Mass communication and media study assignment

Name:- Zankhana .M.Matholiya

Roll.No:-36

Paper No.-15- Mass communication and media study.

Class :- M.A. Sem-4

Topic:- Detail note on Cinema.

Enrollment No:- 2069108420180036

College:- Smt.S.B.Gardi Department of English

Email ID :- zankhanamatholiya96@gmail.com

Submitted:-Department of English M.K.University, Bhavnagar

To Evaluate my Assignment Click Here

Ø  What is Cinema ?

·         Cinema is a reflection of society, both present and past.

·         Cinema is a form of communication.

·         Cinema is a powerful vehicle for culture, education, leisure and    propaganda Cinema is a good medium for entertainment. Cinema is no doubt one of the wonders of the present age. Cinema is a film/ a story recorded as set of moving pictures to be shown on screen of a theatre house and television. It is a channel of expression and communication. The cinemas one of the most important inventions of modern science. Cinema exercises a great influence upon the popular mind. A popular movie, when shown in the T.V., can be as large crowd-puller.

Ø  The Beginnings.

• The years preceding the dawn of cinema in India were witness to the growth of musical dramas (sangeet natak), the Parsi theatre, the drama companies of Madras, and the jatra in Bengal. Music, dance, song were an integral part of these performing traditions; this was the heritage of Sanskrit drama and later popular folk performing traditions such as the ram lila, the raslila, the nautanki and the thirukoothu. In painting, the calendar art (sometimes termed 'bazaar art') of Raja Ravi Varma and others was well-known and stage sets incorporated some of the designs and colours of this new art form. 
• So, when the first "cinematographic exhibitions' of the Lumiére Brothers were held in Bombay on July 7, 1896, Indian dramatists, photographers, magicians, musicians and singers saw in them great potential for the re-telling of Indian myths and folklore, The Times of India advertised these early exhibitions as "the marvel of the country, the wonder of the world". The exhibitions' included 'living photographic pictures' in life- sized reproductions' of the arrival of train, of workers leavinga factory, of a sea-bath, and of ladies and soldiers on wheels. The exhibitions continued to draw crowds to four shows daily for over two months. Meanwhile, a British cinematographer held exhibitions of a similar kind in Calcutta, then the capital of British India. It is significant that the cinema had its beginnings in India almost the same time as in other major film-producing countries. Indeed, barely six months after the first Lumiére Brothers' cinematograph projected moving pictures on to a screen in a Paris basement, and two years after Edison's invention of the Kinetoscope in New York.
• Among the numerous crowds that watched the first screenings at Bombay's Watson Hotel with utmost fascination was a photographer named Harishchandra S. Bhatwadekar (alias Save Dada). He ordered for a moving picture camera from London, and when it arrived took it along to a wrestling match in Bombay's Hanging Gardens, and shot the match live (Two Wrestlers). He soon acquired a projector and processing equipment. To him must go the credit of shooting one of the earliest Indian newsreels, Return of Wrangler Paranjpe, which recorded the triumphant welcome in December 1901 accorded to R. P.Paranjpe, an Indian student who had won honours in mathematics at Cambridge. Another Bhatwadekar short wasA Man and His Monkey. Jag Mohan, the historian of the Indian documentary, credits Bhatwadekar with being 'the father of the Indian factual film' However, it is likely that the first Indian t films were Coconut Fair and Our Indian Empire, both made and exhibited in 1897 by unknown English camera persons. (Keval.j.Kumar)
• Just as Indian photographers and studios proliferated soon after the introduction of the camera in 1840, so the arrival of the motion picture attracted a large number of business people, artists and craftspeople into film production and exhibitions Photographers in particular took to the new enterprise with enthusiasm.They turned out such items as Poona Races, Train Arriving at Bombay Station, Tilak's Visit to Calcutta, Bathing Ghats at Benaras, Great Bengal Partition Movement, and Terrible Hyderabad Floods. Some of them became professional showmen taking their equipment all over the country and holding exhibitions even in remote towns and villages.
• The first rural travelling cinemas had begun operating by the end of the twenties. On May 18, 1912, R.G.Torney filmed a Marathi stage play, Pundalik, while it was being acted out. The play was based on the legend of a famous Maharashtrian saint. Torney's screen version of Pundalik gave India its first filmed play (or photoplay') but the credit for making the first full length feature film must go to Dadasaheb Phalke's Rajah Harishchandra, released a full year later. artists and craftspeople into film production and exhibitions Photographers in particular took to the new enterprise with enthusiasm. They turned out such items as Poona Races, Train Arriving at Bombay Station, Tilak's Visit to Calcutta, Bathing Ghats at Benaras, Great Bengal Partition Movement, and Terrible Hyderabad Floods. Some of them became professional showmen taking their equipment all over the country and holding exhibitions even in remote towns and villages.
• The first rural travelling cinemas had begun operating by the end of the twenties. On May 18, 1912, R.G.Torney filmed a Marathi stage play, Pundalik, while it was being acted out.The play was based on the legend of a famous Maharashtrian saint. Torney's screen version of Pundalik gave India its first filmed play (or photoplay') but the credit for making the first full length feature film must go to Dadasaheb Phalke's Rajah Harishchandra, released a full year later.
• Regional Language' Cinema At the national level, films in Hindi made in Mumbai and Chennai, continue to reign supreme. During the 1990s, however, some films made in the languages of the South, either re-mad or dubbed in Hindi, have found a good market nationwide. Mani Ratnam's Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, Yuva, Hey Ram! and Guru are examples of such films.
• The omnibus term 'Regional Language' refers to Indian languages other than Hindi and English; strictly speaking though this is incorrect, since under the Indian constitution all 23 recognised languages are 'national'. For Hind is as much a 'regional' language as say Tamil or Telugu or Bengali. Several Hollywood films too began to be dubbed in Hindi, beginning with Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Pretty Woman and The Lion King, though not all of them managed to succeed at the box-office.
• The various Hollywood companies such a Sony/Columbia, MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount viacom and Disney have a signifieth presence in Mumbai and other large cities. A recent trend is the production of Indian film in English, such as The Making of the Mahatma,and English August. Yet another trend is the making of films on India-related themes by NRI film makers such as Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala, Kamasutra) and Deepa Mehta (the 'elements' trilogy: Fire and Water)
• Cinema is goes from the both side; particular to general and general to particular. It is goes regional to global cinema industry and also global to particular means regional cinema industry. Let’s have a look on regional cinema.

