Starting a new genre…
Recently in an interview, John Abraham was quoted as saying that ‘No Smoking’ will start a new genre in Bollywood. This quote was bandied around and even a reviewer accepted the fact except to also add that it will probably remain the only movie in that genre.
Anyway, that got me thinking about what is required to start a new genre. I think it’s pretty simple. Either the movie should be a blockbuster or win major critical acclaim, otherwise why would people want to tread a relatively new path?
And since we at PFC love to put up lists, here’s my feeble attempt at listing down those movies which started a new genre in Bollywood.
Sholay- The big multi-star cast Bollywood Action movie. The late seventies and early eighties definitely followed this movie’s lead, don’t you think?
Zanzeer- The ‘angry young man’ genre. The male lead could now be intense without being jilted in love.
Deewar- The ‘Anti-Hero’ genre. Even the romantic SRK started his career with this genre.
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak- Definitely the movie in my book which started off the teenage romance genre in Bollywood. One could now fall in love without having an income. There followed a string of college romance movies in the early nineties with Aamir (Dil, JJWS), Salman (Maine Pyar Kiya), Akshay (Khiladi) etc.
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun- The family movie genre. Weddings in Bollywood were never the same.
Dil Chahta Hai- The unabashedly ‘Urban’ uber-cool multiplex movie. Movies suddenly could make enough money just out of urban centers.
That’s about all I can think as of now. Before you rip into this list, please note the following-
-I have not listed genre starting movies before Sholay for a reason. My ignorance. Please feel free to add.
-I know you will say that there were many movies which dealt with the above topics much earlier than these movies but please remember I am talking of movies which were so successful that they were immediately followed by many such like movies in a timeframe not too far apart from the genre starting movie.
-Please feel free to add Non-Bollywood genre starting movies.
-Also add other genres starting movies which I may have missed.
Go!
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
I think this list would be pretty long.
Tezaab: Started the genre of Movies with Item numbers
Murder: Genre of sleazy movies (there were a few before but this was the defining movie I guess.
I only partly agree with Deewar starting the Anti-hero genre for one reason – nobody apart from Amitabh did anything in that genre before Darr came. The genre basically lived and dies with Amitabh!!!
There was a time when every third movie was a love-triangle. I cannot comment though which one started that genre!!!
you could add:
Jo jeeta wahi sikandar: the campus love westside story film
daud: the road film
roja: the love in the backdrop of terrorism film
parinda: the gangster film
andaz apna apna: the casting heroes in an out an out comedy male bonding film
ardhsatya : the original arthouse angry cop film
bunty aur babli : the chor-chorni film
bluffmaster: the cheeky protagonist with deadpan expression film
Ganga Jamuna and Mother India preceded Deewar..
Kismet was first anti hero starring ashok kumar
Bobby preceded Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, followed by love story and betaab
I am curious to know which is the film to have started the genre “Ripped off from Hollywood hit” ;)
I would love to see more of Anurag’s narcissist screaming on the big screen… hahahaha… the guy has amazing guts!
But Mr. Kashyap…there are FLAWS in NO SMOKING…i wanted to shout ‘ if hollywood has David Lynch, now we have Anurag Kashyap’
But i couldn’t!
The idea is amazing! Story is OK(Ok…so what types!) ! and the FORM is too much loaded unnecessarily!… film maker chooses a FORM and tells his story which is like Arranging a composition!…the arranging of OK composition of NO SMOKING is not so good !
How ever after a long time i could FEEL something after coming out of the theater…most of the times i like the film or dont like it…but very rarely i FEEL something after watching a film…esp. Indian films!…and thats the director’s victory…!
Anurag, i have sent you bit detailed reaction on NO SMOKING on MY SPACE…Please find time to read it…!
as far as genre of surreal films, dark,darker, darkest films etc. is concerned NO SMOKING will definitely boost up other film makers to do more films which come under this genre!
How are box office collections, Anurag?…and we all know the fuck all half cooked asses giving reviews and how are they!..on what basis these asshole critics review the film?…there should be some guideline for these buggers!…that apart…these two points might push THE PRODUCERS on the back seat to try out more of these kinds of films…
[' NO SMOKING ka collection dekha? aur phir TV-Paperwalon ne bhi ma bahen ek kar di...bol de GURU BHAI KO... PHAISA NAHI HAI SETH KE PASS!'- an under world financier who is a SATYA fan!]
