10 Iconic Faces & Films of the Golden Age

Take a closer look at 10 influential faces, films (and voices) that defined the Golden Age of Hindi cinema.

A sophisticated black and white melodrama (not unlike a Douglas Sirk classic), director Mehboob Khan's "Andaz" heralded a new era in Indian film and had a profound and enduring influence. It was a love triangle with a truly modern setting that showed the difficult transition from traditional to modern in the relationships between men and women. The film made top stars of his actors: Nargis, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.

Still from film Andaz (1949), courtesy copyright owner/author Mehboob Productions Private Ltd, Mumbai, India

Film still from Awaara (1951) starring actor/director Raj Kapoor and Nargis, Museum of Art & Photography, 1950

Actor/director Raj Kapoor, whilst working within the conventions of Hindi cinema, enriched it with new forms of storytelling, a wonderful use of music, modern acting, and a singularly cinematic voice. He formed a brilliant team with composers Shankar-Jaikishan, lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, and screenplay writers K.A. Abbas and V.P. Sathe. To this day, the actress Nargis (seen above) and Raj Kapoor are still considered the most popular romantic screen pair of Hindi film. With the release in 1951 of Awaara, Raj Kapoor became India’s first international star — adored in Africa, Russia, the Middle East and China.

No Indian film has a tale as emotive on the plight of farmers as Do Bigha Zamin ("Two Acres of Land", 1953). It includes an outstanding performance by Balraj Sahni as an impoverished farmer who is forced to pull a rickshaw in Calcutta in order to try and save his land. Bimal Roy, the film's director, has won the greatest number of film awards in Indian cinema for his many achingly sad and beautiful films — films that have helped to define what is socially relevant in Hindi cinema.

Photographer Damodar Kamat with star Meena Kumari on the sets of the Urdu film Pakeezah (1972), Museum of Art & Photography

Seen above preparing for a scene in the colour film Pakeezah (finally released in 1972) is the splendid actress Meena Kumari, directed by the remarkable filmmaker Kamal Amrohi, her husband. Starting her career as a child artiste, she co-starred with all the leading actors of her era. She was the winner of many Best Actress awards and she is remembered for her fine performances, her velvety voice and her air of tragedy.

Dev Anand seen here in his office in Mumbai, 1988. Photograph: Peter Chappell, from the collection of Hyphen Films, London

Along with Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand was considered to be one of the most important stars of the 1950s. Together the actors were affectionately known as “The Big Three.” Working in many different kinds of films, from romances to crime thrillers, Dev Anand enjoyed a career spanning 60 years, first as actor and later as director. He passed away in London on December 3, 2011.

Composer Madan Mohan with Lata Mangeshkar, from the collection of Chitrashala

Lata Mangeshkar's expressive and unmatched voice allowed for a wider choice of actresses from the 1940s onwards as they were no longer required to have a good singing voice; they just needed to lip-sync. Her vocal skills also gave music directors the freedom to compose complex and intricate tunes. Lata Mangeshkar is in a class of her own and remains a much-loved icon today. "Aayega Aanewala" from the 1949 film Mahal was the first of her many thousands of memorable songs.

Photographic still of actor Guru Dutt in the Hindi film Pyaasa, from the collection of Museum of Art & Photography

Director/producer/actor Guru Dutt had a uniquely cinematic voice. In his films, he brought together brilliant cinematography, sophisticated dialogue, stunning songs and endearing characters. He is seen here in the role of the poet Vijay in Pyaasa (1957), a film that is featured in Time magazine's top 100 movies of all time. For all his genius, Guru Dutt’s complex personality and inner turmoil led to his suicide in 1964 at the age of 39. Today he is regarded as one of the foremost filmmakers of Indian cinema.

Poet/lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi from the collection of Hyphen Films, London

The contribution of some Hindi/Urdu poets to films is incalculable. Their exquisitely poetic songs with enchanting romantic verse and social comment are remembered today more than the films in which the songs feature. Many fine lyricists have left an indelible mark on music lovers’ memories, including the left-wing poet Sahir Ludhianvi.

Still from the film Mother India (1957) courtesy copyright owner/author Mehboob Productions Private Ltd, Mumbai, India

Mehboob Khan's majestic film Mother India (1957) was the first Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category (1958). The central character, played by the incomparable Nargis, is Radha, a poor peasant woman who struggles to raise her sons Birju and Ramu (Sunil Dutt and Rajendra Kumar) despite much hardship and suffering. Her strong traditional values and bravery gave the character of Radha a unique place in the hearts of millions.

The beautifully elegant Madhubala in the famous Sheesh Mahal song sequence in K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Photo courtesy of Deepesh Salgia and Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd.

K. Asif's magnificent epic Mughal-e-Azam (1960) is set in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It tells a tale of a father and son conflict and the doomed love between the son, Prince Saleem (Dilip Kumar) and a commoner, Anarkali (Madhubala, in her best performance). Grandiose sets, magnificent battle scenes, splendid music and choreography, and rich dialogue have accorded K. Asif the reputation of a visionary filmmaker.

Born in India, Nasreen Munni Kabir is a London-based filmmaker/author who has made dozens of documentaries on Hindi cinema and written sixteen books on the subject. Kabir has served a six-year term as governor on the board of the British Film Institute and has curated the annual Indian film season on UK’s Channel 4 TV for over thirty years.