As somebody who was born in the 1990s, my introduction to the earlier decades has been through books and cinema. The cinema of the ‘70s, which I discovered as a child through television, gave me some idea about that era and the way things were then. As a child, some of the actors I became enamoured by, like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty, had arrived or gained prominence during this decade. The commercial potboilers of the ‘70s played an important role in me getting drawn to cinema. While these films enjoyed widespread popularity even in the ‘90s, they seemed to have made a special place for themselves in the hearts of the audience residing in a small town in Jharkhand, where I spent the formative years of my childhood in. I would often come across elders talking about the films, music and stars of that era and putting across their recommendations quite passionately.
When you hold ‘The Swinging ‘70s’ in your hand, one of the first things that strikes you is the fact that it is a book that spans across 570 pages. Then, you realize that as many as 44 individuals have contributed to the material in the book. While some of these names are established names in the film business, some are well-known authors and celebrated cinephiles. The book has 47 chapters written by Nirupama Kotru, Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, Alaka Sahni, Amborish Roychoudhury, Amitava Kumar, Amitava Nag, Amrit Gangar, Aniruddha Bhattacharjee, Aseem Chhabra, Avijit Ghosh, Balaji Vittal, Bobby Sing, Deeba Buty, Deepa Gahlot, Diptakirti Chaudhuri, Gajra Kottary, Gautam Chintamani, Harini Srinivasan, Jai Arjun Singh, Kaushik Bhaumik, Kaveree Bamzai, Ketan Mehta, Krishna Shastri Devulapalli, Maithili Rao, Maitreyee B. Chowdhury, Mira Hashmi, Mohan Agashe, Nandini Ramnath, Niyati Bhat, Raja Sen, Rajat Kapoor, Ratnottama Sengupta, Roshmila Bhattacharya, S.M.M. Ausaja, Sathya Saran, Shamya Dasgupta, Sriram Raghavan, Subhash Ghai, Uday Bhatia, Varun Grover, Vinod Krishnan, Vinta Nanda and Vishal Bhardwaj. The chapters are divided across five sections which have been titled ‘Moods and Memories’, ‘Icons and Idols’, ‘Themes and Tropes’, ‘Insiders’ Insights’ and ‘End-credits’. The book has been edited by Nirupama Kotru and Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, who have written a few chapters independently.
The preface by Nirupama Kotru makes for a highly interesting read. Nirupama fondly talks about her love for the movies here. The preface gives one a good idea about how the book was conceived and what led to so many incredible people coming on board as contributors. She also shares an interesting remark about how the cinema of the ‘70s was driven by an urge to tell strong stories and that’s why it continues to remain relevant. The introduction, penned by Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, is also very interesting. Shantanu describes his experiences of watching some of the landmark films of the ‘70s as a child. The editor-author also talks a bit about the process of putting this book together.
Before you reach the first chapter in the book, you come across a page which features some interesting trivia about the cinema of the ‘70s. As you start turning the pages, you realize such small boxes, filled with great trivia, can be found throughout the book. If you happen to organize a quiz at home about the cinema of the ‘70s, you might want to revisit these boxes to frame your questions.
The first section of the book is called ‘Moods and Memories’ and the first chapter is on ‘Nishant’, the 1975 drama directed by Shyam Benegal. Though I have seen most of the films made by Shyam Benegal, I had missed out on watching ‘Nishant’. I ended up watching the film as soon I finished reading this chapter. That is the kind of impact the chapter had on me.
First Day, First Show, a chapter written by Diptakirti Chaudhuri which arrives at page number 39, vividly describes the experience of watching films in the 1970s. It also depicts the struggle associated with buying movie tickets something which today’s generation, which books tickets online conveniently, will not understand.
‘How My Grandmother Came To Love Hindi Cinema and Amitabh Bachchan’, a chapter written by co-editor Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, shows the kind of influence Amitabh Bachchan, the mightiest superstar of Hindi cinema, has had on different generations of cinegoers. In this chapter, Chaudhuri also analyses some of the most impactful performances delivered by the superstar over the years. The chapter makes for an interesting study on Bachchan and his image as an angry young man.
