Cinema is a visual medium of storytelling that will take you to a different world altogether. Each one of us might have watched a movie which has affected us deeply from within. Some comedies make us laugh while others make us immensely emotional. Filmmakers or film directors are the captains of their respective ships when it comes to movies. Without their vision, dedication and hard work there is no way you will be able to enjoy the magic of a movie. India post has issued several stamps of India depicting some of the most celebrated filmmakers of India. Let’s take a look at some of them!
Dadasaheb Phalke
Father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke (30th April 1870 – 16th February 1944), was a producer-director-screenwriter who made India’s first full-length feature – Raja Harishchandra in 1913. After his Debut hit, he made 95 movies and 26 short films till 1937. Some of his noted films were Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919). The Government of India instituted Dadasaheb Phalke Award the in 1969, which is considered to be the most prestigious award given to film personalities in the country. One of the stamps of India issued in 1971 honours this legendary filmmaker.
Satyajit Raj
Satyajit Ray (2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was considered as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century. He started off as a commercial artist, but his life changed during a visit to London when he met French filmmaker Jean Renoir and watched Vittorio De Sica’s Italian film ‘Bicycle Thieves’ (1948). Since then he took up independent filmmaking passionately. Apart from directing 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts, he was also a great fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music composer, graphic designer and film critic. Pather Panchali (1955) was Ray’s Debut film which won eleven international prizes like the Best Human Document award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Pather Panchali , Aparajito (1956), and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (1959) is a part of The Apu Trilogy. He was responsible for scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards including the highest civilian award – Bharat Ratna in 1992. If you are a topical collector of stamps of India depicting filmmakers, then you can’t miss this one!
Mehboob Khan
Mehboob Khan (9th September 1907 – 28th May 1964) was a famous producer-director who rocked the world with Mother India (1957). The film won Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Mehboob Productions was established by him that was later turned into Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai in 1954. Click here to view details about a stamp featuring Mehboob Khan.
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy (12th July 1909 – 8th January 1965) was known for making realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini. Do Bigha Zameen was inspired from Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948). He was known for arranging his sets beautifully to depict realism. He won eleven Filmfare Awards, two National Film Awards, and the International Prize of the Cannes Film Festival. Madhumati won a record breaking 9 Filmfare Awards in 1958 which was unbreakable for 37 years. If you like collecting stamps of India and are also crazy about films, then you should have this Bimal Roy stamp in your collection.
Chetan Anand
Chetan Anand (3rd January 1921 – 6th July 1997) debuted with Neecha Nagar which got the the Palme d’Or (Best Film) award at the first ever Cannes Film Festival in 1946. He founded Navketan Films in association with his younger brother Dev Anand in 1949. He was the eldest brother to renowned actors and filmmakers Dev Anand and Vijay Anand. His younger sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of the famous Indian director Shekhar Kapur. Click here to view details about a Chetan Anand Stamp.
BR Chopra
R. Chopra (22nd April 1914 – 5th November 2008) was known for making amazing films like Naya Daur (1957), Sadhna (1958), Kanoon (1961), Gumrah (1963) and Humraaz (1967) and the TV series, Mahabharat in the late 1980s, He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1998. Yash Chopra was his younger brother, Ravi Chopra was his son and Aditya Chopra, Uday Chopra are his nephews, all of whom made their mark in Bollywood! Click here to view details about a BR Chopra stamp.
Hrushikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30th September 1922 – 27th August 2006) made many interesting films like Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Kissi Se Na Kehna and Namak Haraam. Hrishi-da directed 42 films in 40 years, all of which reflected lives and stories middle-class India. His films were somewhere in between the big blockbusters and art cinema. He was the Chairman of Central Board of Film Certification and of the National Film Development Corporation. He was honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1999 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. Click here to learn details about one of the stamps of India that depicts this great filmmaker!
So what are you waiting for? Say Lights, Camera, Action and start collecting stamps of India featuring filmmakers.
The Mintage World Team comprises of experts, researchers and writers from the field of Philately, Notaphily and Numismatics who try to shed light on some of the most interesting aspects of coins, banknotes and stamps from not just India but across the globe as well.
