Movie Factory

From masterpieces to legendary actors, these studios gave the film industry of Mumbai a
kick-start any film industry would envy. Here are a handful of studios associated with some of the most important names in the film industry. It took K Asif and his studio 10 years to complete Mughal-e-Azam with a huge cast of thousands, opulent sets like the Hall of Mirrors, intricately designed costumes and extravagantly staged battle scenes thatcost approximately Rs 15 million. K Asif thought on an epic scale, which is perhaps why he made only four films in a career that spanned more than 30 years. He left the set intact for more than a year after the movie was churning out completed for the public to see his grand creation.

Studios such as Bombay Talkies, along with Prabhat Film Company in Pune and New Theatres in Kolkata dominated Indian filmmaking since the beginning of the talkie era. Men and women like Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani (Bombay Talkies), Chimanlal B Desai and Dr Ambalal Patel (Sagar Movietone), Khan Bahadur and Ardeshir Irani (Jyoti Studios), Sardar Chandulal Shah (Ranjit Movietone), Jayant Desai (Jupiter Studios) Sohrab Modi (Minerva Movietone), A R Kardar (Kardar Studios), Mehboob Khan (Central and later Mehboob Studios), and Vijay Bhatt (Prakash Pictures) who came to be known as the star makers and breakers that belonged to an era of the 1920s to 1950s.

These all-time movie moguls churned out classics with Dilip Kumar, Noor Jehan, Ashok Kumar, Nargis, V Shantaram, Prithviraj Kapoor, Jairaj, Sheikh Mukhtiar, Madhubala, and others, whose careers were launched and many who went on to become legends. They also had many firsts to their names, as this was the beginning of an industry which would come to be known as the Film Industry. Studios like Vishnu Movietone Studio made over a 100 mythological and historical movies. But it was Kohinoor Studios that takes the credit of making Mumbai the centre of films. Jyoti Studios was the first to make a talkie as well as to introduce colour.

The personalities behind these studios were the driving force and left an indelible mark in the history of cinema in India. Mehboob Khan was the creator of Central Studios in Tardeo and later Mehboob Studios in Bandra in 1952. He chose dark themes and made them entertaining. He lavished them with emotions and created great works like Devdas (1935), Ek Hi Raasta (1939), Roti (1942), Aan (1952), Anmol Ghadi, Andaaz, Amar and Mother India. Though Mehboob Studios was partially destroyed in the year 2000, it was rebuilt and today the space is rented out to directors that churn out movies like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kuch Na Kaho, Munna Bhai MBBS, Musafir and many others.

The flamboyant V Shantaram brought a lot of chutzpah into movie making. He acted in and directed several movies. He used to blend different genres and forms to evolve an aesthetic form of his own, which challenged one with something different and subtle. He used films as an instrument of social change, to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. He directed Duniya Na Mane (1937), Aadmi (1939) and Padosi (1941) from Prabhat Studios in Pune, and Shakunatala, Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Do Ankhen Barah Haath and Navrang from Rajkamal Studios. But that was not all. He made entertaining movies too, like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje for his third wife and Geet Gaaya Patharon Ne for his daughter Rajshree; and that too with melodious songs that are hummed even today.

The first talkie

Alam Ara(1931), the first talkie with around 70 songs, was directed by Ardeshir Irani. He founded Majestic Films and Jyoti Studios in 1924 and directed Razia Begum, a major success despite attracting censor’s ire, and Kisan Kanya(1937). It was his studio that withstood the onslaught of the sound and talking movies by providing continuity, and later he would be the first to introduce colour into movies. Dwarkadas N Sampat, along with Jamsetji .ramji Madan tackled every genre possible and resorted to every trick to ensure success, including getting dancers, singers and actors onto the stage at intermission. They became important producers of silent cinema, and in 1919 they founded Kohinoor Studios. Sampat acquired the reputation of a daring financier. Within ten years he had made a 100 films, and he personally selected the costumes, jewellery, fabrics and sets with no expense spared. He made movies like Murder of Narayan Rao Peshwa(1915), Handsome Blackguard(1925) and Gunsundari (1927). They had acquired
the most accomplished scene artist, Mohanlal Dave, who used to boast that his script could be directed by anybody – so detailed were the scenes and directions that emerged from his pen.