The chapter features an elaborate description on ‘Alaap’, one of the lesser appreciated films of Bachchan in which he played a classical singer. After going through the detailed synopsis which the author provides here, you might feel a strong urge to watch the film. The author also talks about how he would severe ties with anybody who would badmouth his favourite star. As you turn the pages, you also find the author talking about how and why he felt betrayed by Bachchan.
On page number 64 is one of the most informative chapters on the book, The Cassette Revolution in India. The chapter, authored by Bobby Sing, gives one a detailed account into the introduction of cassettes in India. The author, in great detail, talks about how the arrival of cassettes made music a lot more accessible to the masses. One also gets to know how the cassette revolution introduced listeners to different genres of music. The chapter is neatly divided into multiple sections and that makes the process of consuming all the information all the more convenient.
The Broken Melody, a chapter written by Varun Grover, is about some of the songs penned in the ‘70s which boasted of great lyrics. Varun pays a tribute to a few of the prolific songwriters of that era by mentioning some of the gems written by them and the kind of impact they had on him. Those who have not explored the film music churned out in the ‘70s in detail would get to know about the work of some of these lyricists. One would also realize that several renowned poets, who had already made a name for themselves in the world of literature, stepped into the film industry in this decade to try their hand at writing songs. Varun also doffs his hat to many incredible lyricists who, unfortunately, did not get their due despite doing some great work.
Aseem Chhabra’s chapter on Shyam Benegal depicts his love for the filmmaker’s cinema and how his films played an important role in driving him towards pursuing a career in film journalism. It is quite fascinating to read about how the author discovered the cinema of Shyam Benegal. In the chapter, the author declares that most of his social and political awareness in the ‘70s came from Benegal. In ‘Sanjeev Kumar: Jisey Dil Dhoondta Hai’, Gajra Kottary talks about how she got infatuated with one of the best actors to have graced Hindi cinema and discusses some of the most memorable performances delivered by him. The author also offers a glimpse into the social environment of that time. It is also interesting to read about how the author turned her father into a film buff.
In ‘Zeenat Aman: More than the Body’, Kaveree Bamzai talks about the allure of one of the most enigmatic actors to have worked in Hindi cinema. The author, while discussing some of the films Aman featured in, points out how casual sexism and misogyny was normalized in Hindi cinema in the ‘70s. After the chapter ends, you come across a quiz box which tells you how the plot of an iconic Hindi film was inspired from a news article read by the director of that film.
The chapter on Hrishikesh Mukherjee, authored by Raja Sen, is titled appropriately titled ‘The Man Who Made the Stars Brighter’. Sen talks about how Mukherjee would cast the biggest stars of the time in his films but would get them to play characters that were far removed from the image they had. The director gave these megastars the opportunity to play everyday characters with a twist. These were opportunities which not many filmmakers were giving stars in that decade. Sen also talks about how Mukherjee was a politically aware filmmaker. To solidify this statement, he gives some good examples as well. He describes the filmmaker as a “one-man school of naturalism and simplicity”.
‘From Bharat Kumar to Beimaan and Back’, a chapter authored by Nirupama Kotru, sheds light on the incredible success Manoj Kumar had as a leading man in the ‘70s. Before adopting the screen name Manoj Kumar, the man was known by his Harikishen Giri Goswami. Kumar, whose family hailed from Abbottabad in Pakistan (undivided India) spent the formative years of his life in a refugee camp in Delhi after the partition. The kind of struggle and hardships Kumar went through in his formative years could make for an interesting film. It is quite interesting to read about how Manoj Kumar became Raj Kapoor’s successor. Apart from tracing the cinematic journey of Kumar, the chapter also talks about some interesting incidents pertaining to some of his associates. Through the chapter, one gets to know that Pran turned down his award to protest against ‘Pakeezah’ not getting the Best Music Award.
‘Amol Palekar: Hindi Cinema’s Extraordinarily Ordinary Common Man’, authored by Amitava Nag, sheds light on the actor’s contribution to Hindi cinema and how his portrayal of a common man in a bunch of memorable films endeared him to the audience. There is also some important information on Palekar and his theatre group.
