Trivia about first-ever films -- as in the first film ever to be released by a particular company or within a genre or with sound or in color -- is something that cinephiles love to know and adore discussing over and over and over.
Which means that "Raja Harishchandra" is a title that likely comes up in many a movie-line conversation. The work, made in 1913, was the first Indian film -- make that a feature-length film. It was a silent, of course -- as all cinematic offerings were that year -- and it went on to influence many a movie to come, decades into the future.
The year is notable, of course, because the Indian cinema industry is now observing its centennial. It has been a century of innovation, story, song, and dance, and yes, Bollywood, a term for Mumbai-based moviedom that is often used to encapsulate the whole of the Indian filmdom.
Hollywood will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bollywood on Thursday, Aug. 1 in a few ways. One? Dance troupe Blue13 Dance Company will bring its vibrant Bollywood stylings to the boulevard at 11 a.m.
That's happening at Madame Tussauds, where a quintet of new wax figures will be unveiled in honor of the moment: Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, and Amitabh Bachchan.
Bollywood wraps from Urban Masala will also be for sale.
Dance, food, and art seem a fine way to pay tribute to one of the planet's most loved and robust film industries. Happy 100th, Bollywood!
The Scene
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(And if you love the Blue13 performance, they'll be at the Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, Aug. 3 with "Fire & Power.")
