Gujarati cinema or Gujarati film industry is one of the largest regional and vernacular film industry of Cinema of India

Cinema of India

The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...

, dating back to April 9, 1932, when the first Gujarati language

Gujarati language

Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...

 film titled, Narsinh Mehta was released. After flourishing through the 60s, 70 and 1980s, the industry saw a decline, in 2005 the Government even announced 100% tax exemption for Gujarati film

History

It all started in year 1932 when first Gujarati film "Narsinh Mehta" was released.It was directed by Nanubhai Vakil.The film starred Mohanlala, Marutirao, Master Manhar, and Miss Mehtab. It was of the `Saint film` genre and was on the life of the saint Narasinh Mehta . The film was matchless as it avoided any depiction of miracles. In 1935, another movie `Ghar Jamai` was released, directed by Homi Master. The film starred Heera, Jamna, Baby Nurjehan, Amoo, Alimiya, Jamshedji, and Gulam Rasool. The film featured a `resident son-in-law` (ghar jamai) and his escapades as well as his problematic attitude towards the freedom of women. It was a comedy oriented movie and was a major success in the industry.The Gujarati movies such as 'Kariyavar', directed by Chaturbhuj Doshi, Vadilona Vanke directed by Ramchandra Thakur, 'Gadano Bel' directed by Ratibhai Punatar and 'Leeludi Dharti',which was inspired by the novel of same name by Chunilal Madia,was directed by Vallabh Choksi. The problems of modernisation are the underlying concern of several films. The movies like 'Gadano Bel' had a strong realism and reformism.

A special mention should be made on the film “Guasundari” which was thrice made from 1927 to 1948. The film was such a success in its first appearance in 1927, that director Chandulal Shah remade it in 1934. The film was again remade in 1948 by Ratilal Hemchand Punater. In its last version Hindi films’ eternal Mother Nirupa Roy made her debut as its heroine.
“Gunasundari” is the story of an Indian poor woman who is disliked by her husband for her moral stand. The woman finally lands in the street where she meets with a person who is just like her – a social outcast. The story ends here. The three versions of the film , however, have made some changes here and there to meet the demands of the time.
In a filmdom which was theatrical and melodramatic and often shunned by the audience, “Akhand Saubhagyabati” , that starred Bollywood queen Asha Parekh, made a success in 1963. Asha also has immense contribution to Gujarati television serial making. Her TV production ’Jyoti’ was a household show for a long time.

In the year 1975 'Tanariri', directed by Chandrakant Sangani presents highlights the little known side of Akbar who is usually presented as a consistently benign ruler. The first cinemascope film of Gujarati cinema was 'Sonbai ni Chundadi', directed by Girish Manukant released in the year 1976. Besides these, 'Bhavni Bhavai

Bhavni Bhavai

Bhavni Bhavai is a 1980 Gujarati film directed by Ketan Mehta. Ketan Mehta's debut film is a successful adaptation of folk idioms into cinema. The film is dedicated to Bertolt Brecht, Goscinny and to the inventor of the Bhavai, Asait Thakore, who was a Brahmin outcast and lived among the lower...

' released in the year 1980 was directed by Ketan Mehta

Ketan Mehta

Ketan Mehta is an Indian film director, who has also directed documentaries and television serials.-Early life and education:Born in Navsari in Gujarat, Ketan Mehta did his schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi and later graduated in film direction from Film and Television Institute of...

. It boasted of superlative performances, fine camerawork and won awards like - National Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, National Film Award for Best Art Direction

National Film Award for Best Art Direction

The National Film Award for Best Art Direction winners:...

 for Meera Lakhia and another award at the Nantes festival in France. In 1992,' Hun Hunshi Hunshilal', directed by Sanjiv Shah was sought to be post-modern.

Subjects

The scripts and stories dealt in the Gujarati films are intrinsically humane. They include relationship and family oriented subjects with human aspirations and deal with the Indian family culture. Thus, there can be no turning away from the essential humanity of these Gujarati cinema.

Actors

Many famous actors have worked in Gujarati film industry like Sanjeev Kumar, Rajendra Kumar

Rajendra Kumar

Rajendra Kumar was one of the most successful Indian Bollywood actors in the 1960s and 1970s. He also produced several films in the 1980s starring his son Kumar Gaurav....

