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![still photo from Jean Renoir's "The River" [1951]](images/Renoir_TheRiver.jpg)
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India's films on DVD at Amazon.com
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India's films on VHS at Amazon.com
India's movies poster catalog at AllPosters [dot] com
Books on India's Cinema
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"Brand Bollywood: A New Global Entertainment Order" [2006] by Derek Bose Sage Publns 8½x5½ pb [11/2006] for $29.95 |
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"100 Bollywood Films" [2006] by Rachel Dwyer British Film Institute 6¾x5 pb [1/2006] for $15.56 British Film Institute 6¾x5 hardcover [1/2006] for $65.00 |
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"The Essential Guide To Bollywood (illustrated)" [2005] by Subhash K. Jha; Foreward by Amitabh Bachchan Roli Books 8x6 pb [11/2005] for $11.01 |
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"Behind The Scenes of Hindi Cinema: A Visual Journey Through The Heart of Bollywood" [2005] by Johan Manschot & Marijke de Vos K.I.T. Publrs 8¾x10½ pb [6/2005] for $36.14 |
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"Bollywood Dreams: An Exploration of The Motion Picture Industry & Its Culture In India" [2003] by Jonathan Torgovnik "Stunning." – L.A. Times Book Review Phaidon hardcover [5/2003] for $27.97 |
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"Bollywood: Popular Indian Cinema" [2002] Edited by Lalit Mohan Joshi Dakini Books 11½x10 hardcover [9/2002] for $59.95 |
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"Cinema India: The Visual Culture of Hindi Film" [2002] by Rachel Dwyer & Divia Patel Rutgers Univ Press 9¼x6¼ pb [9/2002] for $24.00 Rutgers Univ Press hardcover [9/2002] for $60.00 |
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"Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire" [2001] by Vijay Mishra Routledge 9x6 pb [12/2001] for $30.95 Routledge 9¼x6 hardcover [12/2001] for $115.00 |
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"Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (2nd Revised Edition)" [orig 1994] Edited by Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willeman British Film Institute 12x9¼ {4¾ pounds} pb [10/99] for $29.20 Routledge 12½x9½ {6 pounds!} hardcover [7/99] for $115.00 |
India's Cinema Music
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"The Rough Guide To Bollywood" [2002] by various artists World Music Network audio CD [3/2002] for $14.98 |
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"The Best of Bollywood" [2003] by various artists Hip-O Records audio CD [5/2003] for $13.98 |
Filmmakers of India
NOTE: Oscar Awards for Best Foreign Language Film are not attributed
by A.M.P.A.S. or IMDb to the director or producer, but to the country of origin.
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Vishal Bharadwaj
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Wikipedia
Utpalendu Chakrabarty: IMDb listing
Budhhadev Dasgupta
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Wikipedia
Chidananda Dasgupta
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Wikipedia
Ritwik Ghatak [1925-76]
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Wikipedia
Ritwik Ghatak article at Senses of Cinema
Gautam Ghose: IMDb listing • Wikipedia
Rituparno Ghosh
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Wikipedia
Adoor Gopalakrishnan of Kerala
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Wikipedia
official Adoor Gopalakrishnan website
Mani Kaul
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Wikipedia
Deepa Mehta
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Wikipedia
Deepa Mehta's 'Elements Trilogy' films "Fire" [1996] &
"Earth" [1998] & "Water" [2006] are coded below
Ketan Mehta
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Hrishikesh Mukherjee [1922-2006]
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Wikipedia
Mira Nair
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official website •
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Wikipedia
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"Mercy In Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair" [2006] by John Kenneth Muir Applause Books 9x6 pb [6/2006] for $13.46 |
 | Satyajit Ray [1921-92] Page |
The City Trilogy
Feluda stories & films
"The Song of The Little Road" documentary [indep Aug 2003]
Written & directed by Priyanka Kumar
video/DVD not yet available;
full credits at IMDb
Prabhat Roy: IMDb listing
Kumar Shahani: IMDb listing
actress-director Aparna Sen
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Wikipedia
Mrinal Sen
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Raja Sen: IMDb listing
Tapan Sinha
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Ram Gopal Varma
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Actors (& others) of India
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costume designer Bhanu Athaiya
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Amitabh Bachchan
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Pramathesh Chandra 'P.C.' Barua [1903-51]
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film composer Anil Biswas [1914-2003]
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Chhabi Biswas [1900-62]
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Prasenjit Chatterjee
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Sabitri Chatterjee
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Soumitra Chatterjee
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Supriya Choudhuri
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Kanan Devi [1916?-92]
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Wikipedia
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Utpal Dutt [1929-93]
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actress Indrani Haldar
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Wikipedia
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Celina Jaitley
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Raj Kapoor [1924-88]
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Uttam Kumar [1926-80]
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actress Madhabi Mukherjee
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Nargis {aka Nargees Dutt} [1929-81]
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Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation [est. 1981] in Old Westbury, NY
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Tapas Pal
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Aishwarya Rai
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Bikash Roy: IMDb listing
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Debasree Roy
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Wikipedia
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Suchitra Sen
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actress Rituparna Sengupta
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composer-musician Ravi Shankar
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official website •
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Wikipedia
 | "The Essential Ravi Shankar" [2005] R.C.A. remastered audio CD [10/2005] 2 disks for $24.98 |
director-actor Rajen Tarafdar [1917-87]
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Selected Movies of India
India's films have received only 3 nominations for Best Foreign Language Oscar®.
