THE CELEBRATION OF HOLI IN INDIAN CINEMA.

This article explores the various shades of Holi through the Bollywood lenses.

Cinema is frequently seen as a reflection of culture, as it depicts aspects that are part and parcel of the society. The same
way, cinemas frequently depict societal customs, celebrations, or other aspects of culture that are fundamental to the
society. Holi is one such vibrant festival celebrated by smearing ‘gulaal’ and over the years Indian Cinema has given us
some iconic sequences ranging from romances to upbeat music through numerous plot twists and ecstatic celebration of
Holi ranging from “ Rang barse bheege chunarwali to holi khele raghuveera and balam pichkari “

Let's get on the fun and vibrant ride to explore how Holi has evolved over time in Indian Cinema.

1. Mother India (1957), Directed by : Mehboob Khan

With a unique atmosphere, vibrant use of colour, iconic tunes, choreography and bittersweet script “Mother India” knitted
a world beyond the real one. It gave us the gem of a song "Holi ayi re kanhai '' by Samshad Begum, poignant lyrics by Shakil
Sahib portraying beautiful krishna leela. In this song, the actress Nargis is depicted in two distinct settings-once as a
married woman playing Holi enthusiastically and again as a widow confined to a quiet remote setting, showcasing the evils
of society where in widow’s aren't allowed to celebrate any festival as per the social norms.

Stills from the song’ Holi ayi re kanha’

Mother India

2. Navrang (1959), Directed by: V. Shantaram

Navrang came up with the iconic song "Are ja re hat natkhat ''with the whole glimpse of holi along with a phenomenal
performance by dancer Sandhya who takes the guise of both the male and female, which is a prominent classical dance
form to date and was the first time and probably the only one when a women in Indian cinema performed both, the male
and female counterparts.
 Stills from the song ‘Are ja re natkhat ‘
Navrang

3. Kati Patang (1974), Directed by: Shakti Samanta

The song "Aaj Na chodenge" starring Rajesh khanna and Asha pareekh shows the casual teasing tradition during the festival
of Holi. The film came up as a move towards contemporary change, showcasing widowed women enjoying a festival that
was prohibited at the time.

Still from the Song ‘Aaj na chodenge ‘

Kati Patang.

4. Sholay (1957), Directed by: Ramesh Sippy

‘Holi Ke Din’ is the song that portrays the festival like no other.The music depicts the most intense scene from the ultimate
cult movie, which still feels fresh representing the festival as a celebration of Love as the lyrics goes like "HOLI KE DIN, DIL
KHIL JAATE HAI"

Still from the song ‘Holi ke din’

Sholay

.5. Silsila(1981), Directed by: Yash Chopra

'Rang Barse, Bheege Chunarwali' is a must-have Holi anthem. From the culture of drinking bhaang, gulaal, jasmine flowers,
and dholak, the song highlights all aspects of the festival. It also depicts the bittersweet plot twist of how under the
influence of bhaang the protagonist’s truth of extra marital affair comes in forefront during the celebration.

Stills from the song ‘Rang barse’

Silsila

6. Baghban (2003 ), Directed by: Ravi Chopra

‘Holi Khele Raghuveera’ is centered around the romance of one of the most favourite Bolly towns couples, Hema Malini
and Amitabh Bachchan giving a beautiful insight of how the festival was celebrated in Lord Krishna's time in a typically
modern setting making it unique.

Still from the song ‘Holi khele Raghuveera’

Baghban.

7. Yeh jawani hai Deewani (2017), Directed by: Ayan Mukjherjee

Without the "Balam pichkari" catch step and tune, a Gen Z holi would undoubtedly fall flat. With its apt lyrics and
picturization the song plays a crucial scene in the movie as we see Deepika’s transition of her ‘chashmish’ Naina into a
confident girl who is ready to take on life full throttle .It thus portrays the young generation’s take on Holi
 Still from the song ‘Balam pichkari’
Yeh jawani hai deewani.

8. Toilet : Ek Prem Katha (2017), Directed by: Shree Narayan Singh

This particular Film made us familiar with Mathura's traditional "LATTHMAR" style of Holi, where women attack men with
their latth and men try rescuing themselves from getting hit. In the film this particular scene marks a plot twist as it invokes
Keshav(Akshay Kumar) to go against his father and get a washroom built in their house.

Still from the song ‘Lathmaar’

Toilet ek prem Katha

Holi has fuelled several elements in Indian Cinema since times immemorial. It has been an essential part of Bollywood for
decades, from providing a moment of joy with ebullient song segments and grandiose sets to presenting a major plot
surprise. With several Bollywood films incorporating songs based on Holi, movies have lent a different flavour to the
festival by romanticizing it as we get to see from the above mentioned films.

However as we are progressing and leaning towards transformation we see that nowadays, the younger generation avoids
indulging in community festivals. Even Today's filmmakers are so influenced by Western society that they tend to ignore
one’s own cultural homogeneity. Hence the present days Bollywood films often lack the vivid picturization of cultural
celebration and aesthete unlike the earlier times.

REFERENCES:
 1. Mother India (1957),a Hindi film directed by Mehboob khan.
2. Navrang(1959) Hindi film directed by V.Shantaram.
3. Kati patang (1971) film by Shakti Samanta adapted from “I married a dead man".
4. Sholay (1975) film directed by Ramesh sippy.
5. Silsila (1981) film, story given by Sagar sarhadi and Romesh Sharma.
6. Baghban (2003) film by Ravi Chopra.
7. Yeh Jawani hai Deewani (2013) film by Dharma production directed by Ayan Mukherjee.
8. Toilet ek prem katha (2017) a picture with social message directed by Shree Narayan Singh.

AUTHOR’S BIO NOTE:-

Kusum, a student of politics, loves to work for social cause and change.
Films with good message, Bollywood songs and serene nature makes her happy.