, Bindu

Bindu

Bindu is a Sanskrit term meaning "point" or "dot". The feminine case ending is bindi which denotes a small ornamental, devotional and/or mystical dot that is cosmetically applied or affixed to the forehead in Hinduism....

, Asha Parekh

Asha Parekh

Asha Parekh is a Bollywood actress, director, and producer. She was one of the top stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973.-Early life:...

, Kiran Kumar, Upendra Trivedi, Arvind Trivedi

Arvind Trivedi

Arvind Trivedi is an Indian actor. He, alongside his brother Upendra Trivedi, has been prolific in Gujarati cinema. He is also famous for portraying Ravan in Ramanand Sagar's television series Ramayan...

, Aruna Irani

Aruna Irani

Aruna Irani is an Indian actress. An accomplished actress and dancer of her time, Aruna Irani has acted in about 300 movies, with many memorable acting performances to her credit...

, Mallika Sarabhai

Mallika Sarabhai

Mallika Sarabhai is an activist and Indian Classical Dancer from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Daughter of Classical Dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned Space Scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer.-Early life:Mallika Sarabhai was born in...

, Asrani

Asrani

Govardhan Asrani , popularly known simply as Asrani, is an actor in Indian films whose Bollywood career has spanned over 35 years. His wife Manju Bansal is an actress.-Early life:...

, Naresh Kanodia

Naresh Kanodia

Naresh Kanodia is a Gujarati cinema actor. He is the brother of Mahesh Kanodia, another well known Gujarati actor and was a member of the Vidhansabha, Gujarat.-References:...

, Sneh Lata, Jayshree T.

Jayshree T.

Born in Marathi family, Jayshree T is a Bollywood Actress/Dancer, who is still active in the bollywood movies and some Marathi movies.-Career:...

 etc.

Gujarati people in other film industries

Actors like Sanjeev Kumar, Aruna Irani, Arvind Trivedi, Prachi Desai

Prachi Desai

Prachi Desai is an Indian film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Bani Walia in the Hindi television drama Kasamh Se which aired on Zee TV. Prachi is the endorser, spokesperson, brand ambassador and the face of Neutrogena products in India...

, Jackie Shroff

Jackie Shroff

Jackie Shroff is an Indian actor. He has been in the industry for more than 28 years and has appeared in over 150 films.-Personal life:...

, Paresh Rawal

Paresh Rawal

Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...

, Deepshikha, Darshan Jariwala

Darshan Jariwala

Darshan Jariwala is a Gujarati film, television and stage actor. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Gandhi, My Father. He currently stars in the show Saas Bina Sasural which airs on Sony TV as Chhedilal Chaturvedi...

, Pooja Bhatt

Pooja Bhatt

Pooja Bhatt is an Indian film actress and model, currently devoting time to film production and direction. She is the daughter of Indian film director Mahesh Bhatt.-Early life:...

, Sharman Joshi

Sharman Joshi

Sharman Joshi is an Indian film and theatre actor. He has worked on various stage productions in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati languages. However, he is mostly known for his work in Hindi films.-Personal life :...

, Nirupa Roy

Nirupa Roy

-Filmography:* Lal Baadshah * Mard * Mawali * Betab * Khoon aur Pani * Aatish * Kartavya .... Vijay's mother* Khandaan .... Savitri G. Srivastav...

, Satish Shah

Satish Shah

Satish Ravilal Shah is a Hindi and Marathi film and television actor best known for his comedy films. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the ever popular 80's sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi directed by Kundan Shah and Manjul Sinha. He is famous for playing the role of Municipal Commissioner...

, Dina Pathak

Dina Pathak

Dina Pathak or Deena Pathak was a veteran actor and director of Gujarati theatre and also a film actor. She was also a woman activist and remained the President of the 'National Federation of Indian Women'...

, Ratna Pathak

Ratna Pathak

Ratna Pathak Shah is an Indian actress who works in Bollywood films.-Early life:Ratna Pathak was born in Mumbai, India to Bollywood actress, Dina Pathak. Her sister is actress Supriya Pathak. She is a very fine stage actor-Career:...