Ø  Hindi Cinema:

• Cinema/movie has always been one of the greatest sources of entertainment since ages. The movies that released earlier are far more different than modern movies we see today. We the youngsters of today are more interested in action and rom-com movies.. But have we wondered how earlier movies used to be and how did films origin in India???No?? Then let’s have a flashback of our glorious 100 years of Indian cinema. Through this journey we will see the different aspects of cinema from its origin till modern day cinema... 1950- George Eastman discovered film in New York.
• Camera was invented byWilliam Frizgin William Frizgin is known “Father of Cinema”First movie was charge of dragons by lumiere brothers.Mahadev Patwardhan discovered art of films in 1885 First exhibition of films was by Lumiere brothers in Bombay in 1896. The great train robbery was the first movie with a story, David Grifithproduced this movie.
• The era of cinema began Savedada’s short film on wrestling.  Dadasaheb Phalke is known as father of Indian cinema.  Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra was first silent cinema.  Aredeshir Iirani released first Indian talking film Alam Ara on 14 march 1931.

• Pre -Independence Post –

Independence Early 20’s 1930’s. The thirties is recognized as the decade of social protest in the history of Indian Cinema  Three big banners - Prabhat, Bombay Talkies and New Theatres 1940’s  It had some bold themes  By the late 1940s, films were being made in various Indian languages with religion being the dominant theme.