As you turn to page number 154, you are introduced to the chapter ‘The Amar Akbar Anthony of Writers’ by S.M.M. Ausja. While the duo of Salim-Javed have been celebrated time and again, this chapter highlights the contribution of lesser celebrated names like Kader Khan, K. K. Shukla and Prayag Raaj. Several readers would be quite surprised to know that these writers, individually and collectively, delivered a higher number of box-office hits than Salim-Javed. The author has written about the journeys of these three writers in elaborate detail.
Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal had authored a book on R. D. Burman called ‘R. D. Burman: The Man The Music’. The book had won the National Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in the year 2011. For this book, Bhattacharjee has written a ten-page long chapter on Burman called ‘The King of Melody: R. D. Burman and the Transitional Early 1970s’. It is a wonderfully written chapter that shall be devoured by the ardent fans of Burman and also those who are in their childhood or teens and yet to explore the music of one of the greatest composers of Hindi cinema. Along with R. D. Burman, the chapter offers some delightful trivia on S. D. Burman. Through this chapter, one also gets to know about the different ways in which junior Burman contributed to the music of senior Burman. After reading the chapter, you get to know that the author not only knows a lot about R. D. but also has a reservoir of knowledge on different aspects of music.
Interestingly, the book features another chapter on R. D. Burman authored by Kaushik Bhaumik. This one is called ‘R. D. Burman, 1970s: The Master of Masala Excess as Global Musician’. It is yet another detailed chapter that fans of the musician would enjoy reading. The author talks about several aspects of Burman’s music which are seldom discussed. On page number 192, one reads about how Burman created a ‘scene’ in the ‘70s. The author also discusses the presence of political and social consciousness in R. D. Burman’s music.
‘Dharmendra: He-Man and Master of the Universe’, authored by senior journalist Roshmilla Bhattacharya, serves as a good overview of one of the brightest stars of Hindi cinema. The chapter starts with Bhattacharya sharing her memories of watching ‘Guddi’, the first Dharmendra film she saw in a theatre. Though she fell asleep halfway through the film when she watched it for the first time, she ended up revisiting the film a couple of times soon after and that led to her getting fascinated with this enigmatic man who hailed from Nasrali, a village in Ludhiana district, Punjab. The author discusses some of the memorable performance and landmark films of Dharmendra which many youngsters would want to explore.
In ‘Gulzar: A Poet In Cinema’, Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri’s love for the writer-poet-lyricist-filmmaker comes alive. It is interesting to know how the author carries a frayed cover of a Gulzar cassette in his wallet till date. It is one of the longest and most informative chapters in the book which is worth your time and attention. Chaudhuri talks about the portrayal of women in Gulzar’s films in great detail. The author also talks extensively about the songs written and films made by Gulzar. The chapter is divided into several sub-chapters which dwell on the different aspects of Gulzar’s professional journey. In the same chapter, Bobby Sing chips in with his observations on Gulzar’s work and artistic achievements. Sing’s take on Gulzar’s political expression is very interesting. One of my favourite bits in the chapter is Chaudhuri dissecting the song ‘Sa Re Ke Saare’ from the film ‘Parichay’. The author analyses some of the other children’s songs written by Gulzar beautifully. While Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj have collaborated on several landmark projects together, one gets to know about some of the lesser discussed projects, like the Gulzar-directed ‘Daane Anaar Ke’, through this chapter. Vishal had composed the title track for the show.
Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri writes a brief yet insightful chapter on Raakhee in the form of ‘Raakhee: Beauty, Unparalleled, Actor Nonpareil.’ Apart from talking about Raakhee’s career in Bengali cinema, the author talks about her outings in Bengali cinema as well. In another chapter, Chaudhuri elaborates on why Anand Bakshi was a common man’s poet. The author beautifully describes, in detail, some of the soulful songs penned by Anand Bakshi. Ratnottama Sengupta talks about some of the most prolific female actors of Hindi cinema who thrived in Hindi cinema in the ‘70s. It is interesting to know that Shabana Azmi was influenced by Jaya Bachchan after watching a diploma film named ‘Suman’.
