GKC431/451/461/491/881 Unit - 2 : Art & Entertainment

UNIT - 2. ART & ENTERTAINMENT

1. ART & ENTERTAINMENT

• Art is an enriching and civilizing factor of life and essential to the physical,
mental and spiritual well being of the world.

• Indian dances can be divided into classical, folk and modern types. India
evolved a type of classical dance drama that combines movement,
expression, singing, music, and costumes.

2. CLASSICAL DANCES OF INDIA

There are seven kinds of classical dances:

1. Bharata Natyam
2. Kathak Dance
3. Kathakali Dance
4. Kuchipudi Dance
5. Manipuri Dance
6. Odissi Dance
7. Mohiniattam Dance

1. Bharat Natyam : This dance has retained orthodoxy of Bharat's Natya Shastra.
It had originated in the precincts of South Indian temples. It is a solo dance
performed by female artists. Several variations have been developed down
the ages viz. Odissi, Kuchipudi. Prominent dancers are Yamini Krishnamurti,
Sonal Mansingh, Sanjukta Panigrahi.

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2. Manipuri : Manipuri is the classical dance from Manipur. Slow and gracious
movements differentiate Manipuri form from other dance styles. Delicate arm
movements and gentle foot work characterise this dance

3. Kathakali : It is a dance from Kerala based on the epics- Ramayan,

Mahabharat and Purans. It has a strong basis in the traditional dance-forms.

4. Kathak : A north Indian dance, purely for amusement. Noted dancers are
Sitara Devi, Gopi Krishna, Uma Sharma and Birju Maharaj.

5. Kuchipudi Dance : Kuchipudi originated from a hamlet in Andhra Pradesh

called Kuchelapuri or Kuchelapuram. This vaishnava dance was performed
by the Brahmin Families of village Kuchelapuri.

6. Odissi Dance : Odissi originated from Orrisa. This dance is similar to

Bhartnatyam with respect to the mudras and expressions. Odissi is based on
the popular devotion to Lord Krishna.

7. Mohiniattam Dance : Mohiniattam means mohini's dance. Mohini according

to Indian mythology, was a very beautiful woman who attracted people
instantly. The first reference to mohiniattam is found in "Vyavaharmala"
composed by Mazhamangalam Naryanam Namboodiri, assigned to the 16th
Century A.D. The dancers are attired in a beautiful white and gold bordered
Kasavu Saree of Kerala.

3. INDIAN CINEMA

Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatwadekar (Save dada) was the first Indian to

make a film. He made short films like 'The Wrestlers, Man and Monkey’ in 1899.
'Raja Harish Chandra' was the first fully indigenous feature film, made by Dhundiraj
Govind Phalke (Dada Saheb Phalke). The film was released for public exhibition on
3rd May, 1913. The feature film 'Pundalik' was made earlier, however it had British
help. This earned Dada Saheb the title of 'Father of Indian Cinema'. The first talkie
'Alam Ara' directed by Ardeshir Iron was released in March 1931 in Bombay’s
Majestic cinema hall. South Indian Cinema came into being with the release of
'Bhaktha Prahalad' (Telugu) and 'Kalidas' (Tamil) in 1931. The thirties are also
recognized as the decade of social protest in Indian Cinema. Numerous films on

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social injustice were made during this period, prominent being V. Shantaram's
'Aadmi' and P.C. Barua's 'Mukti'. In the forties Sohrab Modi with his historic film
'Pukar' started a new genre of films.

The first International Film Festival of India held in Bombay (1952) opened
new horizons for Indian movie makers with their exposure to the movies of French
and Italian film makers. The biggest turning point in Indian Cinema came with the
arrival of Satyjit Ray's 'Pather Panchali'. The International recognition accorded to
the film (Sanges award for the best human documentary) marked the establishment
of Indian Cinema as an industry in its own right. Neo-realism in Hindi Cinema was
evident in films like 'Do Bigha Zameen' (Bimal Roy), 'Aan’ (Mehboob Khan), 'Munna
& Rahi’ (K.A. Abbas), 'Awara', `Boot Polish’ & ‘Jagte Raho’ (Raj Kapoor), ‘Do
Aankhen Barah Haat’ (V.Shantaram) and ‘Pyasa’ (Guru Dutt). The fifties also
witnessed the arrival of romance in Indian Cinema with ‘Baiju Bawra’, ‘Shree Char
Sau Bees’ etc. The Sixties witnessed the blockbusters, K.Asif's, ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, Raj
Kapoor's ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai’, Dilip Kumar's ‘Ganga Jamuna’ etc.

The seventies witnessed the divergence of small budgeted serious offbeat

cinema from the mainstream cinema. The popular Hindi hits of that decade were
'Johnny Mera Naam', ‘Hathi Mere Sathi’, ‘Pakeeza’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Sholay’,
‘Mukaddar Ka Sikandar’, ‘Deewar’ and ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’.

The 80's saw the revival of the musical love stories in Hindi.

Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Tridev, Chandni, Maine Pyar
Kiya etc. The 90's have seen notable films like Drishti & Drohkal (Govind Nihalani),
Anjali, Roja, Bombay (Mani Ratnam) & Salaam Bombay (Meera Nair).

4. ACADEMIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

1. Sangeet Natak Academy : Established in 1953. It aims at the preservation

and promotion of Indian Culture (Dance, Drama and Music).

2. Sahitya Academy : Established in March 12, 1954, it aims at the development

of Indian letters and co-ordinates literary activities.

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3. Lalit Kala Academy : Established in Oct 1953. It was established for the
promotion of fine arts and research work.

4. National Book Trust : Established in 1957 to encourage the production and

availability of good literature at moderate prices.

5. Indian Council for Cultural Relations : Established in Nov. 1949 with the
object of establishing, reviving and strengthening cultural relations between
India and other countries.

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