Hindi films are now more accessible than ever with Google Arts & Culture’s interactive online exhibit

I have a playlist on my Spotify account that I’m very proud of.with title Pain, Death, and Smirnoff Eight and a half hours of old Bollywood songs, from a yodeling Kishore Kumar to a melancholic Jagjit Singh nostalgic for his childhood. Surprisingly, given that the playlist is over his 8 hours, I’m very selective about the songs included there, and my 5-point rating system for older songs, I’m happy to explain it to anyone who wants it. Naturally, my personality screams that I’m a sad Gen Z girl who only listens to American pop music (I’m like that too!), but new people I meet fall in love with my love of Hindi movies. I’m always shocked.

This passion for the Hindi film industry, especially the first decades of its existence, is not entirely coincidental. I come from a family that was part of early Bollywood on both sides. My three great-grandparents were film directors, my wonderful grandmother who was constantly invited to appear in films (she begged for one role only, but was repeatedly turned down due to simple indifference), and my father. , was a film director. grew up with his brothers in Madhubala’s picturesque Kismet Bungalow (now demolished) in Bandra, so sleepy conversations about the good old days always involved Indian films. It contained a story. I knew from an early age that RD Burman was my favorite composer and that Sharmila was the most beautiful woman Tagore had ever seen. I knew that Madhubala died from a hole in his heart, and that Amitabh Bachchan was often dismissed for being a lanky, clumsy boy. With the launch of Google Arts & Culture’s new online exhibition, I’m going to find out more.

The online exhibition, unveiled today by Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, at the Indian International Film Festival in Goa, was created by Amit Sood, Director, Google Arts & Culture. It was led by Over 7,000 assets (5,000 high-resolution images and over 1,500 of his videos) and his 120+ immersive stories, curated by experts and developed in collaboration with over 20 Indian and global cultural organizations. . These organizations, including Yash Raj Films, Cinemazi and LIFE Photo Collection, have helped shape the industry by documenting and digitizing like never before his century-long history of Hindi cinema. Featuring stories, interactive exhibits, and never-before-seen content about movies and icons. It is world famous. Commenting on the exhibition, Sood says: “Google Arts & Culture has collaborated with 21 partner institutions in India and around the world to create an online homage to the brilliance of India’s filmmaking culture. This tribute is a collaboration between film experts, curators and cultural organizations. It is a culmination of passion. We are grateful for their important contribution in making Hindi cinema even more accessible to everyone, and we very much look forward to working with them to expand this film in the future. I am.”

For movie buffs, scrolling through online exhibits is a wonder of the modern world. While one section offers viewers the opportunity to time-travel to Bollywood, with nearly 2,000 stunning images of Hindi film icons arranged by year, another section of the exhibit (perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing Beautiful) has stunning posters and stills of Bollywood movies sorted by color. palette. Leveraging technology such as Google’s Augmented Reality and Street View to provide an immersive experience, the exhibit transports visitors to the pantheon of Hindi cinema. There, faces, locations and posters from Bollywood are combined with exclusive behind-the-scenes snaps of actors. And the directors at work. In order to beat the onslaught of information by providing users with the opportunity to be exposed to Hindi films, this exhibition will feature crossword clues (at the time of writing he has filled 6 out of 8 answers) and iconic Hindi movie poster puzzles.

For the world’s largest film industry, it’s important to document and reflect on the past and pay homage to those who brought us here. The Google Arts & Culture exhibit does just that, giving Hindi film history a special online home and making it accessible to users around the world.

Below are five sections of the online exhibition you won’t want to miss.

Women in the spotlight: “Traditionally, female characters in early Indian films were merely decorative.” Hence, the roles that women usually played in early Indian films, often as “reluctant victims and martyrs” or This section begins a deep dive into the analysis of “Treasury of Honor”). A much-needed examination of the limited socio-political roles of women both in Indian cinema and in real life, it is divided into three sections. The Faces of 1000 Films (consisting of women who appeared in Indian cinema from 1949 to 1984), Rebellious Women V Shantaram’s Films “Strong, down-to-earth women who defied convention”) and female friendships in Hindi films ( Mughal-e-Azamfrom 1960 Padsan1968).

Birth of a musical master: This section of the Google Arts & Culture exhibit shines a light on faces that are rarely seen on screen, exploring the fascinating lives and careers of legendary musicians such as Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Bappi Lahiri, and Laxmikant Pyarelal. is focused on. By highlighting these names, this exhibition reminds us that songs in Hindi films were never just songs, but deeper emotions that connected them all.

Fashion through the decades: It’s impossible to talk about Bollywood without talking about fashion. Remember Sadnacut?Or Kajol’s iconic green mehndi outfit Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenji? Or the stunning jewelery of Madhubala? Mughal-e-Azam?This story explains to users the changing styles of Hindi cinema and what the trends of each decade represent.?

A glorious golden age: In this section, we look back at the iconic moments and stars of the golden age of Hindi cinema, with Nasreen Munni Kabir summarizing the icons who shaped this golden age, and Shabana Azmi and Karan Johar explaining how this era was made. Anupama Chopra is interviewed in detail about what it was like. Hindi cinema means and represents today.

Discover the legendary cinema: What would movies be without theaters for the masses to watch? In this section, we round up India’s most iconic and historic theaters, from the Art Deco Liberty Cinema to the Regal Cinema and the Eros Cinema.

Google Arts & Culture’s online exhibit of Hindi films can be accessed for free worldwide on the Google Arts & Culture website or at goo.gle/hindi-cinema.

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