| Medium of instruction: | English |
| Course ID | FA 103 |
History of Indian Cinema - Overview
Credit Point : :0.5
Award : Certificate in History of Indian Cinema
Requirements : None
Overview
Indians love cinema, no argument. In fact, the Indian Film Industry is arguably the largest 'Institution of the Imaginary' in the world. All over the world when there is a hue and cry over Hollywood domination over local film industries, India is still an exception to this. And if one entity gives Indian Cinema its own signature, it is without a doubt the use of song and dance and the Navarasas or 9 basic emotions. Unlike Hollywood, where the ‘Musical’ was a separate genre by itself, song and dance has been an integral part of the narrative in Indian Cinema be it in any language or whichever genre - This right from the first Indian Talkie, Alam Ara made in 1931. Over the years, the Indian film song has evolved and has been developed and perfected to a T. With stunning camerawork, eye-catching locales and sets, colourful costumes and energetic choreography, the Indian film song at times is singularly responsible for the success or failure of a film giving it that so called ‘repeat value.’
But there is more to Indian cinema than just song and dance and the 9 basic emotions thrown into every film. Indian cinema has seen a dramatic journey from almost a century ago – 1913 to be precise when the first Indian feature film, Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishcandra premiered and astonished Indian audiences. From the silent features to the advent of Sound, from the heydays of the Studio Systems in the 1930s and 40s which showed that social commitment, art and commerce could go hand in hand, their subsequent decline, from the development of the playback system to the high peaks reached in the golden age of Indian cinema – the 1950s and the early 1960s, From the colourful 60s to the Indian New Wave beginning at the fag end of the 60s with the first lot of FTII graduates entering the Industry and emerging as an alternative cinema throughout the country in the 1970s and 80s, from the advent of the ‘Angry Young Man’ to the ‘NRI’ films of the 1990s and finally to the variety and expansion in all types of filmmaking thanks to technologic advances and the advent of the multiplexes in the 2000s, Indian cinema has seen it all, clinging to its own unique identity.
The course would take the participant down this magical journey tracing the development of the Indian Film, looking at its unique traits that sets it apart from its Western counterpart, so that we understand our past and place the journey of Indian cinema in a context as we see its evolution and analyze its important movements, see where we stand today and yes, where do we go from here.
Course Content
- The Studio System
- Rise to the golden age of the 1950s.
- The Golden Age continued
- The advent of the first ever Superstar and the rise of the Angry Young Man
- The regional Industries
- The Indian New Wave
- Indian cinema and the crossroads it is at today
Course Heads
Karan Bali
Karan Bali is a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, with specialization in Film Direction and has been working in Mumbai since 1993. He has directed various corporate films and documentaries that have been aired on Indian Television besides being the Chief Assistant Director for two feature films – Everybody Says I’m Fine (2001) and Matrubhoomi (2003). He has also directed the short film Tasty Titbits (1999), screened at various festivals aborad and is the Co-Founder , a serious and analytical portal on cinema of the sub-continent.
| Classroom - Regular | ||||
| When | Duration | Where | Remarks | Price |
| Not Specified | (Total 20 Hrs) | All Venues | Not Specified |
INR 8,427 Per Course (Taxes Included) |
| Price Notes: Course Fees Rs. 7500 + Service Tax (12.36 percent) Rs.927 hence, Total Fees (INR) Rs. 8427. Notes to fees: - Security Deposit of 20% Course Fees is payable by students enrolling on this course. This is non-interest bearing and refundable on course completion or withdrawal, subject to deductions. - Project costs are not included in the fees. - Fee inclusive of refundable deposit, government taxes and registration fee - Special discounts will be available for groups, WWI Alumni and Associations. - Students enrolling for three or more levels of the same course will be given special concession at the time of payment. | ||||
Whistling Woods International
The Institute
Founded by one of the India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai and is promoted by Mukta Arts Limited & Filmcity Mumbai. Whistling Woods International(WWI) is Asia’s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute, providing world-class education in all technical and creative aspects of filmmaking and television.
Whistling Woods has also been rated amongst the top 10 film schools in the world by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, alongwith institutes like NYU Tisch, NFTS, FAMU & AFTRS. WWI was the youngest school to be featured in that list.
