Celebrating Divas from Bollywood

Posters of Bollywood heroines trace the history of the industry.As the country celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema, the immense contribution of Bollywood actresses over the last century must be acknowledged.

The ongoing 12th Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival is paying a homage to the divas of Hindi film indu­s­try exhibiting vintage and rare posters, show-cards, stills of actresses like Sulochana, Zubeida, Gohar, Devika Rani, Nadia, Suraiya, Kamini Kaushal, Meena Kumari, Geeta Bali, Nargis, Madhubala, Nutan, Waheeda Rehman, Saira Bano and many more.

The exhibition ‘The Divas of Indian Cinema – 100 Years of Beauty and Grace’ takes the visitors to a chronological journey of Hindi film industry through the actresses it has seen.
The gallery features posters of even films directed as long back as 1925 such as the silent film Prem Sanyas which starred Sita Devi and was directed by Franz Osten and Bahar-e-Sulaimani starring Zebunisa.

The progression of Hindi film industry is visible with the exhibition moving on to another era of actress like Nargis, Vyjyantimala, Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini, Helen, Rekha and Smita Patil.

From the contemporary lot, the exhibition has one poster of Aishwarya Rai in Umrao Jaan, while the rest of the actresses were given a miss due to the space constraints.
The vast Osian’s Film Archive Collection pays homage to these screen icons in their shifting personas of the woman as mother, goddess, vamp, lover and redeemer.
The cinematic artworks evoke a unique atmosphere of glamour, grace and awe most befitting a diva through an elegant exercising of craft and aesthetic astuteness of the memorabilia designers, artists and directors.

Some of the posters are originals designed by senior poster makers. The ones that catch the eyes are of Neel-Kamal and Jab Jab Phool Khile made with gold sequins.
 Not only does the exhibition chronicle the great actresses of different eras but also how women in India are seen as manifestations of shakti – the Mother Goddess, the primordial force of life animating the universe incarnate. It showcases the special status that actresses have enjoyed in Hindi cinema.