Through the title ‘Laxmikant-Pyarelal: Mass Music, Class Act’, author Deepa Buty does a brilliant job at describing the music of one of the most successful musical duos of Hindi cinema. The material on the first page itself catches your attention and then, you keep turning one page after another. You also realize the kind of journey Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma went on together could be made into a film for the celluloid. The breakdown of some of their songs gives one an idea about how intricately they were created. The chapter also contains some interesting trivia on many of their songs, including the fact that the keyboard pieces in ‘Mere Dil Mein’ (‘Daag’) were played by Vipin Reshammiya, Himesh Reshammiya’s father.
‘Kahaan Hai Re Doooosta?’, a chapter authored by Nirupama Kotru, is about the many male actors who paired up well with Amitabh Bachchan in the ‘70s and delivered several commercially successful films. Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest superstar of Hindi cinema. While he has several blockbuster solo hero films to his credit, many of the successful films he was a part of had another ‘hero’ as well.
Once you finish reading this chapter, you realize the book features several wonderful pictures from the world of cinema. One of the most endearing images is that of R. D. Burman and Sahir Ludhianvi in a music sitting which is also marked by the presence of Rajesh Khanna. One also sees some lovely handmade posters of films sourced out from the National Film Archives of India.
The third section of the book is titled ‘Themes and Tropes’. The first chapter in this section is called ‘A Tale of Two Vijays’ and is written by Amborish Roychoudhury. Through this chapter, the author discusses how violence was depicted in Hindi films made in the ‘70s. The chapter starts with a very interesting quote by Javed Akhtar which reads, “There is more violence in places with fewer theatres. How can we say cinema is spreading violence in society?”. The chapter highlights the fact how Salim Khan, Javed Akhtar and Vijay Tendulkar, disruptors in their own right, embarked upon their professional journeys around the same time. The chapter also tells us that Amitabh Bachchan was the first preference for Sub-Inspector Anant Velankar, the character which went on to be immortalized by Om Puri in ‘Ardh Satya’.
The title of the chapter, written by film critic Nandini Ramnath, makes you chuckle. The chapter is called ‘You Sharrup! Sharrup You!’ and it talks about “the missus, the moll and everyone in-between”. ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars: Flirting With Stardom’, authored by Avijit Ghosh, is one of the most interesting chapters in the book which talks about stars who eventually fizzled out after having a promising start to their careers.
‘Well Begun’, a chapter written by Uday Bhatia, talks about how the title credits were incorporated in films made in the ‘70s. The author also emphasises on the importance of title credits in films. Bhatia names a few films in which there was a sense of novelty in the manner which the titles were used or inserted. After you finish reading the chapter, you could feel the urge to revisit the films mentioned.
‘Good Flops, Bad Flops and Shalimar’, written by Nirupama Kotru, is a well-researched piece that would be of great interest to those who have a keen interest in numbers or the business of cinema. In today’s times, a producer makes money from different avenues like satellite and streaming platforms. The author informs the reader how, in the ‘70s, films could only make money from theatres. The author also points out to the issue of a lack of clarity in box-office numbers. In the same chapter, Kotru looks back at ‘Shalimar’ fondly. She delves deep into the kind of journey the producer of this ill-fated film went on to get it made and released. The kind of struggles, producer Suresh Shah had to go through as an outsider, would give people an idea about how tough the industry really is for people without any backing or support.
One of the most insightful chapters in the book is ‘Looking Through The Keyhole’, written by Sathya Saran. The chapter gives one an overview of the ways in which film journalism was practiced in the ‘70s. It also gives you an idea as to how journalism has evolved over the years. Back in the day, a lot of film journalists were aggressive, nasty and ruthless. Now, they have tamed down. The book talks about a notorious journalist and how Dharmendra came very close to beating her up for the things she wrote about him. The history of popular film magazines and the way they functioned, too, has been mentioned.
