When Dada Saheb Phalke gave India its first Hindi talkie with Raja Harishchandra, he had no idea what Hindi Cinema will turn out to be in the following decades. The ‘dream-weaving’ filmmakers of the era went on to create clichés in film making which is sacrosanct even today. Too afraid to experiment, the Indian directors went by the ‘formula’. It is evident that a formula which hits the target lives a long life in Bollywood. Each decade witnessed new breed of actors and filmmakers. It will be interesting to see Hindi Cinema’s journey through the decades.
The Golden Era 50s
This decade is considered as the ‘Golden Age’ of Hindi cinema. Focused on social themes, films in the 50s depicted the urban working class of new independent India. The films which are considered as classics today were all made in the 50s. Mother India, Mughal-E-Azam, Do Bigha Zameen, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Pyasa, Awaara and Shree 420 all these movies provided lessons in filmmaking to generations to come. 50s gave India the dreamy eyes of Nutan, peeking from her saree’s palloo, the mesmerising face of Madhubala and the candid Nargis enthralling one and all. Be it Dilip Kumar’s tear-jerking acts or Dev Anand’s inimitable style, they all revolutionised Hindi cinema. The unforgettable melodies gave us our first classics.
The Eastman Coloured 60s
The 1960s brought winds of colour. The themes continued to follow the rich and evil versus the poor and the rural good guy and the city bad guy formula. The decade brought in an air of transformation which diversified the traditional aspects of acting in Hindi film industry. Sangam, Guide, Dosti, Waqt and Teesri Manzil are some of the most remembered films of that time. The mood of the sixties was romantic. Shammi Kapoor’s jazz, Sunil Dutt’s mannerisms, Pran’s histrionics and Shashi Kapoor’s effortless acting gave audience a new flavour of cinema. Gorgeous actresses like Asha Parekh and Hema Malini graced the silver screen in this decade. 60s gave Bollywood its first ‘it’ girl, Helen, as she grooved to Gham Chhod ke Manao Rang Relly, O Haseena Zulfowali and Aa Jaane Jaan. The decade was surely a swinging one.
The ‘Angry’ 70s
The 70s is perhaps the best decade of Hindi cinema. Bollywood came out of age; the traditional ‘acting’ was engulfed by powerful performances and memorable dialogues. 70s was at the peak of everything you can relate to in a Hindi film – acting, direction, music and exploring new boundaries. Birth of the superstars, landmark films and Gabbar Singh’s debut, all these happened in the 70s. Khanna and Bachchan both enjoyed fan frenzy as no other actor had experienced before. The decade saw a new kind of hero, a hero ready to go against the law, a family man and a saviour. The most stylised villains came along with such a hero and the villain’s lair were surely masterpieces of art and technology. Anand, Deewar, Sholay, Trishul, Jhonny Mera Naam and Amar Akbar Anthony defined

The Black Era 80s
The 80s is considered as a dark period in Hindi cinema. The decade lacked creative yoke completely. The theme of the decade were very socialist; with a man against a system, the system being a big businessman, a wealthy ‘seth’ or a middle aged guy with a last name like Oberoi or Shahni, anything that sounds rich. The hold of Amitabh and Dharamendra was losing and the new faces like Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda had nothing new to offer. Family centric movies like Ghar Ek Mandir, Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni and Swarg, weighed down with social messages, gave no space to storytelling. The actresses danced on the hills and did ordinary work. Chameli Ki Shaadi, Naam, Parinda, Arjun and Lawaaris are some of the monumental works of this era.
The Khan Era 90s
This decade is special in many ways. It is in this decade that globalisation stepped in India and the world embraced Pop culture. Audience fatigued by the dull 80s breathed into fresh air of new age cinema. Each and every actor of the 90s made a niche for himself. Acting became more of a passion than a choice. Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, the list of stars in 90s is endless. The damsels, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Juhi Chawla, Raveena Tandon complimented the male stars. But it is the three Khans, Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman who ruled the masses in true sense. They all have starred in the biggest hits of the decade. Their names are enough to guarantee bumper openings. Even after two decades they are still at the apex.
The new millennium
The new millennium opened new markets for Bollywood. With new markets came new kind of cinema. A new and smart audience, ‘multiplex audience’ came into existence. A new brigade of actors graced the screen. Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Imraan Khan, Ranbeer Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan became overnight stars. The ‘hatke’ cinema came in this decade. Audience chose stars on weekly basis and wanted something new each week. Actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra mesmerised the masses. The presence of the three Khans and booming new talent prepared a platform for a golden future of Bollywood. Social messages blended with entertainment peaked in this decade with movies like Rang De Basanti, Munna Bhai MBBS, Swades, Chak De! India and 3 Idiots.

Today the new age directors are ready to take the risk and defy the norms. The films are high on substance and make a comment on social and day-to-day issues. They are not just commercially viable but present what the youth look out for. The films today are providing people an overall feel of a good movie experience. Hindi cinema has altered significantly to reflect its internationalism. Whether the content was Indian or not, the look and feel of Bollywood films became slicker, more contemporary. Also with realistic films there were evident changes in the Western notions of Bollywood as being too escapist and unnatural. Bollywood has surely come out of age.