he took the initiative to form India’s
first film co-operative for production, distribution and exhibition of quality films.
He has scripted and directed twelve feature films and about thirty Shorts and documentaries.
Notable amongst the non-feature films are those on Kerala’s performing arts.

His debut feature, Swayamvaram went on to win the national awards for best film, best
director, best cameraman and best actress.

He has since received national awards for best director five times, best screen playwright
twice and best film two times. Adoor’s third feature, Elippathayam won him the coveted
British Film Institute Award for ‘the most original and imaginative film’ of 1982. The
International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) has gone to him six times successively
for Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and
Nizhalkkuthu. Winner of several international awards like the UNICEF film prize (Venice),
OCIC film prize (Amiens), INTERFILM Prize (Mannheim) etc, his films have been shown
in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, London, Nantes, Rotterdam and every important festival
around the world.
His collection of essays, Cinemayude Lokam (The World of Cinema) was given the national
award for the Best book on Cinema in 1984.

Cinemaanubhavam (The Experience of Cinema), a collection of articles dealing with the art
and practice of cinema won the Kerala State award (2004) for best book on Cinema.
His third book, Cinema, Saahityam, Jeevitham (Film, literature and Life) was published in
2005. His fourth book, again a collection of essays, Cinema – Samskaram (Cinema –
Culture) published in 2011 received the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for Essay.

G. Aravindan
Govindan Aravindan (23 January 1935 – 15 March 1991) was an Indian film director,
screenwriter, musician, cartoonist, and painter. He was one of the pioneers of parallel
cinema in Malayalam. He was known for his unorthodox way of filmmaking; he changed his
cinematic forms consistently and experimented in storytelling without regular narrative
styles He studied at University College, Trivandrum. Before venturing into the film field, he
was an established cartoonist. He had also worked with documentaries and theatre. He also
occasionally directed music for other filmmakers. The Government of India awarded him the
fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1990.

The first film directed by Aravindan, Uttarayanam (1974), came out as a product from this
group; the film was produced by Karunakaran and the story was written by Thikkodiyan.
The film, which exposes opportunism and hypocrisy set against the backdrop of the
Independence struggle, was inspired by Aravindan's own cartoon series Cheriya Lokavum
Valiya Manushyarum (Small World and Big People). The film is about Ravi, an unemployed
young man, who has to face a series of encounters during his search for a job. Ravi reflects
on the past struggles of the anti-British freedom fighters he has learned about from his
paralyzed father. He eventually meets Gopalan Muthalaly, a leader of Quit India movement,
but now a corrupt contractor. The film garnered wide critical praise and several awards,
including five Kerala State Film Awards upon release.

Aravindan's second film Kanchana Sita (1972) was an adaptation of C. N. Sreekantan

Nair's play of the same name, which is a reworking of Valmiki's Ramayana. The film is
credited with formation of a new stream called independent filmmaking in Malayalam.[7] It
interprets a story from the Uttara Kanda of the epic poem, where Rama sends his wife, Sita,
to the jungle to satisfy his subjects. Director Aravindan interweaves the Samkhya-
Yoga philosophical concepts of Prakriti-Purusha bonds throughout the film. The film, told
in a feminist perspective, significantly differs from all other adaptations of Ramayana in the
characterisation of the central characters, including Rama and Lakshmana. The characters
are humanised, contrary to the way divine characters from Indian mythology are usually
depicted in visual media. The film was shot in the interior tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh and
the roles of the epic heroes are played by Rama Chenchu tribal people (or Koyas), who claim
lineage to the mythological Rama. Upper-class Hindu groups accused of Aravindan of
blasphemy for casting tribals in the role of Hindu epic heroes but Aravindan never heeded
saying that the Rama Chenchus have classical features and are marvellous actors. [11]

While Kanchana Sita dealt with mythology, Aravindan's next film Thampu (1978) dealt with
realism and told the story of suffering in a circus troupe. It was shot in black and white in a
direct documentary mode. Aravindan won the award for Best Director at both National Film
Awards and Kerala State Film Awards.

In this period Aravindan did a number of documentaries and short films. He composed music
for films like Aaro Oral, Piravi and Ore Thooval Pakshikal. Aravindan's 1989 feature
film Unni was an international co-production loosely based on experiences in Kerala of a
group of American students, who played themselves. Aravindan's final
project Vasthuhara (1991) about refugees in Bengal was based on C. V. Sreeraman's short
story in the same name. The film had Mohanlal and Neena Gupta in major roles.

Aravindan died on 15 March 1991, before the release of Vasthuhara. The cause of death was
a heart attack. He was aged just 56 when he died.

Kerala Chalachitra Film Society facilitates Aravindan Puraskaram every year in the memory
of G. Aravindan for the best debutant director in Indian languages.