Robbed of a childhood

From her debut in 1955, the child artist Daisy Irani acted in over 300 movies. A natural talent with no formal training, she was known for her quick uptake on delivering the perfect performance before the camera. She was most successful and well-known child artist through the 1950s and 1960s – some roles were even written and rewritten specially for her. Daisy was a child star with the short, curly locks, the impish smile and big expressive eyes, for whom the arc lights had become her playground. From Naya Daur (1956) to Kati Patang (1970), she could share screen space with veteran actors Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Vjayantimala and Asha Parekh. 

Behind the Big Screen narrates untold stories of child actors from behind the big screen and delves into the lives of the kids who once lit up the big screen. It explores the joys, struggles, and unique pressures of growing up under the spotlight, The book is as much a celebration as revelation about the young lives consumed under arc lights. Tabassum, Honey, Raju, Khusbhu, Manju, Naaz, Guddu were household names, who alongside many others evoke pleasant memories. Few of these innocent faces were nothing less than a brand.

But the dazzling world of cinema ravaged several childhoods, which to some was a ’never-ending black comedy’. Some felt blessed but many others betrayed. Says late Tabassum, the noted yesteryear child artist: ‘There is no such thing as a child actor. Because when you enter the industry as a child artist, the word child drops off from artist’ life.’ This industry, the Bollywood Industry, has production schedules with limited moral and ethical compulsions, irrespective of one’s age the grilling and grueling remains the same.  

Behind the Big Screen makes compelling reading. The stories swing between opportunity and cost – between glittering fame early in life and to the lifelong scars. Journalists Sunanda Mehta and Suchitra Iyer provide a well-researched narrative on the prevailing ills of the industry and guides what may be correct way to navigate a world basically built for adults. In the makeshift would of cinema, the truth is that the child is uprooted from his ecosystem of same age friends and suddenly pushed into adulthood. Once inside this makeshift world of fiction and imagination, childhood dreams invariably collide with harsh realities.

The book explores the world of child actors and the film industry in its entirety. It doesn’t just skim the surface but examines both the sparkle of cinema and the shadows it casts. It is unfortunate that child rights are not yet formally protected whereas cinema acknowledges animal rights upfront in its credit– ‘no animals were harmed during making of the film.’ With lack of regulations for child artists, it is at the whim of producer-director for making such rules.

The rules of cinema are not strict, have yet to be framed for strict application. As things stand, it is not a rule industry rather still a free for all. Safety on the sets, school attendance, shorter work hours are easy to ensure. Exploitation of kids is an important issue that has yet to be addressed. Child artists Daisy and Honey Irani have openly talked about being exploited, with no one to counsel them as family members are complicit in the crime. When a child becomes a star, the parent-child relationship changes as the child becomes a cash-cow.

There is a refreshing honesty in the way Behind the Big Screen tackles inter-personal and socio-cultural issues. Within the complexity of the issues, the book lightens moments of humor and mischief. The playful memories of on-set pranks, camaraderie among child actors, and the sheer joy of being part of iconic films are insightful reminders. It’s this mix of insight and charm that makes the book such a page-turner.

Behind the Big Screen
by Sunanda Mehta and Suchitra Iyer
Bloomsbury, New Delhi.
Extent: 284, Price: Rs. 599.

First published in Deccan Herald on Feb 8, 2026.

!975: The year that it was

Of the 80 Bollywood films released in 1975, only some 15 or 30 reflected the hopes, fears and complexities of the time the society was grappling with. Yet it is considered a landmark year, an evocative, and richly layered transformative year in cinema. But can one calendar year mirror the socio-political and emotional pulse of a changing India? Did ‘angry young man’ reflect the post-emergency disillusionment of the time? Was the genre fusion story telling taken center-stage in telling the uncomfortable truths?