But flow once started can not stop…more films on these genre will come out and the whole credit would definitely go to NO SMOKING!…
any encyclopedia of films? was there such kind of film made earlier on Indian screen? could be possible in early 70s when Sayeed Akhatar Mirza and gang was active!
kedar
Shrey,
Good point on Murder. But don’t agree about Tezaab having an item number? I mean Madhuri was a lead actor in that movie!
Anyways don’t think item numbers can define a whole genre…
Tushar,
Agree on Roja and Parinda, not the rest. The others were either not succesful enough or I don’t see the formula being replicated enough. Do correct me if i am wrong.
Satya: started genere of balanced art house and commercial elements in a film which was followed by Sarfarosh, company, vastav and many more
even bad movies also started new genere like
success of Masti started double meaning cheap comedies having A grade starcast.
Anurag,
Thanks for your insights. Points well taken.
arre Kedar, kyon mere topic ko hijack kar raha hai? No Smoking ka review dena hai to itne saare post already to hain!
Don’t think NS will start the genre by itself. We need a more succesful movie in that genre to start things off.
DDLJ: started genre of making films for NRI audience. followed Pardes, Taal, Kabhi alvidaa na kehna, yaadein….and most of the yashraj, johars productions
Shailesh,
I would call Satya a gangster movie. Not sure if I would credit it with starting that genre or as Tushar mentioned that credit should go to Parinda?
D&C
Shailesh,
Good points on both Masti and DDLJ.
I missed out one big movie in my list-
GADAR- It definitely started the genre of Pak bashing, war movies, jingoistic naionalism…
In sarfarsoh, first timne pakistan was mentioned as our enemy country. before that “hamare padosi mulk..” was used for pakistan. So i think Sarfarsoh started… to mention clearly the name of enemy.
I think even though Bobby was made much before QSQT, it was QSQT that “brought back” the genre and turned it into a 90s thing.
Aashiqui started genre of good, popular music having new or less costly starcast and mediocre story.
Success of Animated film “Hanumaan” also started hindi animated films like krishna, bal ganesh, my friend ganesha…
Shailesh, I think Border came out before Sarfarosh and trust me, it mentioned Pakistan by name…
Good point about Hanuman… The Desi version of The Incredibles also gave a big boost to the genre I’m sure as well, but Hanuman was the first bigtime original Indian animated production…
Tony…thanks for correcting me.
Kanoon (1960) – Started the murder mystery genre. Had Ashok Kumar in double role so it could also have started the good twin bad twin genre.
Chori Chori (1956) – Started the road movie genre in Hindi movies. Actually it is “adapted” from “it happened one night” so could have started the “inspired” genre as well.
There may be more….cannot remember. Will post later.
“Bobby” for teenage love.
Raj Kapoor started the vagabond ‘genre’ (can I say that) with Aawara. Followed it up with Shree 420 and Anari.
In the
what about horror?
“Raat” by RGV — this definitely ushered in an era of horror films which were competing for space with other genres of mainstream Hindi cinema. Earlier horror was only limited to B-movies.
I am surprised that even after so many comments, nobody talked about RAJABABU!!!
everybody knows what happened in Indian movie industry after blockbuster success of cheesy comedy flick. It gave new face to comedies and as well started trend of sleazy double meaning songs in 90’s movies.
hehehehehehe…. sorry Dazed and Confused… par tera ID dekh ke maine socha…Chalega!…
yes…we need more successful films in that genre…
kedar…
PS: wasnt intentional !…chill…
))))))) Dazed and confused!… kya id hai!
i am surprised no one wrote abt Lagaan ..the movie that started sports movies in real sense …
How can we forget Hrish da…? He started the ‘middle class values’ types’ movies..with simple story & clean movies…
Rasmsay’s “Do gaz zameen ke neeche” started whole new genre of b-grade horror movies
Which movie started the famous “Lost n Found” trend in 70’s ??
i think… yaadon ki baarat started lost and found formula movies
Ankur started art house genre in hindi cinema heralding new wave, though regional cinema has already started it
Which movie was first succesful with the reincarnation funda? Was it Karz?