• 1950’s Late 50’s saw the Golden Age of music. Achut Kanya Kisan Kanya Sheela Sita Bibaha S.D. Burman Mediocre films made to please the distributors. Malayalam cinema derived much of its strength from literature 1960-1970 Changing social norms and changing economies influenced movies and the companies that made them.
• Masala films were the demand of the time. 1970-1980 The new cinema movement continued with full spirit in the next decade  90’s was a mixed genre of romantic, thrillers, action and comedy films. 1980-1990 This eras is known as “THE NEW MILLENNIUM”. Today Indian Cinema ,especially, Hindi cinema is not only popular in India but in parts of the Middle East, Pakistan, UK and virtually every other place where Indians live.
• Films like Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and Monsoon Wedding put a stamp of confirmation that Bollywood had etched itself on the global podium. The time from 1950 to 1960 is regarded as golden era of Indian cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed films of all times were produced during this period. The transition to color and the consequent preference for escapist entertainment and greater reliance on stars brought about a complete change in the film industry.
• The year 1931 proved to be a landmark in film industry Talkies had same effect as they did in western countries and in no time they replaced silent films with a great speed.  Advent of films also led to inclusion of music.  J.J Madan’s Indrasabha {1932} featured total 71 songs.  The first colour film was made by ardeshir irani.It was named as Kisan Kanya (peasant girl).  Best known as the co-founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1934, along with Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani. He was married to actress Devika Rani Chaudhuri (1908- 1994). Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts.
• He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music composer, graphic designer and film critic.  Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He directed his first film, "Netaji Palkar" in 1927.
• In 1929, he founded the Prabhat Film Company along with Vishnupant Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, which made Ayodhyecha Raja, the first Marathi language film in 1932 under his direction. Jamshetdji Framji Madan Dadasahed Phalke  Raghupathi Venkaiah  Naidu Aredeshir Iraniv ShyamBengal Yashraj Chopra Known as the “First Lady of the Indian screen” She founded the Bombay Talkies film studio in the 1930s with her husband and became a mentor for upcoming actresses.
• Achoot Kanya (1936) is an interesting film of hers to watch for its technical structure. Was one of the early superstars in Indian cinema and India's first female film director. She established Fatima Films which later became known as Victoria-Fatima Films in 1928. Were an early singer, music composer, actress and filmmaker of Bollywood She was the first female music director in the Indian film industry, followed by Saraswati Devi,Madhubala , Nargis Dutt Mumtaz Meena Kumari,  Nutan  Vyjayanthimala, Sharmila Tagore,  Shabana Azmi ,  Smita Patil,  Zeenat Aman, Sridevi  Madhuri Dixit ,Juhi Chawla,  Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Katrina , Kaif Sonam Kapoor,  Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle,  Ekta Kapoor, Farah Khan,  Gauri Khan, Zoya Aktar Reema Katgi  Kiran Rao,  Gauri Shinde.
• The cinema is the cheapest and the most popular form of amusement. Cinema is a universal teacher. It educates the people in different branches of learning. Social pictures throw light on social evils; these films ripen our eyes and create in us an urge for improvement. Most of the modern Indian movies ignore higher ideals. Bad films leave a very vitiating effect on the minds of youth.
• They give rise to different kinds of crimes. Indians during colonial rule brought equipment from Europe. Indian cinema’s early contacts with other regions became visible with its films making early inroads into the soviet union, middle east, south East Asia and China. Mainstream film stars like Rajnikanth and Raj Kapoor gained international fame across Asia. Parallel film makers like Satyajit ray achieved worldwide popularity, his films gaining success among European, American and Asian audiences. Danny boyle’s Oscar winning movie slumdog millionaire (2008) was also inspired by Indian films. Indian cinema was also recognised at American academy awards

Ø  Tamil Cinema

• Madras has been a centre for film production in Hindi and the South Indian languages, from the early years of Indian cinema. Several silent features based on the mythology and the puranas were produced, and proved to be very popular among the masses. The first silent film was Keechakavatham (The Extermination of Keechakan) (1916), a mythological, and the first talkie Kalidas (1931) contained no fewer than 50 songs Tamil cinema was seen as an extension of the popular performing arts such as company drama, therukoothu, the circus and wrestling.
• The repertoire of the (drama) companies was limited to a few mythologicals, written as musicals. The stories were standardised as a series of songss. In keeping with the tradition of company drama, the talkies carried a large number of songs and placed less emphasis on dialogue." Right from the beginnings of Tamil cinema, the Brahmin elite despised cinema just as it did company dramas and therukoothu (folk street theatre), regarding it as 'low culture', in contrast to Bharatnayam and Carnatic music which constituted 'high culture'
• The first three phases of Tamil cinema, according to one analyst, were (i) the puranic, mythological and folklore period (1931-50), (ii) the melodramatic story period (1951-75), and (iii) the partly realistic anti-sentimental stories period (1951-75) e perspective is of course elitist; realism is seen as the ideal towards which cinema must aspire. The parallel' cinema, which was marked by social realism, had its influence on the Tamil cinema of the late seventies. The pioneers were K. Balachander, Bharathi Raja, Mahendran, Balu Mahendra, Dorai, Jayabharati, Bhagyaraj, Rudraiyya and H.A. Kaja. Mahendran's Utharipookal and Dorai's Pasi continued the realistic genre started by the late Bhim Singh’s sila Narangalil Sila Manithangal which challenged the myth of the ideal heroine.  The “Fan clubs” associated with Rajnikant and other film stars continue to thrive and to direct Tamil film and political culture.  (Keval.j.Kumar)