Kohinoor also launched the career of many directors like Homi Master, Manilal Joshi (the first one to start the practice of giving a full list of credits, in the film Sukanya , Savitri), Chandulal Shah (Ranjit Studios), and actors like Sulochana, Gauhar Jan, Zebrunissa and Zubeida, to name a few. A painter and a sculptor by profession, Baburao Mistry, or Painter, as he was known, and the Kolhapur .ilm Company became synonymous with set designing. Wood cutting, sculpting, impromptu stage design, costume design, drawing, painting, printing – nothing was beneath his touch. He was the first Indian director to introduce artificial lighting and solid multi-dimensional sets. Known as a labourious director, he laid out in detail each scene and frame he would shoot
and conducted extensive rehearsals with his actors. He made movies like Krishna played by a then studio hand, V Shantaram; Sinhagad, another historical movie which was shot at the Kolhapur Maharaja’s palace with all the luxuries present in it, and Savkari Pash (1925), based on the character Shylock from Shakespeare’s play Merchant of Venice. He was faithful to reality, but with the advent of sound, he faced financial loss after launching just one talkie.

Decline of the studio

It has been quite some time since the clapper-boy clapped the board at these studios. A few reasons have been attributed to the studios’ closure: the falling value of the rupee and the escalation of land price. Many filmmakers who had created these studios were dead. .ilm financing had also changed with people like Haji Mastan having been credited with financing gangster movies like Deewar and Don; and actors who worked for a monthly salary, like Nargis who got Rs 35,000 for her role in Andaazand Dilip Kumar Rs 15, 000, now started to work for independent filmmakers. They lost many a good actor and director who were earlier on the studios’ payroll.

Unable to compete with independent filmmakers, the studios started renting out their premises. By the 1950s most of these star-studded studios –Mohan, K Asif, M & T, Prabhat, Ranjit, Bombay Talkies, Asha, Srikant, Basant, Ashok, Minerva, Shree Sound, Roop Tara, Kardar, Chandu, Guru Dutt, Prakash, .amous, Central and Eastern Studio – had downed their shutters. They were converted into business, commercial and residential premises. The survivors had to cut down to size – Rajkamal, with three stages, now has one, and the rest have been converted into residential buildings; RK Studios, Chembur, has cut down to two from four. Only Mehboob Studios has clung to its floor space, though in the early 60s most of the directors were told to move out from their premises by Mehboob Khan’s sons. Film City at Goregaon, with its 350 acres of land for outdoor shoots and ten floors in its premises, is always fully booked. This is the result of TV serial makers having booked stages for months or a year at a stretch to avoid re-erecting a set and even advertising filmmakers have begun doling out bigger sums for
smarter sets to provide a better look for their campaigns.

The cost of maintaining studios has gone up, the numbers of studios available are dwindling. Building of new studios is not considered a viable option due to non-availability of land, high rates charged by the BMC for water supply, and the BSES’s yearly increase in the rates of electricity. A representation to recognise film studios as an industrial activity is still pending with the government of Maharashtra. What remains are the memories that actors and studio hands have of those days when they were hired, paid a monthly salary, and had to report to work daily. Discipline was strict and no one was excluded from it. “A shabby dress or a flamboyant shirt could attract a reprimand. Recalling the atmosphere of the studio several years later, Dilip (Kumar) said, ‘As a young actor attached to Bombay Talkies I found that I was required to read extensively from the institution’s library which comprised 14,000 books. I had to conform to certain norms of dress and behaviour. Over and above this, we were in the company of the best literary minds of that era’.” – Dilip Kumar reminisces in Sanjit Narwekar’s book The Last Emperor. The perfect metaphor of the death of the studio is represented in the movie Kagaz Ke Phool, directed and enacted by Guru Dutt. It was a story of a director’s life, the ups and downs in his personal and professional career. His studio, which lies in ruin, empty and desolate, with the haunting melody of Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam, tum rahe na tum, hum rahe na hum in the background. He walks back to an empty set, sits on the director’s chair, and quietly passes away.

(Sources: The final Fade-Out by Bunny Reuben, Jetwings magazine May 1997,

www.upperstall.com and www.chalchitra.com.)