The year was undoubtedly rich in story ideas, courageous scripts and unforgettable artistry. A powerful lineup of films — Sholay, Deewaar, Chupke Chupke, Julie, Aandhi, Nishant — justified the year as a landmark in storytelling, genre fusion, and marketing. The year also brought a remarkable cinematic spectrum by achieving a beautiful balance between commercial hits and artistic milestones. What sets this book apart is its attention to the lesser-discussed but equally vital parallel cinema films - like Nishant, Aandhi, and Mausam.  In his scholarly insights, the author brings the industry's willingness to grapple with uncomfortable truths—be it political disillusionment, patriarchal oppression, or emotional vulnerability. 

In all, 1975: The Year That Transformed Bollywood is an insightful read for film lovers, historians, and anyone curious about the intersection of art, society, and cultural evolution. This period marked a dark chapter in country’s democratic history. The Emergency had far-reaching impacts on all aspects of the society, but its notable impact was on landmark films. The book not only reaffirms the significance of the political tumultuous year but also gently nudges the readers to appreciate and explore the kind of cinema that left a lasting legacy. For films, the year was but a blessing in disguise.

A music enthusiast and a passionate cinephile, Pratik Majumdar contends that 1975 was a turning year in film-making era that reflected the complexities and hopes of an entire generation. In doing so, Majumdar rewinds the reels for the reader to immerse in a time when Bollywood was not only bold but beautiful, and no less brimming with unforgettable stories. Each of the thirty films that have been explored for their narrative strength but also for distinct treatment by the director. From groundbreaking blockbusters to nuanced dramas, directors showcased their creative prowess to have a lasting impact.

Five decades later, many of the stories still hold relevance. It will forever be celebrated for its landmark films for variety and experimentation. In terms of sheer diversity and creative output, the year not only rejuvenated story telling but created space to experiment to suit the evolving tastes of the audience. Perhaps the greatest testament to the year under reference is that it brought the leading actors closer to its audience. 

1975: The year That Transformed Bollywood opens a window into an era where every line of dialogue echoed across time and every frame was musically steeped in passion. 

1975: The Year That Transformed Bollywood 
by Pratik Majumdar
Hachette, New Delhi. 
Extent: 197, Price: Rs. 499.

First published in The Hindu on Oct 16, 2025.

Man behind the greatest showman

Visual narration was his strength, through which he connected with the audience and left an indelible mark.

Measuring up to that sobriquet, Raj Kapoor stayed ahead of his times as the greatest showman who celebrated the making of purposeful cinema with aplomb. Allowing creative imagination to stay in the lead, his storytelling had an un-compromising flourish that risked everything at the cost of saying something important. His defining film Mera Naam Joker, the story of a clown who makes other laughs hiding his own sorrows, did not connect well with the audience but attained the status of a classic nonetheless. For a creative genius, the product held value over profit: ‘I agree that there should be some kind of economics but, for a true filmmaker, the heart has to reign supreme.’

In his four decades of an intensely engaging career, both as an actor and a filmmaker, Raj Kapoor  could carve a distinct niche for his creative pursuits in holding a mirror to the society. From his directorial debut in Aag in 1948 to an unfinished Henna in 1991, he dealt with human emotions, demolished social taboos, and exposed the duality of society. Visual narration was his strength, through which he connected with the audience and left an indelible mark. In the illustrious company of the tragedy king Dilip Kumar and the eternal romantic Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor stood out for his creative versatility to complete the Hindi cinema’s iconic trinity. 

In paying rich tributes to his mentor, Rahul Rawail reveals the eccentricity of the person behind the colossus. The Chaplinesque character on screen had a complimentary off-screen side to him, which was crazy, weird, affable, and amusing. Put together, it seemingly helped the actor and the director in him to have hugely appealing distinct identities. Need it be said that the dual identities epitomized a brand of film making that was unique to Raj Kapoor, guiding him to pick subjects which few had the courage to – Awara, Jaagte Raho, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Mera Naam Joker are few among many of his films that bear testimony to the sheer spectacle of content, form, technique and magnitude on celluloid.  