, Supriya Pathak

Supriya Pathak

Supriya Pathak Kapur is an Indian actress hailing from a long line of performers. She is famous for her role in the Indian sitcoms Khichdi and Idhar Udhar.-Family:...

, Tina Ambani, Parveen Babi

Parveen Babi

Parveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamorous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 1980s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan...

, Dimple Kapadia

Dimple Kapadia

Dimple Chunnibhai Kapadia is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 16, playing the title role in Raj Kapoor's teen romance Bobby . In that same year she married Indian actor Rajesh Khanna, and retired from acting. Kapadia returned to films in 1984 after her separation...

, Ameesha Patel

Ameesha Patel

Ameesha Patel is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood movies. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai , Patel won critical praise for her performance in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha , which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema, earning her a ...

, Tulip Joshi

Tulip Joshi

Tulip Joshi is an Indian actress who has appeared in Bollywood.-Early life:Joshi was born in Mumbai to a Gujarati Indian father and an Armenian Lebanese mother. She was brought up in Mumbai where she attended the Jamnabai Narsee School, and later Mithibai College from where she graduated majoring...

, Ayesha Takia

Ayesha Takia

-Early life:Ayesha was born in Chembur Mumbai, Maharashtra to a Gujarati father, Nishit and a mother of mixed British-Maharashtrian descent, Faridah. She attended St. Anthony's High School in Chembur...

, Anang Desai, Deepika Chikhalia

Deepika Chikhalia

Deepika Chikhalia is an Indian actress who rose to fame playing Sita in Ramanand Sagar's hit television series Ramayan. She met with limited success in films in the late 1980s and early 1990s...

, Neelam Kothari, Upen Patel

Upen Patel

Upen Patel is a British Indian Super model and Bollywood film actor.- Early work :After winning Zee TV's supermodel hunt in 2002, Patel began modeled for Hugo Boss, Paul Smith and Zegna. He started his acting career with singer/song writer Romey Gill's "Sadeyan paran to sikhi udna."He received the...

, Himesh Reshammiya

Himesh Reshammiya

Himesh Reshammiya is an Indian music director, composer, singer and actor.-Music and film career:Himesh Reshammiya was born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat to Vipin Reshammiya and Madhu Reshammiya. He had his first success as a music director of the 2003 film, Tere Naam...

, Shruti Seth

Shruti Seth

Shruti Seth is an Indian television, VJ and film actress.-Early life:Shruti Shokeen was born on 18 December 1977 in Gujarat, India. She did her schooling from Ashok Academy and graduated from St. Xavier's College Ahmedabad with a degree in Economics and Commerce. She is married to film director...

, Farooq Shaikh

Farooq Shaikh

Farooq Sheikh or Farooque Sheikh is an Indian actor, philanthropist and a popular television presenter. He is best known for his films during the 1970s and 1980s. His major contribution was in Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema...

, Manav Gohil

Manav Gohil

Manav Gohil is an Indian television actor and anchor. He was one of the presenters in the Indian television show, Fame Gurukul which ended on 20 October 2005...

  etc. are well known personalities who have contributed to Hindi film industry popularly known as Bollywood

Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

.

Directors and producers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...

, Vijay Bhatt

Vijay Bhatt

Vijay Bhatt was a noted producer-director-screenwriter of Hindi cinema, who made such films as Ram Rajya , Baiju Bawra , Goonj Uthi Shehnai and Himalaya Ki God Mein .He founded Prakash Pictures, a film production company and Prakash Studios in Andheri East, Mumbai, which...

, Nanabhai Bhatt

Nanabhai Bhatt

Nanabhai Bhatt was a well-known Indian film director and producer of Bollywood and Gujarati cinema, known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films, including Mr. X , Zimbo Comes to Town , Lal Qila and the blockbuster Kangan starring Nirupa Roy and Ashok Kumar...

, Manmohan Desai

Manmohan Desai

Manmohan Desai was a producer and director of Indian movies.- Background :His father, Kikubhai Desai, was an Indian film producer and owner of Paramount Studios from 1931 to 1941. His productions, mainly stunt films, included Circus Queen, Golden Gang, and Sheikh Challi...

, Ketan Desai, Mehboob Khan, Mahesh Bhatt

Mahesh Bhatt

Mahesh Bhatt , is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.Bhatt's early directional career consisted of acclaimed films, such as Arth, Saaransh, Janam, Naam and Zakhm....

