Culture of Gujarat - Gujarati Cinema

Gujarati Cinema

Gujarati cinema celebrated its 75th year anniversary in 2007. Although Gujarati cinema has not given the Indian movie house the honor and joy the Bengali and Malayalam films have provided, it has its own share of glory.

Gujarati film started its journey in 1922 and during its run since then to this day it has much to state. From mythology to history, social to political, Gujarati cinema has experimented with such stories and issues all these years.

A special mention should be made on the film Guasundari which was thrice made from 1927 to 1948. The film was such a success in its first appearance in 1927, that director Chandulal Shah remade it in 1934. The film was again remade in 1948 by Ratilal Hemchand Punater. In its last version Hindi films’ eternal Mother Nirupa Roy made her debut as its heroine.

Gunasundari is the story of an Indian poor woman who is disliked by her husband for her moral stand. The woman finally lands in the street where she meets with a person who is just like her – a social outcast. The story ends here. The three versions of the film, however, have made some changes here and there to meet the demands of the time.

In a filmdom which was theatrical and melodramatic and often shunned by the audience, Akhand Saubhagyabati, that starred Bollywood queen Asha Parekh, made a success in 1963. Asha also has immense contribution to Gujarati television serial making. Her TV production ’Jyoti’ was a household show for a long time. About recent Gujarati films, Suresh M Thakkar’s Sajan Haiye Sambhre, Gormano Var Kesariyo and Dikro Kahu Ke are huge hits.

Gujarat has immense contribution to the Bollywood in the form of sending actors and actresses of fame to make the base of Hindi films. Much of Bollywood rest on the performance of these Gujarati film men and women.

The list of such film personalities is scintilating. It includes Parveen Babi, Sanjay Leela Banshali, Manmohan Desai, Ismail Darbar, Sanjay Gadhvi, Kalyanji Anandji, Deepika Chikhalia, Bindu Desai, Dimple Kapadia, Ben Kingsley, Sanjeev Kumar, Ketan Mehta, Tina Munim, Namitha, Neelam, Asha Parekh, Amisha Patel, Upen Patel, Falguni Pathak, Paresh Rawal, Himesh Reshammiya, Nirupa Roy, Mallika Sarabhai, Shruti Seth, Satish Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Shravan, Ayesha Takia, Alka Yagnik, Deven Bhojani, Prachi Desai,Sanjida Shek, Ketaki Dave, jaikishan, Ashrani.