The WWI Mumbai campus is located inside Mumbai’s film & television production hub ‘Filmcity’, and offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years, both full-time and part time in nature. All the major specializations of the Media & Entertainment industry are catered to, including Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound and Media Studies. WWI also offers India’s first MBA in Media & Entertainment and India’s first MBA in Media & Communication.
The full-time faculty of WWI is a body of academics and renowned industry professionals like Subhash Ghai, Rajen Kothari, M Krishhnamurthy, Rob Reece, Anjum Rajabali, Rakesh Ranjan, Ashmaki Acharya, Somnath Sen, Samar Khan, Prashant Naik, Yusuf Mehta, Dhananjay Khore with regular guest lectures by leading Indian & International filmmakers, actors & technicians like Ashutosh Gowarikar (Director of oscar-nominated ‘Lagaan’), Farhan Akhtar, Ashok Amritraj, Shyam Benegal, Naseeruddin Shah, Danny Boyle (academy award winner for Slumdog Millionaire), Rajkumar Hirani, Rakeysh Mehra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Farah Khan, Nagesh Kukunoor, Shelley Page (head of international outreach for Dreamworks Animation), and several more. Students at Whistling Woods, hence, have a unique opportunity to interact on one-on-one basis with some of the most successful professionals in the Indian film industry.
The courses at WWI are designed to ensure that the students’ learning is collaborative and industry oriented. The curriculum at WWI is a unique hybrid of theoretical and practical aspects and ensuring that the creative dovetails well with the business aspects. All students also undergo rigorous study in several co-curricular faculties like Film Appreciation, International Art Literature Culture, Production Design & Music.
These unique elements in the curriculum & the teaching methodology have seen WWI’s student body growing over three times over the past three years. Further, almost 15% of the student body now comprises of International students, from the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Vietnam and others who choose WWI over the multiple film-studies options available in their own countries.
The Institute is also highly committed to ensuring that its students move into the industry in creative and rewarding areas of employment. WWI alumni are currently working at several leading media organisations like Aamir Khan Productions, Annapurna Studios, BIG Animation, Balaji Telefilms, Dharma Productions, Dreamworks, Excel Entertainment, Fox Star Studios India, Mukta Arts Ltd, Percept Picture Company, Prime Focus, Rajshri, Red Chillies Entertainment, Reliance Mediaworks, Rhythmn & Hues, Star TV, Technicolour, Walkwater Film, UTV Motion Pictures, Yashraj Films and several more.
In early 2011, The Sony Media technology Center – a global Center of Excellence established by Sony Corp. & WWI and located at the WWI campus in Filmcity, Mumbai was inaugurated by Sir Howard Stringer (Chairman, CEO & President, Sony Corp.). Sony has recognised WWI as a leader in the Media & Entertainment education sector in Asia, decided to partner with the institute for setup of the same. This follows Sony’s two other centers in London & LA and is the only one that has been setup in association with another organization, the first two being standalone centers. The Sony Media technology Center (SMTC) at WWI will focus on new and emerging technology in the fields of High Definition filmmaking, 3D filmmaking, High Definition Exhibition and HD Broadcast. Sony has equipped the WWI Mumbai campus with the latest technology in both HD filmmaking & 3D filmmaking and will also be stationing on campus their global subject matter experts from whom WWI students would learn a great deal.
In 2010, WWI was accepted as a full member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision) – a global association of film schools, which lays very high standards on admitting members (there are only 150 members of CILECT). This membership has enabled huge expansion in WWI’s international operations with student & faculty exchanges been planned with the best film schools in the world. In the past as well, WWI has initiated affiliations with several global film schools, including first-ever-in-India activities like International student co-productions. Some of the schools that we have undertaken these activities with are Deakin & Griffith in Australia, Bradford College UK, Syracuse University USA & NYU Tisch Asia.
In a major step in secondary education in India, WWI was invited to partner with India’s premier High School Board - the CBSE board by the Ministry of Human Resource Development - Government of India to design a Media Studies curriculum for the country’s primary High School board (the CBSE board). WWI has prepared the curriculum, teaching methodology & is undertaking teacher-training for the ‘Media Studies’ elective in the 11th & 12th grade.
With the Mumbai campus operational since July 2006 and the student body having grown from 90 to 350 over 3 years, WWI is strongly looking at expansion both in terms of course verticals and campuses.
The above is just a snapshot of what Whistling Woods International has achieved in the short span of five years and the institution strongly marches on its way to fulfilling it’s goal – to be the institute of choice for media education globally.
