BOLLYWOOD MOVIE POSTERS: ADVERTISING

Found some sections of an article on Bollywood that I found interesting and gave more information on the era of posters and the style of posters I was talking about.

The age in which painted posters were widely used in Bollywood was called The Golden Era. Check this out..

Notes:

  • M.F. Husain was the popular artist who painted many bollywood posters in the past, before computer driven design took over
  • The Golden Age, following India's independence, with movies such as Mother India etc expressing social themes


Golden Age

Following India's independence, the period from the late 1940s to the 1960s is regarded by film historians as the "Golden Age" of Hindi cinema.[14][15][16] Some of the most critically acclaimed Hindi films of all time were produced during this period. Examples include the Guru Duttfilms Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and the Raj Kapoor films Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955). These films expressed social themes mainly dealing with working-class urban life in India; Awaara presented the city as both a nightmare and a dream, while Pyaasa critiqued the unreality of city life.[17] Some of the most famous epic films of Hindi cinema were also produced at the time, including Mehboob Khan'sMother India (1957), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film,[18] and K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960).[19]Madhumati (1958), directed by Bimal Roy and written by Ritwik Ghatak, popularized the theme of reincarnation in Western popular culture.[20]Other acclaimed mainstream Hindi filmmakers at the time included Kamal Amrohi and Vijay Bhatt. Successful actors at the time included Dev AnandDilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt, while successful actresses included NargisVyjayanthimalaMeena KumariNutanMadhubala,Waheeda Rehman and Mala Sinha.[21]
While commercial Hindi cinema was thriving, the 1950s also saw the emergence of a new Parallel Cinema movement.[17] Though the movement was mainly led by Bengali cinema, it also began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. Early examples of Hindi films in this movement includeChetan Anand's Neecha Nagar (1946)[22] and Bimal Roy's Two Acres of Land (1953). Their critical acclaim, as well as the latter's commercial success, paved the way for Indian neorealism[23] and the Indian New Wave.[24] Some of the internationally acclaimed Hindi filmmakers involved in the movement included Mani KaulKumar ShahaniKetan MehtaGovind NihalaniShyam Benegal and Vijaya Mehta.[17]
Ever since the social realist film Neecha Nagar won the Grand Prize at the first Cannes Film Festival,[22] Hindi films were frequently in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, with some of them winning major prizes at the festival.[25] Guru Dutt, while overlooked in his own lifetime, had belatedly generated international recognition much later in the 1980s.[25][26] Dutt is now regarded as one of the greatest Asian filmmakers of all time, alongside the more famous Indian Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The 2002Sight & Sound critics' and directors' poll of greatest filmmakers ranked Dutt at #73 on the list.[27] Some of his films are now included among thegreatest films of all time, with Pyaasa (1957) being featured in Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies list,[28] and with both Pyaasa andKaagaz Ke Phool (1959) tied at #160 in the 2002 Sight & Sound critics' and directors' poll of all-time greatest films. Several other Hindi films from this era were also ranked in the Sight & Sound poll, including Raj Kapoor's Awaara (1951), Vijay Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952), Mehboob Khan'sMother India (1957) and K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) all tied at #346 on the list.[29]



Also information regarding the point I was making about how posters, in both Hollywood and Bollywood are very rarely hand painted for various reasons. The famous artists who painted many posters back in the day was M.F. Husain.

Advertising

Many Indian artists used to make a living by hand-painting movie billboards and posters (The well-known artist M.F. Hussain used to paint film posters early in his career). This was because human labour was found to be cheaper than printing and distributing publicity material.[70] Now, a majority of the huge and ubiquitous billboards in India's major cities are created with computer-printed vinyl. The old hand-painted posters, once regarded as ephemera, are becoming increasingly collectible as folk art.[70]
Releasing the film music, or music videos, before the actual release of the film can also be considered a form of advertising. A popular tune is believed to help pull audiences into the theaters.[71]
Bollywood publicists have begun to use the Internet as a venue for advertising. Most of the better-funded film releases now have their own websites, where browsers can view trailers, stills, and information about the story, cast, and crew.[72]
Bollywood is also used to advertise other products. Product placement, as used in Hollywood, is widely practiced in Bollywood.[73]
Bollywood movie stars appear in print and television advertisements for other products, such as watches or soap (see Celebrity endorsement). Advertisers say that a star endorsement boosts sales.


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