Indian cinema: 1980-89

Revision as of 10:31, 23 March 2013

Indian cinema: 1980-89

1980

1980 : FFC and Indian Motion Picture Export Corporation merge to form the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The Lotus Cinema hired by the FFC becomes Bombay’s only venue for art-house films beginning with Bimal Dutt’s Kasturi (1978). K.S. Karanth’s Report of the Working Group on National Film Policy is published and ignored by the Government. Independent Filmmakers start the Forum for Better Cinema and ask the Government to ask Satyajit Ray to head the organization. Ray turns down the offer. While on Ray, a retrospective of his films is held at the Indian International Film Festival. Mrinal Sen retrospective is held at the National film Theatre, London. The journal Cinema Vision India starts in Bombay with an issue on Silent Cinema in India. Deaths of Mohd. Rafi, Uttam Kumar, Sahir Ludhianvi.

1981 : Indian Film Industry celebrates the golden jubilee of the Indian Talkie. Formation of the short-lived Indian Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science (IAMPAS). A three part package of Indian Cinema - pre-Ray, a Ray retrospective and New Indian Cinema tours the United States. Special issue on Indian Cinema by the Journal for Asian literature. Death of Nargis.

1982 : Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Elipattahyam wins prestigious British Film Institute Award. Shekar Kapur’s debut Masoom. Asian games held in Delhi provide the occasion to start telecasting of colour programmes on TV. N.T. Rama Rao starts the Telegu Desam Party. The Tamil Film weekly Gemini Cinema starts. First films in Brijbhasha (Brij Bhoomi) and Malvi (Bhadwa Mata).

1983 : Mrinal Sen’s Kharij wins special Special Jury Prize at Cannes. Bhanu Athaiya becomes the first Indian to win an Oscar for costumes designed for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982). Panorama of Indian Cinema at the Centre Pompidou, Paris. First film in Garhwali (Jagwal) and Khasi (Ka Lawei Ha Ki Ktijong Ngi). The Karnataka state subsidy to films is increased to Rs one lakh for B&W and Rs 1.5 lakh for colour.

Halodhia choraye baodhan khai (Assamese/ 1987) stirred the conscience of the nation

1985 : Indian Cinema Season at Pesaro Film Festival, Italy.

1986 : Death of Smita Patil.

Nayakan (1987/ Tamil) ushered into all of India a new era not only of film technology (e.g. using available lighting) but also of storytelling (commercial films told in a seemingly realistic way)

1987 : The NFDC starts the quarterly journal Cinema in India. Death of Kishore Kumar.

1988 : The journals Cinemaya (A quarterly on Asian film) and Deep Focus start. Death of Raj Kapoor.

1989 : Death of Prem Nazir.