Garden Of Paradise

World Heritage Day was celebrated this year by the inauguration of the gardens
around Humayun’s tomb by The Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

The Mughals brought with them their love for gardens, fountains and water. And nowhere did they leave a more memorable legacy of this than in their beautiful tombs. The first in what was to become adistinctive style is Humayun’s tomb, in Delhi, a synthesis of Persian and Indian building styles, located close to India Gate and adjoining the shrine of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Built on the banks of the Yamuna, Humayun’s tomb is regarded as theTaj of Delhi, and offers an excellent view of the surrounding countryside from its terraces.

Born in 1508 in Kabul, Afghanistan, Humayun was the eldest and favourite son of Emperor Babur. He ascended the throne when he was 22 (1530), becoming the second ruler of the Mughal dynasty. In 1541, he married Hamida, and their son, Akbar,was born in Umarkot, Sindh,
in 1542. Humayun was overthrown by Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan ruler from Bengal (who built the Grand Trunk Road) in 1540 at Kannauj. He stayed in exile in Persia until 1555, when he got the opportunity to regain his empire. But he did not live long to enjoy the fruits of conquest, for he died a year later by tripping on the staircase of his two storied library, while on his way to
offer prayers. Religious and tolerant, Humayun was also a patron of arts and literature, a calligrapher and a poet.

A grand memorial
Humayun’s tomb is one of the best early examples of Mughal architecture in India. It was designed by the Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyath. The Persian Char Bagh (four-garden) plan, the massive structure and external walls, double dome and decorative inlay were to become the prototype for later structures, most notably the Taj Mahal, 70 years later.Built by Humayun’s wife Hamida Banu Begum, the tomb cost Rs 1.5 million, and the work, started in 1562, was completed only in 1571, nine years later. The entire structure and enclosure are constructed at an elevated level, and have to be entered through two double storied gateways on the west and south. The mausoleum itself sits on a podium, with a perimeter of arched openings. Entering the enclosure through the south gate, you come across a baradari(pillared hall), which occupies the eastern wall and a hamam (bath) in the centre of the northern wall.
The central octagonal chamber contains the cenotaph. It is encompassed by octagonal chambers and arched lobbies on the side, whose openings are covered with perforated screens. Three arches dominate each side, the central one being the highest. This plan is repeated on the second storey also. The whole is surmounted by a double dome (42.5 m) clad in marble, with pillared chhatris(kiosks) on four corners. The arched rooms surrounding the central room house the tombs of two of Humayun’s begums and later Mughals, including several rulers of the dynasty such as Dara Shukoh, Aurangzeb and .arruksiyar, making it the burial place for the House of Timur. Bahadurshah Zafar took refuge in the tomb with three princes during the uprising in 1857, before he surrendered to the British. Humayun’s actual grave is in the basement, entered via a passage facing south of the platform. In the northeast corner of this chamber lies Hamida Banu, or Haji Begum. On the south-western side of the mausoleum lies the Nai-ka-Gumbad, or Barber’s Tomb.

The Restoration
2001–2003
Efforts at restoration had begun as early as 1903–4, when the water system was restored, including its sandstone edging. A second restoration was attempted in 1931, to commemorate the inauguration of New Delhi; and a third attempt was made to introduce
water to the garden in the 1950s. The last attempt at restoration was made in 1984. Each attempt changed the level of the channels. In 2000, the illumination of the tomb was funded by the Oberoi Group and coordinated by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The most recent restoration of the gardens of Humayun’s tomb was conceived in 1997 and, after two years of archival research and excavation, the implementation began in 2001 and was completed in 2003 by the Aga Removal of cement alterations from 1985 preceded traditional lime mortar repairs.