Raj and Dimple on the sets of 'Bobby'.

Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work is a racy memorabilia of the time spent assisting and learning from the maverick filmmaker. Drawing on valuable moments from an enviable association, Rawail shares memorable nuggets on the art and science of film-making that had made Kapoor attain dizzy heights in the world of cinema. Passionate as he was, considering himself ‘non-existent if cinema did not exist’, Kapoor had an incredible eye for details with an uncanny grasp on musical opportunity to create everlasting visual impact. No wonder, his musical flair remains a bench mark that continues to inspire and feature in songs composed till date.

Rawail recounts the making of the song Aa ab laut chalen in the film Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, which engaged 60 chorus artists and 120 musical instruments to match the onscreen grandeur of the situation. Since no recording studio in 1950’s could accommodate a large ensemble, the song was recorded in the open just past midnight. Kapoor’s obsession with music was overwhelming, and his knowledge of film-making was extensive. It was only through an innate knowledge of all aspects of film making – camera handling, the lighting, shot arrangement, scene sequencing and editing – that his films could be larger than life. 

Predominantly told through his association during the making of two iconic films - Mera Naam Joker and Bobby – Rawail reconstructs the aura of the greatest showman by pulling relevant anecdotes from the past that he had learnt from the master himself, and his close associates. Written with warmth and clarity, Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work makes for a delightful reading about the enigma who lived and breathed cinema. The book reveals that when it came to cinema, there was nothing that Raj Kapoor could not do. 

Raj Kapoor’s legacy lives on across many countries, a reflection on the filmmaker who was more than  the sum of his whimsical and creative facets. Himself an accomplished filmmaker, Rawail signs off his thoughtful memoir with a moving chapter on Kapoor’s untimely demise. ‘The flames engulfed the mortal remains of the Master and, as the fire rose, it heralded the birth of the immortal Raj Kapoor.’

Raj Kapoor: The Master At Work  
by Rahul Rawail
Bloomsbury, New Delhi 
Extent: 245, Price: Rs. 699.

First published in the Hindustan Times on April 13, 2022. 

Trees are from Eden

Liberalization of morality notwithstanding, the heroism of surrender and sacrifice is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

With the characters sticking on our minds and the songs staying in our hearts, Bollywood has turned repetitive scripts into a sub-culture of obsessive cinema from which there has been little escape. More by design than default, songs convey what the script cannot, in reflecting the overt and covert anxieties and aspirations of both the characters and the viewers. The combined effect of these two parallel strands created the cinematic possibilities of carrying forward the moral overtone of post-independence reconstruction of the society on the Gandhian principles of simplicity and celibacy. 

In his frame by frame decadal analysis of most popular films, Sanjay Suri sets out to establish that the dominant idiom of the films gets reinforced through moral obligations of the hero, reflected in his retreat from wealth and desire. In this intriguing analysis, cinema emerges as the creative paradox that triggers desire in the guise of austerity.    

A Gandhian Affair is as much exhilarating as entertaining in revealing a contrived method of film-making that cinematically projects the cultural necessity of rejecting desire. As viewers continue to identify with it, storytellers churn out much of the same stuff again and again. With slight deviation, however, desire in song and surrender in script makes our cinema stand out in its texture. Suri’s contention is that it couldn’t have been any other way, and there are any number of examples – from Mother India to Naya Daur and from Ram aur Shyam to Lage Raho Munna Bhai – to show how cinema defined its boundaries for and in a conservative society. 

Yet, the linear juxtaposition is not without its share of ambiguity! While the heroine resting her head in the lap of a man she was close to had outraged audiences to seek change in the ending of Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, the most sexual song Aaj sajan mohe and laga re, janam safal ho jaye (Take my body to yours, my life will be fulfilled) was curiously accepted by both viewers and listeners. 