Ø  Gujarati Cinema

• The first Gujarati film was a short feature entitled Mumbaini Sethani, released on April 9, 1932, while the first full-length feature was Narsinh Mehto. Other early films included Sati Savitri, and Ghar Jamai. As in other parts of the country Gujarati films had to compete with Hindi films made in Bombay and Madras, because of the samll number of theatres. So until the early seventies, only 130 Gujarati films had been made, the most remarkable being Kantilala Rathod's masterpiece Kanku. However, even Kanku could be released only in one theatre for just a week Then came the film 'boom' consequent upon the State government's generosity in granting subsidies and in exempting films produced in studios within the State, from entertainment tax. As many as 40 films were produced each year during the ovr1970s, but less than 30 during the 1980s, though the quality of films was rather indifferent.
• Popular Gujarati cinema has been 1979),Mlargely based on mythology, folk tales and novels. Some graduates of the Film and Television Institute, Pune, have set p a film co-operative called Sanchar. Sanchar's first venture, Bhavni Bhavai (1980), made in 16 mm and shot on location and directed by Ketan Mehta, won a national film award eand the acclaim of critics. So has Mirch Masala (1985).
• Mehta's Hindi films have met with greater success at the all-India box office. They include Holi (1984), Hero Hiralal (1988), Maya Memsahib (1992), Darling! Yeh Hai India (1995), Aar Ya Paar (1997), Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005) and Rang Rasiya 2007). He has also made seven documentaries, most notably the biographical film, Sardar (1993) The spirit of Kanku and Kashi No Dikro returned to Gujarati cinema between 1980 and 1985 (the 'golden period' of Gujarati cinema), but for the next decade or so mythologicals and folk dramas continued to dominate. Gujarati cinema received a boost at the close of twentieth century with a string of blockbusters byGovindbhai Patel, the foremost being Unchi Medi Na Uncha Mol (1996) and Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh (1997). Like Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Patel's films are the family drama genre, with the focus on the joint family system and the search for an Indian identity. (Keval.j.Kumar)

Ø  Bhojpuri Cinema

• Bhojpuri cinema is a Rs. 500 crore business.75 With over 200 million speakers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and also among the 20-million strong Indian diaspora in Fiji, Mauritius, Suriname, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago, Bhojpuri films are often more successful at the box-office than Hindi films. What is more, they are low-budget films with an occasional star like Amitabh Bachchan, Ravi Kishen or Manoj Tiwari playing thelead role. Perhaps the earliest Bhojpuri films were Nitin Bose's anga Jamuna (1961) and Kunden Kumar's Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo (1962).
• Since then they have been fitfully produced, though by 2000 around 30 films were being released in North Indian and overseas territories. In 2005, Sasura Bada Paisawala and Daroga Babu I Love You were runaway hits. The following year Gangaa, Ab Ta Banja Hamaar and Dulha Milal Dildar drew larger audiences than Bollywood films. Deal in Crime and 1971 were the major box-office hits of 2007 Bhojpuri films now feature regularly in film review columns in Sunday newspapers and film magazines. For the most part, Bhojpuri films are family melodramas set in foreign locales and tell familiar stories.
• So successful has this home-grown low- budget cinema turned out to be that production houses are keen on either re-making Bhojpuri versions or dubbing Bollywood films into this popular dialect of Hindi. These films are targeted not at the multiplex audiences in the metros but rather at small town and rural audiences for whom, as Ravi Kishen puts it Bhojpuri cinema is like home-cooked food'.

