Adgully Exclusive | Bollywood's leading ladies (1930-2011)

Since the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra in 1913, cinema has evolved rapidly over the decades. In fact, by the 1930s India was producing over 200 films per annum. It has revolutionized not only the technique and technology but the fashion, the language, the music, the script, the culture and the image of the Bharti Nari.

In The 1930s India found herself in the midst of the Great Depression and World War II. This brought about movies that depicted the turmoil that was forced on the country. Through these expressions rose the first lady of Indian cinema, Devika Rani. Together with her husband Himanshu Rai she starred in Karma (1933) and soon founded the Bombay Talkies film studio, along with Niranjan Pal and Franz Osten, whose films challenged the caste system. She has also had her share of controversy for having acted in the longest kissing scene on screen with her husband in Karma.

The 1940s were turbulent times for India. The fight for independence and the violence of the Partition caused us all a lot of pain. A number of filmmakers tackled these tough social issues and used the struggle for Indian independence as a backdrop for their plots. This decade brought Nagris to the forefront in Indian cinema. Her role as Radha in the well acclaimed film Mother India won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

As we can see bollywood over the years has become bolder and more popular than ever. Although constantly moving ahead with the dynamic trends in world, bollywood has managed to keep the essence of traditional cinema with the songs even though the ideas and technology have revolutionised. The leading ladies of bollywood continue to charm us with the image of the modern Bharti Nari. | By Vanessa Azavedo [vanessa(at)adgully.com]