Parallel Cinema: History of India's Progressive Cinema

History

Indian parallel cinema also known as Arthouse Cinema or the Indian New Wave movement was an alternative to Indian mainstream commercial cinema and transformed the Indian Cinema Industry. The Movement originated in West Bengal and began around the same time as the French New Wave and Japanese New Wave. A few prominent pioneers of new Indian cinema were Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Rithwak Ghatak, Guru Dutt, Chetan Anand, etc in the 1940s to 1960s.

Unlike mainstream Indian cinema, these films mirrored social issues of the contemporary age dealt with problems of the common man, and had universal appeal to them. These films focused on the lives of rural residents and appealed to the non-bourgeois or non-well-read urban audience.

The filmmakers of Parallel Cinema chose to base their adaptations on Indian classical literature free from romantic triangles, unrealistic action sequences, random musical interludes, and formulaic happy endings. In contrast to traditional portrayals of female characters as helpless victims devoid of identity, the heroines in Parallel Cinema were given depth and agency. They were depicted as intelligent, ambitious individuals with unique personalities, such as Madhabi Mukherjee's portrayal of Charulata.

Some of the notable films from this movement are the following: Pather Panchali, Pyaasa, Aparajito, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Do Bigha Zamin, Neecha Nagar, and Meghe Dhaka Tara.

Inspiration

Parallel Indian Cinema was largely influenced by Italian Neorealism and French New Wave cinema. Notable filmmaker of this movement Satyajit Ray, admitted on many occasions that he drew inspiration from the works of Italian filmmakers. 

“the one film that truly had an impact on my mind was Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves” 

 - Satyajit Ray

Indian Parallel Cinema borrowed specific filming techniques and styles from Italian neorealism and French new wave such as: Filming only in natural light and shooting outdoors on the streets before this most Indian films were shot inside studios with the help of studio lights, hiring amateurs or non-actors, handheld cameras movements, looking directly into the camera, over the shoulder shots, cost-effectiveness, etc. 

Italian Neorealism emerged in the wake of World War 2. Italian Neorealism aimed to challenge fascism, uplift the spirits and lives of the working class and provide an insight into the aftermath of war and its impact. 

Similarly, Indian Parallel Cinema emerged in the wake of post-partition and violence. Just like the impacts of war on Italy, the partition had a massive impact on the Indian population, it was a period of economic stagnation, poverty, unemployment, and anguish. The events of World War and partition had left a massive mark on both countries but the industrialization, liberalism, and new political era served as hope for many however Italian and Indian intellectual filmmakers had mixed views. 

Glorious period of Parallel Cinema

The government began to fund filmmakers in the 1960s and during this era, many notable filmmakers graduated in filmmaking. Indian Parallel Cinema saw massive growth in the 1970s and 1980s. Prominent filmmakers of this period were Gulzar, Mahesh Bhatt, Shyam Benegal, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, and Govind Nihalani. Benegal’s directorial debut Ankur (1974) became a critically acclaimed film. 

Filmmakers of this era made unconventional films yet enjoyed commercial success. Commercial film actresses such as Rekha and Hema Malini also starred in these films. 

Notable films from this era were the following: Masoom, Mandi, Mirch Masala, Salaam Bombay, Sparsh, Ardh Satya, Sati, Garam Hava, Arvind Desai ki ajeeb dastaan, Anand, Choti si baat, Bhumika, Mrigayaa, Ashadh ka ek din, Ratnadeep and Ankur.

Parallel Cinema also found its way into Malayalam Cinema through the efforts of Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Notable filmmakers of Malayalam Arthouse cinema were the following: Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, Padmarajan, John Abraham, T. V. Chandran, and Shaji N. Karun.

Gopalakrishnan, also compared to Satyajit Ray, went on to win international festivals. Gopalakrishnan’s Elippathayam (1981) won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival, and Mathilukal (1989) won major prizes at the Venice Film Festival. Similarly, Shaji N. Karun's debut film Piravi (1989) won the Camera d'Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and His third film Vanaprastham (1999) was also selected for Cannes Film Festival.

Decline

Indian Arthouse Cinema saw a decline after the 1980s due to the rising cost involved in film production and commercialization of the film industry, Political and economic turmoil, Underfunding, and Censorship which eventually led to the decline of the movement. 

When commercial internet was introduced to India in 1995 it changed the landscape of cinema industry. Satellite TV and the internet quickly became popular among the urban middle class, who were eager for more media options. These technological and digital advancements, not only changed how people watched media, but also significantly impacted how films were produced and displayed.

Films were once again created purely for profit and enjoyment. The F.F.C prioritized commercial cinema over art films, leading to a decrease in the distribution of independent films, which was the last straw that ultimately led to the domination of mainstream cinema.

Resurgence

However, the movement resurged in the late 90s and early 2000s with films like Films like Mammo (1994), Naseem (1995) and Aparna Sen's Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002). 

Unconventional or independent films produced in Bombay were referred to as parallel cinema which led to the birth of a new distinct genre “Mumbai noir”. These films depicted contemporary problems in urban cities and were often youth-oriented. The earliest noir film set in Bombay was Guru Dutt' Baazi but the genre was established in the 2000s with Ram Gopal Varma's Satya (1998). However, the Mumbai noir genre, despite focusing on authentic depictions of the Mumbai underworld, is often not considered artistic in ambition as they are generally commercial films.

 Salam Bombay, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Life in Metro, Black Friday, and Johnny Gaddar are Some of the notable Mumbai noir films.

Indian Parallel Cinema continues to inspire films today, some of the films from the 2010s are the following: Gangs Of Wasseypur, Rang de Basant, Tumbbad,  Raincoat, The Lunchbox, Lootera, 15 Park Avenue, Swades, and The Namesake.