BENGALURU: While iconic films such as Sholay (1975) left a lasting impact on Indian cinema in the 1970s, the decade also witnessed the rise of a parallel cinema movement across regional industries. In contrast to the mainstream masala films of the time, this movement embraced realism, focusing on the everyday struggles of Indian society.
Particularly resonating with the youth, these films explored social issues, political unrest, and the complexities of life in a rapidly changing India. Girish Kasaravalli’s Ghatashraddha, a pioneering work of Kannada parallel cinema, was recently showcased at the Venice Film Festival, reflecting renewed interest in films that, instead of showcasing heroes defeating villains, explore the psychological and emotional depths of individuals while addressing the aspirations and anxieties of a restless nation.
The Radical Seventies, a specially curated film series, seeks to rekindle the spirit of this era and introduce its revolutionary cinema to today’s generation.
“We’re all familiar with the ‘angry young man’ films of Salim-Javed, but what we aren’t as familiar with are the independent avant-garde films that preceded or paralleled that genre. From the late 1960s onwards, we saw student protests emerge in Calcutta, followed by the Navnirman agitations before the Emergency, and then the crackdown on students and young people during the Emergency.
The 1970s was a decade of rebellion, protest, and radical cinematic experimentation, and that’s what we’re highlighting,” says film scholar Ashish Rajadhyaksha, co-curator of the series with the Bangalore Film Forum (BFF).
The series was launched at the Museum of Art and Photography with the screening of Mrinal Sen’s classic Interview and will showcase a collection of films that emerged from this volatile and fertile period in Indian cinema. The lineup, still being finalised, will feature thought-provoking films from across India. Vinayak Bhat, founder of BFF, explains,
“We will have films in various languages – Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, and Kannada – because these radical movements were happening in multiple regions simultaneously. The aim is to showcase films from across India, capturing the spirit of the era.” Anticipated highlights include Ketan Mehta’s Holi, starring a young Amir Khan in the midst of a students’ protest and Avtar Kaul’s National Award-winning film 27 Down, which examines the disillusionment of a man who sacrifices his artistic ambitions to support his family.
Films like Maa Bhoomi, Gautam Gose’s portrayal of the 1946 Telangana uprising, and Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, a critique of class struggle, are also being considered.
Bringing these classic films to contemporary audiences also presents logistical challenges. Rajadhyaksha notes that the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) is playing a crucial role in creating high-resolution digital copies of these films.
“We’re working closely with them,” he says. “But the series’ curation will depend on what they can provide us.” Bhat adds that securing 4K or 2K restored versions is still in progress. “The final six films are yet to be fully confirmed, but we have shortlisted around ten films. We’re aiming for one screening a month over six months.”
(For more details, visit @bangalorefilmforum on Instagram)