Film making may be a director’s craft and a film star’s glitz to pull in the audience into cinema halls but without a sensible ‘producer’ a film cannot be imagined. Hence producers dominated filmmaking in the past. The glorious Prabhat Films founded by actor/director V Shantaram laid the foundation of filmmaking in India in 1929. Prabhat Films made several thought-provoking films, including Duniya Na Mane, Sant Tukaram, Aadmi, Padosi, etc V.G. Damle formed Prabhat Films in association with others. Keshav Rao Dhaibar, S. Fatelal, and S.V. Kulkarni. In 1942, V. Shantaram had some differences with Prabhat Films hence he started his own banner Rajkamal Kalamandir which made immortal classics like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959) and Pinjra (1972).
The Rise Of Modern Film Productions
In the 30, Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani started India’s first sophisticated modern film production company Bombay Talkies. It was started in 1934 and gave a string of hit films like Achhut Kanya, Kangan, Jhoola and Hindi cinema first blockbuster Kismat that ran for 200 weeks! Bombay Talkies introduced Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar and also gave break to Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Leela Chitnis, etc.
It was a launching pad for many directors like the great Bimal Roy. Bombay Talkies introduced foreign film equipment. This improved filmmaking, making Indian films comparable to Western ones.
Major Film Giants
In the 1940s, prominent film companies included Minerva Movietone, Ranjit Films, and Wadia Movietone. AVM Films founded in 1945 by A V Meiyappan, started a new trend. South Film Producers entering Bollywood. The South film Production companies were termed as ‘Madras’ movies. They ruled the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. They were specialized for making good family dramas.
Producers like S Mukherjee (Filmistan Studio) and Tarachand Barjatya (Rajshri Productions) attracted audiences with films like Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Dosti., G.P. Sippy of Sippy Films (Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay), B.R. Chopra of B.R. Films (Waqt, Insaaf Ka Taraju), Raj Kapoor of R.K. Films (Awara, Sangam), Gulshan Rai of Trimurti Films (Johnny Mera Naam, Trishul), Dev Anand of Navketan Films (Guide, Jewel Thief), Shakti Samanta of Shakti Films (Aradhana, Kati Patang) J Om Prakash of Filmyug (Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Aasha), Nasir Hussain of Nasir Hussain Films (Teesri Manzil, Yaadon Ki Baaraat), Prakash Mehra of PMP Films (Zanjeer, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar), Manmohan Desai of MKD Films (Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb), Subhash Ghai of Mukta Arts (Karz, Hero), etc
These producers ruled till the late 90’s until in the new millennium the trend of actor taking to production started.
Leave a Comment