IPTA and cinema
Jacob Levich
Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about the
Indian People's Theatre Association and its historical connection with
the film industry?
It's my impression that many of India's most important filmmakers,
both in the commercial and art-house fields, got their start with
IPTA.
Surprisingly, the New York Public Library seems to have nothing on the
subject. I'd be very grateful if anyone could suggest books, articles,
web sites, etc.
Regards,
Jake Levich
Nitin Sharma
Jacob Levich (jle...@newscorp.com) wrote:
: Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about the
: Indian People's Theatre Association and its historical connection with
: the film industry?
: It's my impression that many of India's most important filmmakers,
: both in the commercial and art-house fields, got their start with
: IPTA.
Yes, I have heard many leading lights of Hindi cinema were closely
associated with IPTA - which had a sort of communist character which
was 'in-fashion' ideology those days. Some of the more famous names
are Balraj sahni, AK hangal, zohra sehagal, Majrooh, Kaifi azmi,
Sahir (?) and others.
i'm sure others will add more.
-nitin
Bakulesh Thakker
In article <31e43800...@news.beta.delphi.com>, jle...@newscorp.com (Jacob Levich) says:
>
>Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about the
>Indian People's Theatre Association and its historical connection with
>the film industry?
>
>It's my impression that many of India's most important filmmakers,
>both in the commercial and art-house fields, got their start with
>IPTA.
>
>subject. I'd be very grateful if anyone could suggest books, articles,
>web sites, etc.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jake Levich
I have read Balraj Sahni's autobiography and remember that he mentions IPTA.
The biography was in hindi and published by Hind Pocket Books. I think
Khwaja Ahmed Abbas was also associated with IPTA.
Both Sahni and Abbas were writers and used to write in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu
and English. Sahni had penned the screenplay of Baazi and he has written in
the biography how he didnot like it when the director of movie, Guru Dutt,
wanted to hijack the movie and make it into a regular song and dance movie.
Sahni also mentions how he met Chetan Anand (Dev Anand's elder brother). It
was perhaps Chetan Anand who had dragged him to an IPTA meeting. In one of
the plays directed for IPTA, Sahni had unfortunately Dev as one of the actors.
Once while doing rehearsals Sahni did not like Dev's acting and in
exasperation he said: "Yaar, tu kabhi actor nahin ban sakta ..." or some such
thing. (Come On Buddy, you will never be an actor [your acting is mediocre] ...)
And Dev nursed the feeling of hurt for a long time. ...
Er... I vaguely remember there WAS one book in hindi with title "IPTA ki
Kahani" (Story of IPTA) or some such thing. Unfortunately there is no Indian
equivalent to Books in Print or else one could just look it up there.
I am sure for 1000 years IPTA or some such serious topic could be even
mentioned at a web page/site. But let us keep hope alive.
Wishing you all the best in your researches,
Regards. -Bakulesh Thakker <thakker....@mayo.edu>
Ashok
In article <31e43800...@news.beta.delphi.com>, jle...@newscorp.comě says...
>
>Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about the
>Indian People's Theatre Association and its historical connection with
>the film industry?
>
>It's my impression that many of India's most important filmmakers,
>both in the commercial and art-house fields, got their start with
>IPTA.
>
>Surprisingly, the New York Public Library seems to have nothing on the
>subject. I'd be very grateful if anyone could suggest books, articles,
>web sites, etc.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jake Levich
There doesn't seem to be any full-length book on IPTA, in general, leave
alone on its impact on post-Independence Indian films (How about writing
one? :)). There are, however, a number of articles on IPTA in
Pradhan, Sudhi (ed.): "Marxist Cultural Movement in India"
It is a massive three-volume work that came out over 1979-95. Published
by different local publishing houses in Calcutta. I don't know if it is
available in university libraries in the United States.
There is some account of IPTA (about half a chapter) in
Bharucha, Rustom: "Rehersals of Revolution." Univ. of Hawaii Press, '83.
Rustom Bharucha is a very good theatre critic from India. His discussion
is purely from the point of view of alternative people's theatre movements
in West Bengal.
You might also get some material on IPTA from the autobiographis of
Khwaja Ahmed Abbas and Balraj Sahni. Abbas's book ("I Am Not An Island")
is available in some university libraries, I believe. Balraj Sahni's '71
Hindi autobiograhpy has been translated into English as "Balraj Sahni by
Balraj Sahni", published by Hind Pocket Books, '79. I haven't seen it.
It might be a partial autobiography, as the Hindi title is "Meri Film
Atmakatha" (something like 'my life in films').
Good luck and please post whatever resources you discover!
Ashok
Bakulesh Thakker
In article <4sk3j9$g...@doc.zippo.com>, ADhar...@WorldBank.Org (Ashok) says:
>
>Hindi autobiograhpy has been translated into English as "Balraj Sahni by
>Balraj Sahni", published by Hind Pocket Books, '79. I haven't seen it.
>It might be a partial autobiography, as the Hindi title is "Meri Film
>Atmakatha" (something like 'my life in films').
>
>
>Good luck and please post whatever resources you discover!
>
>
>Ashok
>
be "Meri Filmi Atmakatha". Hind Pocket Books's sister publishing company
which publishes English books, is Orient Pulishing Co. I am again speaking
from memory, please double check.
In Sahni's biography he has noted an incident where he meets somebody, may
be V Shantaram, who then told him that he is an avid reader of his (Sahni's)
writings. I wish I knew which journal(s) Sahni used to publish his writings in. I
do not recall him mentioning any name in the biography. If he continued
writing after he came back to India, then he must have written at least
something on IPTA.
-Bakulesh Thakker