In ‘Kya Khoob Lagti Ho’, Niyati Bhatt decodes the glitz and glamour of the films made in the ‘70s. As you go through the chapter, you realize what kind of costumes, styling and sensibilities shaped up the films made in that era. An interesting quote by the author, which comes towards the end of the chapter, reads, “costumes are an invitation into the world of a film”. ‘The Seventies: Hindi Cinema’s Defining Decade’, authored by Amrit Gangar, talks about what made the Hindi films made in the ‘70s so special. Through multiple sub-chapters, Gangar makes a case for ‘70s Hindi cinema and tells you why it was a very important decade for cinema. It is one of the most informative chapters on the book and makes for a wonderful read. From the lensing philosophies of Ritwik Ghatak and Mani Kaul to the role played by the Yukt Film Co-Operative, the book gives you a lot to chew on.
In ‘Looking the Star in the Eye’, Gautam Chintamani talks about how many popular stars in the ‘70s pushed their boundaries by stepping out of their comfort zone and taking up a variety of roles. In ‘The Bards of Bombay’, Mira Hashmi pays a tribute to some notable lyricists who spread the magic of their thoughts and words in and beyond the ‘70s. Hashmi writes about the works of Yogesh, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Anjaan, Neeraj and Anand Bakshi with a lot of fondness. A wonderful quote written by the author in this chapter reads, “the quality of the words certainly aids and abets the song’s staying power to a significant degree.”
In the chapter ‘Fat Lady’, author Maiteyee B. Chowdhury talks about themes like desire and sexuality were explored in Hindi films made in the ‘70s. ‘A Few Bad Men’, a chapter authored by Balaji Vittal, starts off with a commentary on the cinema of ’60s. The author, then, discusses how the villain in Hindi cinema changed from the ‘60s to the ‘70s. ‘Conjuring a Different Beat’ is an informative article written by Maithili Rao on the offbeat cinema made in the ‘70s. The chapter highlights the contribution of the many actors and filmmakers who contributed towards propelling the growth of the parallel cinema movement in the ‘70s. In ‘From Gungi Gudiya to Maa Durga’, Vinta Nanda talks about how the changing social landscape of India reflected in the way women were being portrayed in Hindi films. The chapter puts the spotlight on three distinct trends that shaped the landscape of Indian cinema in the decade.
The fourth section in the book is called ‘Insider’s Insights’. ‘Languages, Learning, Theatre and Films’ is a stimulating conversation between Nirupama Kotru and Mohan Agashe. This chapter also gives one the opportunity to absorb a lot of information on Marathi cinema of the ‘70s. ‘Storyteller Extraordinaire’ is a conversation between Subhash Ghai and Nirupama Kotru. As you go through this chapter, you get to know about Subhash Ghai’s understanding of commercial cinema and what made him and extremely successful commercial filmmaker. In another chapter, Vishal Bhardwaj talks to Nirupama Kotru about his memories and impressions of Hindi films and music made in the ‘70s.
Sriram Raghavan’s contribution to this book is called ‘Guilty Pleasures’, a chapter in which the filmmaker talks about some of his favourite commercial potboilers from the decade. Sriram also talks fondly about how his love affair with cinema started. He mentions the names of several obscure films which were guilty pleasures for him. If you like campy films, here is a chapter you cannot miss out on reading.
In the chapter ‘A Turning Point’, filmmaker Ketan Mehta talks about how major shifts in Indian polity resulted in the arrival of ‘new wave’ in Hindi cinema. Through this chapter, Mehta gives readers a lot of wonderful insights on the parallel cinema movement which picked up steam in the ‘70s. He also shares details of how he embarked upon a journey in cinema as a filmmaker and the kind of opportunities he encountered and the hurdles he faced in the process.
The fifth and last section of the book is suitably titled ‘End-credits’. ‘Twenty-Twenty’ is a chapter wherein Nirupama Kotru names and discusses twenty films made in the ‘70s that make for essential viewing. It’s an eclectic list featuring titles as diverse as ‘Garm Hava’ and ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’. This was definitely the right chapter to end this expansive book with.
It’s not every day that one stumbles upon a book featuring pieces written by as many as 44 individuals who are experts on Hindi cinema. The 47 essays in ‘The Swinging ‘70s’ do a brilliant job of familiarizing one with several important aspects pertaining to the Hindi cinema of the ‘70s. Whether you are a fan of the Hindi films made in the ‘70s or somebody who has been wanting to know more about the cinema from that decade, here is a book you should not miss out on reading.