AGA KHAN TRUST FOR CULTURE
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture pledged US $ 650,000 towards the restoration work, in
collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India. The trust is a non- denominational philanthropic foundation that coordinates the cultural activities of the Aga Khan Development Network. The trust is involved in the revitalisation of historic sites in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Egypt, Syria and Zanzibar, among other places. The network agencies have been working in India for several decades, addressing natural resource management, agricultural productivity, income growth, health and education in rural areas.
Khan Trust for Culture(AKTC), the first privately funded restoration of a World Heritage Site in India. Work was carried out on the gardens of the tomb complex in Delhi by a team comprising experts from many disciplines. The objective of the project was to revitalise the gardens, pathways, fountains and water channels of the Char Bagh, or four-part paradise garden, according to the original plans of the builders. Site works encompassed a variety of disciplines, including archaeology, conservation science and hydraulic engineering. After a detailed survey of the garden, including the channels, the civil work was begun. A total of 3.5 km of channels has been restored, and water will flow in 2.2 km of them. Water channels were re-laid to an extent where their beds drop one centimetre for every 40 m. A balancing tank and filteration plant has been constructed outside the garden to continuously recirculate the water. All the repair work was carried out using traditional techniques and methods such as lime mortar and fruit
pulp as binding material. Excess earth (around 3,000 truckloads) that had accumulated over the years was manually removed. All 32 empty garden plots were covered in grass, and 128 ground water pits were dug, while existing wells were re-excavated. A new irrigation system and rainwater harvesting method have been employed to make efficient use of the water available. Edging stones, many Humayun left a great architectural legacy in the monuments built during his reign.
Other structures built by Humayun

They include: Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb, Delhi (1528–36)
Imam Zamin’s Tomb, Delhi (1537)
Hasan Khan’s Tomb, Sasaram, Bihar (c 1535)
Sher Shah’s Tomb, Sasaram (c 1540)
Purana Qila, Delhi (c 1530–45), built over the ancient site of Indraprastha, a city associated with the Mahabharata
Qala-i-Kuhna Masjid, Delhi (1541)
Sher Mandal, Delhi (c 1541)
Gate of Sher Shah’s Wall, Delhi (1540s)
Salimgarh, Delhi (1546)
Isa Khan’s Mosque and Tomb, Delhi (1547)
Sabz Burj, Nila Gumbad, Delhi (1540–60)
Bu Halima’s Garden, Delhi. (1540–60)

Over 50 small tanks and over 3 km of channels were finally repaired.
Over 50 craftsmen worked for over 2years to prepare hand chiseled sandstone for the channels, benches, fountains etc. weighing over 800 kg, were aligned byhand, and 4,000 m of red sandstone was chiselled by hand, and used in channel repairs. Over 2,500
flowering, fruit and evergreen trees, such as mango, mogra, orange, lemon, anar, harsingar, hibiscus and neem, were planted, and 25,000 sq. m of pathways were repaired. A wheelchair access ramp at the entrance was provided, and bridges over the channels. Benches of sandstone were provided in the garden and the existing cast iron ones were repaired. The restored garden was inaugurated on April 15, 2003, by His Highness the Aga Khan, to coincide with World Heritage Day. He was joined by India’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, Shri Jagmohan. Speaking on the occasion, the Aga Khan said, “The Aga Khan Trust for Culture insists that each of its conservation and restoration projects should be able to have an important, positive impact on quality of life.”