Ø  Define Censorship.

• Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information, on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or "inconvenient" as determined by government authorities or by community consensus. Censorship could be direct or indirect, in which case it is referred to as soft censorship. It occurs in a variety of different media, including speech, books, music, films, and other arts, the press, radio, television, and the Internet for a variety of claimed reasons including national security, to control obscenity, child pornography, and hate speech, to protect children or other vulnerable groups, to promote or restrict political or religious views, and to prevent slander and libel.
• Governments and private organizations may engage in censorship. Other groups or institutions may propose and petition for censorship. When an individual such as an author or other creator engages in censorship of their own works or speech, it is referred to as self censorship.

“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself”.

-Potter Stewart

Ø  A brief history on Film Censorship.

• Film Censorship was set in motion in India when the Cinematograph Act of 1918 was made law from May 1920. It allowed the exhibition of films only after they had been certified as suitable for public exhibition.
• Censor Boards were set up in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Rangoon and Lahore. All members of the Borders were appointed by the Government. The consisted of the Commissioner of Police, the Collector of Customs, a member of the Indian Educational Services, and three prominent citizens representing the Hindu, Muslim and other community
• There were primarily concerned with obscenity, the wounding of religious sentiments, or inciting disaffection against the Government. Under the Act, the control was made more rigid and effective countrywide. Amendments to the Act of 1918 in later years made film censorship a function of the Provincial Governments.
• In October 1927 an Indian Cinematograph Committee was appointed with an Indian, T. Rangachariar, as Chairman. It observed in its Report submitted two years later that censorship is certainly necessary in India, and is the only effective method of preventing the import, production and public exhibition of films which might demoralize morals, hurt religious susceptibilities or excite communal or racial animosities.
• The Cinematograph Act of 1952 continued the British tradition of severe censorship of films that made any references to the political situation or to communal groups. In 1969, the Khosla Commission was appointed to report on the whole film industry. It recommended an autonomous Censor Board without any official government control the examination of a film as a whole and to allow kissing, nudity and violence, if they were integral to the theme. The Government reluctantly accepted the Report, and in 1974 a Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The whims of the I and B Ministry decided which films should be given ‘A’ of ‘U’ Certificates. Political satires like Kissa Kursi Ka were banned. 

Ø  The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)

·          The Central Board of Film Censors (since June 1, 1983 renamed the Central Board of Film Certification') is set up by the Central Govenment under the powers granted it by the Cinematograph Act (1952) and the Cinematograph (Censorship)ding Rules 1958. The Board is headed by a chairman, appointed by the Central Govemment and is assisted by not more than nine members. (This number has now been increased to 12-35 members this has been done to facilitate the opening of more regional offices. Presently, there are offices at Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Trivandrum, with Bombay as the headquarters.

Ø  Examining Committee.

·          The recommendations of all the members of the Examinin Committee are sent by the Examining Officer to the Chairman of the CBFC within three days of the preview. Within the next seven days, the producer is informed about the Certificate issued. Under the Cinematograph Act of 1952, films were certified U' (for unrestricted exhibition), and 'A' (for public Examining Committee exhibition restricted to adults only). But according to the new is 'UA' (for unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental for public exhibition restricted to specialized audiences such as amendment, two more categories have been introduced. The first uidance for children below the age of 12), and the second is 'S doctors, etc.) The Board may, of course, ban a film or refuse to give it certificate unless certain deletions in visuals and sounds are ade. It may also offer to grant a 'U' instead of an 'A' provided ted deletions are agreed to. In some cases where the Examining Committee is divided or where the producer makes a request for a reconsideration of the decision arrived at, a Revising Committee takes a second look at the film. (Keval.j.Kumar)

Ø  Conclusion:

·          Not only the moves but Music, Dramas, Maps, Books, Regional films, Documentaries, which hurt the feeling of the people are banned or censored. A film with distorted history, tradition or culture that is feared to create controversy is harm to the national integrity. Given the reach and power of the film medium, without censorship there might be a flood of grade Z or reactionary films,. Hence, censorship is significant but we should see that Censor board doesn’t become puppets of power. 

Bibliography

Keval.j.Kumar. mass communication in india. mumbai: JAICO PUBLICATISHING HOUSE, 2010.