"Bombay" or "Bumbai" [India 1995]
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A Hindu man and a Muslim woman marry and then flee their intolerant South India village to Bombay. When their parents visit for a reconciliation, the couple and parents and twin sons are separated during the religious riots of December 1992.
Co-produced, co-written & directed by Mani Ratnam; starring Arvind Swamy, Manisha Koirala, Tinnu Anand, Nasser, Sonali Bendre & Prakash Raj
Eros color DVD [3/2003] for $49.99 full credits from IMDb; 'Bombay' entry at Wikipedia |
"Calcutta"documentary
[France April 1969, USA Nov 1971]
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Written, directed & narrated by Louis Malle
"A kaleidoscope of stunning visuals ... with minimal narration by the director" New York Film DVD [6/2006] for $29.95 full credits from IMDb; also available on DVD as part of "The Documentaries of Louis Malle" box set [2007] Criterion Collection DVD box set [4/2007] 6 disks for $79.95 which also includes "Vive Le Tour" [1962 short]; "Phantom India" [1969 7-episode TV miniseries {see below}; "Place de La République" [France April 1974]; "Humain, Trop Humain" [New Yorker Films Feb 1975]; "God's Country" [P.B.S. TV 1986]; and "...And the Pursuit of Happiness" [TV 1986] |
"The Chess Players" aka "Shatranj Ke Khilari"
[India March 1977, USA May 1978]
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Set in 1856 Lucknow, two noblemen play games of chess day & night, oblivious to the games being played outside their secluded world, including the British takeover of the territory ruled by their poetry-writing king.
Co-written, directed & music by Satyajit Ray [1921-92]; based on a story by Munshi Premchand; starring Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Shabana Azmi, Farida Jalal, Victor Banerjee, Tom Alter, Amjad Khan & Richard Attenborough, with narration by Amitabh Bachchan
Kino Video color DVD [4/2006] for $26.99 full credits from IMDb |
"Earth" [Sept 1999]
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After the British leave India in 1947, and a train arrives in Lahore with all its Muslim passengers murdered, the city's Hindu vs. Sikh vs. Muslim religious tensions erupt into violence. The story is told from the viewpoint of an eight-year-old crippled girl, and covers the relationships between her wealthy Parsi family, her beautiful nanny, the nanny's many suitors, and others in the neighborhood.
Co-produced, adapted & directed by Deepa Mehta; starring Maia Sethna, Nandita Das, Aamir Khan, Gulshan Grover, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rahul Khanna, Eric Peterson & Kitu Gidwani
New Yorker Video widescreen color DVD [4/2003] for $21.99 New Yorker Video letterbox color VHS [10/2000] for $14.20 full credits from IMDb |
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based on "Cracking India: A Novel" [1991] by Bapsi Sidhwa Milkweed Editions 8½x5½ pb [1/2006] for $10.85 Milkweed Editions 9¼x6¼ hardcover [9/91] out of print/used |
"Fire" [U.S.A. Aug 1997, India Nov 1998]
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A businessman takes a vow of celibacy and his wife is duty-bound to accept his decision; his brother agrees to an arranged marriage, but openly sees his half-Chinese mistress. The ignored sisters-in-law become fast friends, and absent the attentions of their husbands, eventually become lovers.
Written & directed by Deepa Mehta; starring Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Alice Poon, Kushal Rekhi & Ranjit Chowdhry
New Yorker Video widescreen color DVD [6/2000] for $26.99 New Yorker Video widescreen color VHS [6/2000] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
"Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India"
[Aamir Khan / Sony Classics 2001]
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The title is the Hindi word for 'land tax'. In the late 1800s, during the British Raj: A drought and an increase in the land tax threatens the existence of a village. The local military overseer challenges the villagers to a cricket match three months hence - if the villagers win, no taxes; if they lose, the taxes will be tripled.
Written & directed by Ashutosh Gowariker; starring Aamir Khan, Raghuvir Yadav, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley & Paul Blackthorne
Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film; won 8 awards from Intl Indian Film Academy, including Best Picture
Columbia/TriStar widescreen DVD [1/2002] for $23.99 CTS color VHS [6/2002] 2 tapes for $21.21 Sony soundtrack audio CD [6/2001] out of stock/used Musicrama soundtrack audio CD [7/2001] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb official website |
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"The Spirit of Lagaan: The Extraordinary Story of The Creators of A Classic" [2002] by Satyajit Bhatkal & W.A. Rodgers Popular Prakashan pb [1/2002] for $21.95 |
"Mother India" aka "Bharat Mata"
[India Feb 1957]
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Considered 'The Gone With The Wind of India'. When a peasant couple are married, the mother-in-law borrows 500 rupees to pay for the wedding, thinking she is agreeing to one-fourth of future crops from their farm as payment. But the crooked village money-lender gets her to sign a mortgage on the land agreeing to three-quarters of the crops. Unable to bear the hardship, the husband disappears, and Radha raises her two sons, working the farm with them. Upon reaching adulthood, one son attacks the evil money-lender, is banished from the village, and becomes a bandit. Avoiding spoilers: The ending is tragic.
