Neo-wave v/s New age cinema

When M. S. Sathyu’s Garam Hawa was released in 1973, it created history, as it was the start of the neo-wave cult in Hindi films. With a taut screenplay by Ismail Chugtai and a majestic performance by Balraj Sahni, the film set trends, unknown in the history of Bollywood. Shyam Benegal’s Ankur, Nishant and Manthan followed, establishing the neo-wave cinema strongly in the tinsel town, where larger-than-life entertainment and box office-oriented movies ruled.Satyajit Ray welcomed the young Turks like Sathyu and Benegal, describing them as a promising bunch of directors.

The 1980s saw a series of off beat, serious films based on social issues like Akrosh, Chakra and Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Ata Hai. These films were cinematically much richer compared to the stereotypes like Zanjeer, Pratigya, Sholay and Mehbooba, the potboilers of the 1970s. Just as the mainstream cinema saw some of the most forgettable films in the 1980s, the neo- wave cinema prospered with leaps and bounds catering to the esquire and intelligentsia.

The neo-wave cinema also gave birth to some highly talented actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri. They filled the vacuum created by the loss of Motilal, Balraj Sahni, Meena Kumari and Nargis.
However, the 1990s also saw almost all stalwarts of the neo-wave cinema losing their magical touch. Benegal could never find his earlier form in Sardari Begum and Zubeidaa. Nihalani, too, showed signs of decline in talent in Drishti, Zazere and Takshak. Though Saeed Akhtar Mirza did show some flashes of brilliance in Naseem but stopped making films after that.

I think the reason behind their downfall is the system that exists in Hindi films.Bollywood has never bothered to create an atmosphere for creative cinema or a thinking audience. The cause for survival and the inner yearnings to carry on working compelled Benagal, Nihalani and Mirza to compromise. Of course, they could have done without it but then it would have made it very difficult for them to survive in the industry.

To be continued...