THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
Outlook Traveller|August - September 2024
FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS
UTTARAN DAS GUPTA
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD

ON 7 JULY 1896, AS BOMBAY WAS recovering from the plague, Marius Sestier, a French cinematographer, screened six short films at the "whites-only" Watson Hotel. Among the films shown was "L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat" (Arrival of the Train at La Ciotat), a 50-second, silent documentary showing a steam engine pulling a train into La Ciotat, a town near Marseille in France. Reports say several audience members panicked and ran for the exits when they saw the locomotive hurtling towards them on the screen. Though it is anachronistic to read too much into such events, the coincidence of cinema—a miracle of the modern industrial age—descending on the Indian subcontinent as a scary train is too delicious to ignore. Historian Ram Guha, in an article for "The Telegraph" in 2004, identified the railways and Hindi cinema as two of the eight reasons India has survived despite challenges. Both have fed, in many ways, into the national imagination.

THE CITY AND THE FRONTIER

One of the earliest films to exploit the adventure of train travel was the 1936 thriller "Miss Frontier Mail." Directed by Homi Wadia, it starred Fearless Nadia (Australian-Indian actor Mary Ann Evans) who had already established herself as an action star in "Hunterwali" (1935), also directed by Wadia. But even before its release, "Frontier Mail," as it was initially called, ran into trouble with B.B. and C.I. Railway, the company that operated the train, which ran from Bombay to Peshawar. The company had allowed Wadia to shoot on their train, and he had put a picture of a train crash on his poster.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OUTLOOK TRAVELLERView all
Can The Himalayas Outlast Tourism?
Outlook Traveller

Can The Himalayas Outlast Tourism?

Love The Himalayas, But Worried About Its Future? Hear From Three Experts On The Future Of The Region And How It Can Be Protected

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
EATING MINDFULLY
Outlook Traveller

EATING MINDFULLY

SUNITA NARAIN FROM THE CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSES HER NEW BOOK WHICH COMBINES THE JOYS OF EATING WITH CARE FOR THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE WHO TILL THEM

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
The Jewels Of Costa Rica
Outlook Traveller

The Jewels Of Costa Rica

A Long-time Birdwatcher Describes His Travels To The Lush Rainforests Of Costa Rica

time-read
6 mins  |
October - November 2024
WINGED WONDERS
Outlook Traveller

WINGED WONDERS

The story of migrating birds is the story of a promise to return, flying thousands of miles beset with dangers.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November 2024
THE LOOMINARIES
Outlook Traveller

THE LOOMINARIES

THE ROLE OF THE GREAT REVIVALISTS WHO GAVE INDIA'S TEXTILES A NEW LEASE ON LIFE CANNOT BE STATED ENOUGH. WE TRACE THEIR CELEBRATED LEGACY

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
KEEPERS OF THE CRAFT
Outlook Traveller

KEEPERS OF THE CRAFT

FROM REVIVING TRADITIONAL WEAVES TO CONTEMPORISING THEM WITH MODERN SILHOUETTES, THESE DESIGNERS ARE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE LOOM TURNING WITH A FRESH TAKE ON HERITAGE TEXTILES

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
SONGS OF THE SOIL
Outlook Traveller

SONGS OF THE SOIL

WITH INDIGENOUS TEXTILES FACING THE WRATH OF FAST FASHION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, INDIAN DESIGNERS ARE RALLYING TO REVIVE AND PRESERVE THESE PRECIOUS WEAVES

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
CRAFT CRUSADER
Outlook Traveller

CRAFT CRUSADER

THROUGH HER TEXTILE EXPLORATIONS ACROSS INDIA, DR PRITHA DASMAHAPATRA HAS BEEN PRESERVING ANCIENT CRAFTS, EMPOWERING ARTISANS, AND INSPIRING TRAVELLERS TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF HYPERLOCAL EXPERIENCES

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
ON THE GRID
Outlook Traveller

ON THE GRID

THE VIBRANT MADRAS CHECKS, NATIVE TO SOUTHEASTERN INDIA, HAS NOT JUST TRANSCENDED BORDERS BUT ALSO TRADITIONS AND STYLES

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
GOLDEN SILK
Outlook Traveller

GOLDEN SILK

THE PROPERTIES THAT MAKE MUGA SILK UNIQUE COULD SEE IT BEING USED IN THE BIOFUELS AND MEDICINES OF THE FUTURE

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November 2024