By Bollywood at Louvre Abu Dhabi
An entire section at Louvre Abu Dhabi, brings alive the mystery and magic of Bollywood films in a specially curated exhibition that ends on June 4th, 2023. Bollywood Superstars, A Short Story of Indian Cinema, is a comprehensive showcase of one of the biggest movie industries of the world that churns out over 1,500 films in over 20 languages. The exhibition is organised in partnership with Musee du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac and France Museums. Through more than 80 artworks including photographs, textiles, graphic arts, costumes and over 30 film extracts, the exhibition explores the rich history of Indian cinema from its beginnings in the late 19th century up to the present.
Visitors walk into a giant screen playing the title song from the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, to displays depicting pre-cinematic forms of storytelling — when shadow puppets, scrolls, bioscopes and magic lanterns provided entertainment to people.
Mythology was an early inspiration for filmmakers in India celebrating Gods and heroes from Ramayana and Mahabharata displayed in the sub-section, Gods and Princes of the Screen. The images of Hindu deities were also a subject of calendar artworks by well-known painter Raja Ravi Varma, presented in the form of a collage of posters and matchbox covers at the exhibition.
Bollywood is synonymous with music and dance. The exhibition beautifully captures two iconic song sequences portrayed on screen by the legendary actresses Madhubala and Meena Kumari in cult classics Pakeezah and Mughal-E-Azam. It is a treat to watch Meena Kumari’s subtle expressions in her languorous and elegant dance style in Thare Rahiyo. At the same time, visitors will be awestruck by the grandeur of the sets and the graceful Kathak moves of Madhubala in Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya.
Strolling further inside, one gets to see film posters, exhibits on Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema and Satyajit Ray an icon of auteur cinema, provide insights into varied themes and personalities that have shaped this burgeoning movie industry.
“This exhibition is a tribute to Bollywood and can be enjoyed by both Indian cinema fans and the wider public. We hope that it portrays the richness of Asian traditions and tells the stories that the led to the birth of this cinema. The exhibition celebrates Bollywood superstars who are adored by their fans in India in a way that is rarely seen elsewhere in the world,” said exhibition curators Julien Rousseau, Curator and Head of the Asian Collections at Musee du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, and Helene Kessous, PhD in Social Anthropology and Ethnology, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.
Other treats include an immersive experience that lets visitors be part of a song and dance sequence on the big screen and also lets them watch the blockbuster Sholay in a single screen theatrical experience. Bollywood fans are known for the die-hard allegiance to movie icons. Large cut-outs of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sridevi, studded with neon lights in the exhibition, compliment the real-life aura and magnetism.