A magnificant Mausoleum

My car screeched to a halt close to a red sandstone monument, I am intrigued because I had thought I was going directly to the Taj. And then remembered the instruction I had given to the taxi driver that any important monuments on the way, to please stop without asking. And he had, he pointed towards the monument and said that this is Akbar’s tomb. The Akbar. Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, the Emperor of India - the third emperor of the Mughal dynasty who inherited the throne in 1556, at the age of 13. He was crowned the ruler after the sudden death of his father Humayun. He was a good administrator, a connoisseur of art and architecture. He was also responsible in having built magnificent buildings within the precincts of Agra Fort and all a unique blend of architectural styles. He also went on to build Fatehpur Sikri which is pre-dominatingly Islamic blended with Rajasthani and Gujarati architecture styles. I walked across to the gate and through it after having bought a ticket from the security guard there. And through it led in towards another door – the Bulund Darwaza. The door was in red sand stone with inlay work in black, white and red marble done on it. Shops lined on either side. Through the gate and into what was a garden with four paths leading to the mausoleum in the center. Akbar started building this edifice before his death in 1605 at Sikandra. The tomb as I said is behind high walls and through the huge gate Buland Darwaza – a copy of the gate at Fatehpur Sikri. It is an elegant gateway covered in floral and geometrical designs in white and colored marble. It is crowned with four minarets in white marble and the calligraphy is beautiful. It has a high central arch that rises above two recesses on either side. There are two oblong chattris crowning the doorway. Distinctly masculine is shape and looks, Akbar chose to keep the look very Spartan, it was Jahangir who added the white marble embellishments three years after his death. Completed between 1612 and 1614 as the inscriptions read on the south gate, the construction of the mausoleum was commenced during emperor Akbar's (1556-1605) lifetime in 1604 but concluded during Jehangir's reign (1605-1627). This is correct for Akbarnama makes no mention of the monument except for Behistan or Behistabad (Abode of Paradise) in Sikandra as the burial place of the emperor. Recorded references to the tomb are found from Jehangir's reign and mention his discontent with the progress made on the mausoleum and him making changes to the design, modification and embellishment. The mausoleum complex is square and aligned on the cardinal axis, with the tomb at its center and four gates, one at each wall. The inscriptions were written and designed by Abd al- Haqq Shirazi (later known as Amanat Khan) the famed calligrapher of Mughal monuments including Taj Mahal. The inscription on the north elevation facing the tomb eulogizes the deceased emperor, but the one above the entrance praises Jehangir, the patron of the tomb. The tomb lies in the center of the charbagh. The garden is covered in plants growing wildly at the corners and instead of flowers and beautiful trees just grass grows in the four squares with monkeys and wild animals roaming freely. The four paths lead straight to the pyramidal structure. The tomb stands on a high platform and is made in red sandstone and is five stories high. The domed and vaulted galleries that form the first part of the pyramidal structure is 105 meters long and serve as a large square plinth for the four stories. The gallery space has massive pillars supporting the arches that are roughly 7 meters apart. The central bay of each side is marked by a high pishtaq surmounted by a rectangular chattri. Only the southern pishtaq gives access to the burial chamber, a small square room at the end of long corridor in the heart of the building domed at eighteen meters. The vaulted bays behind the four pishtaqs, the southern one is the most elaborate in ornamentation. The path leading into his chamber is dark, cool and very quiet. It is decorated with floresque, arabesque and calligraphic designs. The chamber is simple and paved with stone. The only single lamp lighting overhead throws a kind glow all around and just giving light enough for one to see around the tomb chamber. The warm glow lends the marble a golden look, flowers are strewn on the velvet coverlet placed on the tomb and the smell of roses and incense wafts the air all around. There is just one small jharokha through which daylight filters in. Close by in red sandstone is said to be the tomb of Mariam Zamani, Jahangir's mother. The tomb is a blend of styles. The massive iwans in the centre of all sides are as high as the tomb and have beautiful panels with inlaid mosaic work. Inlaid arabesque work is seen on the spandrels, semi-soffits have paintings and the turrets have chevron designs. The first has a podium of arches; the center of each face has an inlaid framed doorway. The next three levels have no arches, but the flat roof is held by rows of pillars. On the topmost terrace, one can see a white wall with arches and replica of the sarcophagus that lies open to the sky, at the request of Emperor Akbar’s last wish. Large panels of beautiful jali work form an outer wall of the verandah on all sides. These are crowned by a white marble chhaparkhat with eight pillars. These pillars have rings to maybe to hold up tents during the annual Urs. The other chambers hold the graves of Aram Banu and Shukrunnisa (daughters of Akbar), Zebunnisa (daughter of Aurangzeb) and Sulaiman Shikoh (son of Shah Alam). The first storey has a large platform and corridors roofed by stone arches in each façade. The second storey is built of red sandstone and has arched verandah with twenty-three bays. These are crowned by cupolas and white marble pyramidal roofs decorated with glazed tiles arranged in geometrical pattern. The third and fourth stories follow similar plan, though they are smaller in size and in ascending order. The fifth and the top most story is entirely in white marble and has no roof but has delicate marble screens as walls. There is also no dome above the structure. You come away feeling being awestruck at the thought of being in the presence of an emperor who ruled over India and was much loved and respected for his ideas and changes he made in the administration. Yes, the day had started well for me, for this man had been the center of my research through my college days and medieval history has been my favorite. The best way to reach Sikandra is by road for Delhi to Agra is 203 on the National Highway 2 – a good road and a further ten km to Sikandra. It takes around four and half hours of total time. By rail is also good for you will travel faster and save sometime, the Shatabdi Express leaves from Delhi to Agra and takes two hours and costs Rs. 390/- only. It starts at 6am. Worth the journey to see the tomb of the man that changed India for good. [You will find it on http://www.newsgaze.com/14_Magnificent_Mausoleum.html]