, Mukesh Bhatt

Mukesh Bhatt

Mukesh Bhatt , is an Indian film producer, who has produced several Bollywood films. He is the younger brother of director, Mahesh Bhatt and also the co-owner of the production company, Vishesh Films, set up in 1986...

, Vikram Bhatt

Vikram Bhatt

Vikram Bhatt is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He has more than 21 films to his credit. He is also the creative head of a conglomerate called ASA Productions.-Early life:...

, Chandra Barot,Nariman A. Irani, Sanjay Gadhvi

Sanjay Gadhvi

Sanjay Gadhvi 22 November 1965 is an Indian writer and director belongs to Surendranagar in Gujarat.Hise was born to Manubhai Gadhvi, a renowned and much revered speaker, socialite and orator. His father also tried films during his young age, afterwards he quit films and focused on social work.He...

, Indra Kumar, Dhirajlal Shah, Abbas-Mustan

Abbas-Mustan

Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla are a Hindi Bollywood director duo. They are known for directing films in the thriller and action genres. They have frequently cast Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna in their films...

, Mehul Kumar

Mehul Kumar

Mehul Kumar is an Indian filmmaker, film director, producer and writer who works in the Bollywood industry. He primarily works as an independent film director in parallel cinema....

, Vipul Shah, Rahul Dholakia

Rahul Dholakia

Rahul Dholakia is an Indian film director-producer-screenwriter, most known for his National Film Award winning film, Parzania , prior to which he also made documentaries like Teenage Parents and New York Taxi Drivers.-Early life and education:Born in Mumbai, to Raksha and Parry Dholakia, an...

  are also inseparable part of Bollywood.

Alisha Chinai

Alisha Chinai

Alisha Chinai in Gujarati family and an Indian pop singer known for her several albums as well as playback singing in Hindi cinema.-Career:...

, Alka Yagnik

Alka Yagnik

Alka Yagnik is an Indian singer who is ranked among the best Hindi playback singers of all time. She is a seven-time winner of the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award as well as a two-time recipient of the prestigious National Film Awards...

, Manhar Udhas

Manhar Udhas

Manhar Udhas is Hindi and Gujarati language singer. He has given voice for many Hindi movies as playback singer. He is the elder brother of singer Pankaj Udhas and Nirmal Udhas and has worked with Pankaj on albums and Live Shows. Manhar has worked with all the composers of the film world and has...

, Pankaj Udhas

Pankaj Udhas

Pankaj Udhas is an Indian singer, credited in the Indian music industry, along with other musicians like Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz, with bringing the style to the realm of popular music. Udhas rose to fame for singing in the film Naam , in which his song Chitthi Aayee Hai became an instant hit....

, Falguni Pathak

Falguni Pathak

Falguni Pathak , born March 12, 1964, is an acclaimed singer and performing artist from India, based in Mumbai. Her music is based on traditional musical forms from the Indian state of Gujarat...

,Himesh Reshammiya are well known singers of this industry.Kalyanji Anandji

Kalyanji Anandji

Kalyanji Anandji is a name used by Indian composer duo known for its work on Hindi film soundtracks, particularly action potboilers in the 1970s. The name comes from first names of the two Gujarati brothers that formed the duo, Kalyanji Virji Shah and Anandji Virji Shah...

, Ismail Darbar

Ismail Darbar

Ismail Darbar is an Indian composer and violinist, a popular name in Bollywood.-Career:Ismail Darbar is from Surat, Gujarat. He worked for several years as a session violinist for leading music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, Rajesh Roshan, Anand-Milind,...

 and Jaikishan(famous pair of Shankar-Jaikishan who made many great compositions for R.K.Films) are known for their music.

Namitha, born as Namita Mukesh Vankawala, is very popular heroine in Kollywood

Kollywood

Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...

 or Tamil film industry.

Kalpen Modi,popularly known as Kal Penn

Kal Penn

Kalpen Suresh Modi , best known by his stage name Kal Penn, is an American film and television actor, producer, and civil servant....

 is known name in Hollywood.Dev Patel

Dev Patel

Dev Patel is a British actor. He is best known for playing Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , for which Patel won a number of awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award...

 is world famous name for his work in Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...

 movie. Ben Kingsley

Ben Kingsley

Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...