And which movie started the twins separated at birth thingie? Angoor?
People please throw light…
@Dazed&Confused
reincarnation funda ..i guess there was a movie called mehbooba (correct me if i am wrong) …starring Rajesh Khanna and Hema malini ..with that fab song mere naina sawaan bhaado …
Anand- I did think long and hard about Lagaan but don’t think of it as a sports movie really. And even if so, we haven’t had so many sports movies coming up leave aside the odd Chak De and Iqbal in the six years following Lagaan…
I would actually credit Iqbal in this genre if I really had to.
Reincarnation- Madhumati?
Lagaan wasnt in that sense first sports film…
Hip Hip Hurrey was a sports film… Saheb was revolving around football too…!
Most of the movies mentioned here (in comments) do not really contribute to as a genre.. JJWS (probly gr8est movie ever) but dint start a genre…
My list,
Shyam Benegal’s Ankur – parallel cinema
RGV’s Satya – Mumbai Gangster
Dev Benegal’s English August – Indian English movies
Mani’s Roja – dubbed/remake
Zanjeer – angry young man stuff (agreed)
QSQT – ending Zanjeer genre n bringin back romantic
DDLJ – for genre PFC hates
Dil Chahta Hai – dint really start a genre, but bollywood has never been the same again.. specially dialogues,sync sound,set,’look’ of the movies!
and yes Johnny Gaddaar – i hope so!!!
I really don’t think Satya started the gangster movies. The late eighties and nineties had tons of gangster movies that were so widely applied and popular that even B grade and C grade movies of the nineties turned out to be gangster movies. Satya came in quite late. I wouldn’t agree with Satya starting a genre.
W.r.t. Parth statement.
DDLJ – you’ve got to be kidding me. I love it. and I’m officially known as the founder of PFC (whatever that means). Next I love Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. (but that’s the only KJ movie I love immensely)
You’ve got to be reading PFC over a year to understand that people here only hate bad movies. And btw who is PFC? It’s you too since you are contributing here.
*****
There is only ONE “P”
There are only two genres in India, Romantic/Family movies and Masala movies. There ain’t no other genres and I do not think majority of people give a shite about it. I wish it was not the case. but hey…
What our industry has is a short-phase.. where everyone jumps down on a current successful genre bandwagon. After that phase.. you want see a new film of that genre again in your rest of life..
For example… sex comedy… a couple of years ago. Someone already mentioned.. animation films… – let’s see how long Animation Film craze lasts…
oz -’DDLJ – you
BTW oz,
When will be PFC(ya, us..u n me) compiling Top 100 Hindi Movies list! We never had one! im a list-o-maniac!
parth, just go through below link.
u may find your kind of list
http://passionforcinema.com/60-films-of-independent-india/
#32. The lost and foudn genre was started by Waqt starring Balraj Sahni, RajKumar, Achla Sachdev etc (with the song Ae meri zohra zabeen). Yaadon Ki Baarat came later and was a remake of Waqt(sort of)
lot and found genre was started by film “Kismet”
(starring ashok kumar).
I believe it was the first movie that ran for more than a year in theatre
I think a lot of people here think that first movie to hit a subject starts a genre. Thats totally false!
Even the first movie to be hit on the subject does not start the genre.
A movie should be supposed to start a genre when subsequent to the movie, a lot of people try to make movies on the same subject.
I do not think Kismet / Mother India started the Anti-Hero genre in that sense.
Daud / Parinda / JJWS / Lagaan never started any genre of themselves.
DDLJ did start an NRI movie genre.
I think Padosan started the hero as a comedian genre. Between Mahmood and Johny Lever, we do not see any true comedian. Amitabh rules the comedy business as a hero.
Raja Babu – started a genre of cheap vulgar comedies that thrived for -45 years.
And Andy, I meant having an item number in the movie and not an item gurl. I think Item number is one of the longest lasting genres. To the extent when direstors found that the heroine cannot do an item number, they got the item girl. There are movies from 70’s and 80’s that always had a cabaret (Helen, Padma Khanna and all) but I think they are different from item numbers. Helen can be attributed to starting cabarets big time in Bollywood.
starting a new genre
its easy
you shit upside down
lo and behold
a new genre is born
~X(