World’s Greatest Show on Hindi Films
Letter from New Delhi
By Kul Bhushan
“The World’s Greatest Mela – Respecting India’s Cinematic Heritage,” declared the banner at the entrance of an exhibition featuring posters, photos, and other memorabilia on Indian movies. But ‘The World’s Greatest’…really?
Anyway, we entered to see if this statement could be true. As the impact of the immense and magnificent display awed us, we were convinced that the statement was indeed accurate, as the sheer number of filmi exhibits and their quality and preservation swept us away.
A mind-blowing collection of cine artefacts displayed in New Delhi at the World’s Greatest Show on Hindi Films
Starting with the Silent Era of the 1920s, the display moved to the magnificence of the Black and White Era of the 1930s; the Kapoor Family in the 1950s; on to Dilip Kumar with Devdas; Fearless Nadia; Kamal Amrohi’s lyrics in Pukar, Mahal, Mughal-e-Azam, Pakeeza, and Razia Sultana…the fascination with the origins of Indian filmdom was spellbinding.
Other panels showcased Meena Kumari’s Eternal Story of love and love lost; cine chemistry from Raj Nargis to Hema Dharmendra and the comedy of Mehmood. Equally enthralling were sections on vintage hand-painted posters, letters from stars to their fans, trophies celebrating film jubilees, film merchandising, photos from film shoots, and more. A special section was devoted to Bengali cinema with a photo documentary of the legendary Satyajit Ray at work.
While marvelling at this mind-blowing collection of cine artefacts displayed in New Delhi from August 13 to 25, the natural question arose: Who is behind this project? He is Neville Tuli, an artist and curator extraordinaire. Born in England in 1964, he was educated at the London School of Economics and Oxford University. Living in England until 1993, he then came to India. After touring the vast country, he published a book, The Flamed Mosaic: Indian Contemporary Painting, on the aesthetics and history of Indian modern and contemporary painting.
He became increasingly interested in Indian cinema and started collecting film materials, which led to the formation of Osian. In 2013, Tuli launched osianama.com, an online knowledge portal as a leading learning and educational platform for Indian arts, cinema, and cultural heritage.
Today, Osian has more than 175,000 original artworks, mostly film posters among other memorabilia, which is unique in many ways. It is perhaps the world’s largest collection of Indian film posters, covering 85 percent of all Hindi films ever produced. More importantly, he built this vast collection from scratch. In India, where films are part of the living culture and have carried Indian lifestyle worldwide with NRIs and the popularity of Indian stars, this private collection is a treasure. Moreover, Tuli shares it with all on his website.
At the launch of osianama.com, Tuli said, “It is the biggest free-of-cost access search engine in South Asia dedicated to visual arts and cinematic history.” Tuli has unlocked the first door to his lifelong dream of building a ‘university’ for the promotion of the arts.
Clicking photos and selfies with sentimental film posters, admiring some original artefacts of cinema while listening to eternal movie tunes and songs, it seemed we were reliving our lives when we watched those films. Many groups of school children and college students thronged the exhibition, and Tuli addressed them before they left. He emphasized the importance of preserving cinema history, which is a major part of the popular culture of India, and pointed out how language, music, dance, fashion, and acting influence people for years after the films are released. He highlighted how Hindi films help India become a soft power worldwide and how NRIs share Indian lifestyle through films.
During a break from his talks, we introduced ourselves, and when he learned that I reviewed Hindi films every week from 1966 to 1980 in Nairobi, Kenya, he was fascinated and said that Hindi films abroad were an integral part of their history. As I told him about many Hindi film actors who visited Kenya during those years and whom I interviewed, he became more interested and wanted to know if I had any photos with them. Yes, he would like to have those reviews and photos to add to the collection, as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Mauritius are important countries with overseas Indians who love Hindi films.
Before leaving the exhibition, we wanted a photo at its entrance with the bold announcement: “The World’s Greatest Mela”. After this experience, it is true.
Tuli’s Favourite Film Poster
Chittaprosad’s poster from Do Bigha Zameen comes to my mind most often, as it brings together many ideas of personal stoicism, aesthetic integrity, service to functionality, the fusion of Indian and international responsibilities, and, in the process, becomes a truly universal image. The inspiration from the best period of Polish poster design during the 1950s and the heightened passion for serving the people through art created a very dignified image of a farmer, which was so different from the more helpless feel of the Indian versions designed by Bimal Roy and later by the distributors. A great artist applying their talent to poster design can have a genuine impact.
Favourite Scene
I love the picturisation of the song Kahin Door Jab Din Dal Jaye from the film Anand, especially the scene when he finds a dry rose in the book.
Favourite Books
My favourite books continue to be what I read during my childhood, most importantly, those books which I could read in two days: Julius Caesar, The Gambler, A Man for All Seasons, Waiting for Godot, Thus Spake Zarathustra, and Candide.
Favourite Actors
I always had a soft spot for Walter Matthau, Dilip Kumar, and Harpo Marx.
Favourite Film
One of my favourite films is Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand. “The film is connected to Indian cinema in a meaningful manner. During my childhood, while I was still in England, I recognized the deep connection, especially with its music and sentimentality.”
Anand Kul Bhushan is a writer, journalist, UN media consultant and workshop/meditation leader.
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 30 August 2024
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