 ,a winner of Academy Award for Best Actor

Academy Award for Best Actor

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...

 for his work in title the role of the film Gandhi (film)

Gandhi (film)

Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...

, is also Gujarati origin.

National Awards

'Bhavni Bhavai

Bhavni Bhavai

Bhavni Bhavai is a 1980 Gujarati film directed by Ketan Mehta. Ketan Mehta's debut film is a successful adaptation of folk idioms into cinema. The film is dedicated to Bertolt Brecht, Goscinny and to the inventor of the Bhavai, Asait Thakore, who was a Brahmin outcast and lived among the lower...

' released in the year 1980 was directed by Ketan Mehta

Ketan Mehta

Ketan Mehta is an Indian film director, who has also directed documentaries and television serials.-Early life and education:Born in Navsari in Gujarat, Ketan Mehta did his schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi and later graduated in film direction from Film and Television Institute of...

. It boasted of superlative performances, fine camerawork and won awards like - National Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, National Film Award for Best Art Direction

National Film Award for Best Art Direction

The National Film Award for Best Art Direction winners:...

 for Meera Lakhia .
Recently "Little Zizou", a 2009 film in Hindi, Gujarati, and English, written and directed by Sooni Taraporevala

Sooni Taraporevala

Sooni Taraporevala is an internationally acclaimed screenwriter and photographer, currently based in India. She is best known as the screenwriter of Mississippi Masala, The Namesake and Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay , all directed by Mira Nair.She directed her first feature film, based on a...

 won "Silver Lotus Award" or "Rajat Kamal" in 'National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare

National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare

The National Film Award - Best Film on Family Welfare winners:...

' category at 56th National Film Awards

56th National Film Awards

The 56th National Film Awards is presented to the best of Indian Cinema released during the year 2008.-Feature Films:Films made in any Indian language shot on 16 mm, 35 mm or in a wider gauge or digital format but released on a film format or video/digital but certified by the Central Board of Film...

.
The state has also thrown up formidable acting talent of the calibre of late Sanjeev Kumar (his actual name was Haribhai Jariwala), Dina Pathak, Urmila Bhatt, Manoj Joshi, Paresh Rawal and Asha Parekh. Says Bhuta, “One of the main reasons why Upendra Trivedi, better known as the Dilip Kumar of the Gujarati film industry, has been relegated to relative anonymity on the national film scene is the fact that he was not able to adapt well to the Hindi film industry because of language handicap.”
Given the scenario its not surprising that Dhollywood has little to show both in terms of the quantity and quality of films which have been produced in the 75 years of its existence. Compared to Bollywood which has been churning out movies at amazing speed with more than 10,000 films to its credit so far, a minuscule 762 Gujarati films have been made thus far.
“For instance, while an average of 5,000 to 8,000 shots are taken for an 80 to 100 scene Hindi film, for a Gujarati film, a mere 500 to 800 shots are taken as the film maker can neither afford the cost of camera or the feet of raw stock required for such footage. Further, a Gujarati film is made in 16 mm as the producer cannot afford the 35 mm format,” he elaborates.

However, it now remains to be seen after The Gujarat government has decided to give 100 per cent tax exemption to the film industry in the state. It has also announced a Re one rise in the service charge per cinema ticket to encourage theatre owners to screen Gujarati films. whether the sops dished out by the state government will do any good to the Gujarati film industry, that is perhaps passing through its worst patch ever.

Perhaps its only then that 5t will be able to rise from serving pedestrian fare to cinemagoers to providing quality cinema. “There’s no dearth of brilliant regional novels which are churned out year after year. These can be made into films. Why should we have to depend on a Shyam Benegal to take the story of Operation Flood to the masses through his cine classic Manthan when it could so easily have been made by a Gujarati. And why should a Sanjay Leela Bhansali weave celluloid magic out of the vibrant beauty of Gujarat only for his Bollywood blockbuster Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam when he can so easily do that for regional cinema of the state as well?” ruminates Harshadbhai Shah, Chairman of GFDAC for the fifth successive year.

External links

• History of Gujarati Cinema
• Gujarati cinema at Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
  
  
• Gujarati Movie

Gujarati cinema