The glaring disconnect between prose and poetry provides a discordant note on the art of film making. That songs are a departure from the scripted values on which the film rests draws attention to the inherent contradictions in the society. Only cinema give audiences an opportunity to unleash suppressed sexuality through songs that it identifies with, and lives on. Suri asserts that while the hero’s conduct has been largely Gandhian, sex has continued to dominate cinema in a curious hide-and-seek game. The question remains whether or not the portrayal of sex should be taken as a cinematic reflection of battle to gain inner control over human desire? 

Much has changed in the millennium decades though, but Gandhi has not yet been totally unsighted. Unless all of India becomes at least middle class, argues Suri, an idea of Gandhi will continue to resonate in the mainstream cinema. Liberalization of morality notwithstanding, the heroism of surrender and sacrifice is unlikely to fade anytime soon.  

Bollywood has attracted serious writings in recent years. Sanjay Suri makes a significant addition to growing literature on the subject by helping us understand cinema the way it may not have been viewed. A Gandhian Affair with cinema is engaging and entertaining. 

A Gandhian Affair
by Sanjay Suri
Harper Collins, New Delhi
Extent: 247, Price: Rs 499.

First published in weekly Outlook, week ending Oct 21, 2019.

Triumph of the Will

Guru Dutt not only viewed his life through camera but had perhaps scripted his end under arc lights too. The work and philosophy of enigmatic master craftsman of all times has been brought to life by Arun Khopkar in his scholarly work Guru Dutt: A Tragedy in Three Acts. The short but immensely reflective essays on three of his best films - Pyassa, Kagaz Ke Phool and Sahib, Bibi aur Gulam - cast light on this vastly talented writer, director and actor.   

Guru Dutt was an eternal romantic who, in his constant search for change feared 'success'. For him, success was the receipt for the sale of one's soul. The ultimate expression of self, Guru Dutt felt was to save oneself from the contagion of a rotten society. Else, one would need to compromise and embrace success. In Kagaz Ke Phool, the character in Suresh Sinha demonstrates what it meant not to compromise, even at the cost of destroying oneself. 

The conflict between man and society has engaged art in all forms through the ages. The films under reference bring the might, size and numbers of this faceless society, which crushes man, to light. The beetle crushed underfoot in Pyassa symbolizes this conflicting relationship between man and society. The artist in Guru Dutt used symbols to evoke a diversity of reflections of a situation, because he felt that a symbol could be suggestive of several shades of meanings, experiences and feelings. 

Without doubt, Guru Dutt was ahead of his time in content, style and technique. Using light and shade, Guru Dutt captured some of the finest images of loneliness on screen. Each image evokes multitudes of reflections, producing a set of imagined characters. Arun Khopkar details out how Guru Dutt uses the image of Christ, crucified, in many forms and on many levels in Pyassa. The character in Vijay is none other than the resurrected Christ, who presents himself at the function held to mark his first death anniversary.  

Guru Dutt went beyond the box office of success; the genius in him was in search for understanding each layer of the society as we (may) have known it. The characters that he created on the screen were from real life that would reject the idea that 'every man has a price' and instead project the 'value of individual existence’. Through such powerful images, Guru Dutt not only sharpens our sensibilities but leaves indelible mark on viewers' psyche. 

One cannot get to the depth of Guru Dutt's rich exposition of cinematic skills without reading Arun Khopkar's layered portrait of the troubled genius. I have considered Guru Dutt to be a mystic, a maverick filmmaker for whom art was more than just a thing of beauty. Far from it, as the book shows, Guru Dutt combined intricacies of the medium to bring his deep humanism and compassion for life on screen. Guru Dutt created a parallel reality through his films. 

It was a chance that I picked up 'Guru Dutt – A Tragedy in Three Acts'. It is a sheer delight to read Arun Khopkar's rich analysis of the genius and his work - raw and brilliant....Link 


Guru Dutt: A Tragedy in Three Acts
by Arun Khopkar
Penguin Books, India
153 pages, Rs 250