Produced & directed by Mehboob Khan; starring Nargis, Kanhaiyalal, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar & Raaj Kumar; Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
Eros color DVD [2/2003] for $39.99 full credits from IMDb 24"x34" poster available at AllPosters.com |
"Phantom India" documentary
[7-episode TV miniseries; France July 1969, USA Oct 1972]
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Directed & narrated by Louis Malle; "magical" and "overwhelming"
full credits from IMDb; available on DVD only as part of "The Documentaries of Louis Malle" box set [2007] Criterion Collection DVD box set [4/2007] 6 disks for $79.95 which also includes "Vive Le Tour" [1962 short]; "Calcutta" [1969] {see above}; "Place de La République"[France April 1974]; "Humain, Trop Humain" [New Yorker Films Feb 1975]; "God's Country" [P.B.S. TV 1986]; and "...And the Pursuit of Happiness" [TV 1986] |
"The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey"
[India Aug 2005]
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Mangal Pandey was a true-life sepoy (soldier) employed by the de facto ruler of India, the exloitative & ruthless British East India Company. When the new Enfield cartridges are rumored to be covered with beef and pig fat (an offense to both Hindu & Muslim soldiers), Capt. Gordon assures all that the rumor is false, and Pandey is the first to bite the cartridge and release the gunpowder (the year is 1857). When the rumor is later proved true, an enraged Pandey incites 300,000 Hindustani soldiers to rebellion.
Directed by Ketan Mehta; starring Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Toby Stephens, Kiron Kher, Coral Beed, Amisha Patel, Joel Guyton Lee & Om Puri
Yashraj Films subtitled widescreen color DVD [8/2005] for $29.99 full credits from IMDb; Wikipedia |
RP's Mangal Pandey movie fansite
"The River" aka "Le Fleuve"
[United Artists; U.S.A. Sept 1951, France Dec 1951]
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Three teenage girls – a daughter of English settlers, a daughter of an American industrialist, and a Bengali-American – vie for the innocent affections of a dashing Captain. Renoir, as usual, brings his poetic sensibilities to another view of the human condition.
Co-produced, co-written & directed by Jean Renoir [1894-1979]; assistant director Satyajit Ray [1921-92]; co-written by Rumer Godden, from her novel; starring Patricia Walters, Radha, Adrienne Corri, Thomas E. Breen, Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight, Arthur Shields & Suprova Mukerjee
Criterion Special Edition color DVD [3/2005] for $24.99 HomeVision color VHS [6/2000] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia |
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based on the 1946 novel by Rumer Godden, OBE [1907-98] Pan 7½x5 pb [4/2004] for $11.67 Viking 8¾x5¾ hardcover [9/88] for $22.95 |
"Salaam Bombay!" [India 1988]
Produced & directed by Mira Nair;
Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
"Sholay" aka 'Embers' or 'Flames'
[India August 1975]
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The highest grossing film of all time in India: A handless retired policeman exacts revenge for the murder of his family by a dacoit (bandit) chief with the help of two convicts.
Directed by Ramesh Sippy; starring Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri & Amjad Khan
Eros color DVD [6/2003] for $39.99 full credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia |
"Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag"
[India & USA August 2007]
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A remake of "Sholay" [1975] (name changed per court order)
Co-written, produced & directed by Ram Gopal Varma; starring Ajay Devgan, Prashant Raj Sachdev, Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal, Nisha Kothari & Sushmita Sen video/DVD not yet available • full credits at IMDb movie entry at Wikipedia • official movie site |
"Water"
[Fox Searchlight/Téléfilm Canada April 2006]
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Set in India in 1938, the film reveals the still-existing Hindu traditions that force lower-caste widows into literal imprisonment. Production was started in 1999 in Benares, India, and quickly shut down by politically motivated attacks; production was restarted 3 years later in Sri Lanka.
Written & directed by Deepa Mehta; starring Sarala, Lisa Ray, John Abraham, Seema Biswas, Manorama, Raghuvir Yadav & Khulbushan Kharbanda; Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film {a film of Canada}
Fox widescreen color DVD [8/2006] for $19.99 Varese Sarabande soundtrack CD [12/2005] for $13.99 full credits from IMDb official movie site; distributor's movie site |
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Novelization by Bapsi Sidhwa [2006] Milkweed Editions 8x5 pb [4/2006] for $11.02 "Shooting Water: A Memoir of Second Chances, Family & Filmmaking" [2006] |
India Cinema Links
foreign movie poster catalog at AllPosters [dot] com
Foreign Films [dot] com
Complete Index To World Film
Bengali Cinema pages at Calcutta Web
Yahoo! India Movies {beta}
CinéMaya Media Group [est. 2000] of India, USA & Canada
Bollywood news at Movie Talkies
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