FRAMING BHOJPURIYA IDENTITY: A HISTORIOGRAPHY OF EARLY BHOJPURI CINEMA (1962–1990S)

1. Dr Satyendra Kumar Prasad , 2. Dr Sandeep Kumar Gupta

doi:10.18848/cvwcs635

Authors

1. Dr Satyendra Kumar Prasad , 2. Dr Sandeep Kumar Gupta Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18848/cvwcs635

Keywords:

Bhojpuri Cinema, Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo, Bidesia, Dangal, Bhikhari Thakur, Nazir Hussain, Nautanki

Abstract

This paper attempts to assess the Bhojpuri film industry since its inception in 1962 up to the low phase of the 90s, both in terms of it representing a new form of ‘Bhojpuriya identity’ and its growing economy. It was in 1962 that Bollywood actor Nassir Hussain launched the first Bhojpuri film Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo that set box office records in the Bhojpuri linguistic region and led to the foundation of the Bhojpuri film industry. Soon, after facing several glitches in the late 60s, this genre died. It revived again in 1977, with the release of Dangal, the first Bhojpuri film in colour, starring Sujit Kumar. I have attempted to intervene in this discursive field by examining the survival of Bhojpuri culture and language through the medium of music and cinema under the huge dominance of the Hindi language. I will attempt to arrive at a broad understanding of what constitutes the field of Bhojpuri film in India through a discussion of some landmark films of Bhojpuri.