A recent exhibition at the NGV International “Cinema India the Art of Bollywood“, hosted a staggering array of Bollywood film posters. This was a visual treat for people of any background. The posters displayed were made by brilliant artisans, typically on a peasant wage, documenting the amazing flavour of Bollywood in decades past. The example above is a glimpse of what the exhibition had on offer, and has driven one to seek out more Bollywood films and ‘Deewaar‘. Who is this ‘Deewaar‘ character? Where does he come from? Why the look of pensive determination and the thousand yard stare?

Indeed one felt like the ‘outsider looking in‘ while eagerly digesting the amazing use of colour, type, composition and restraint evident in the pieces. One wanted to drop everything for a ticket to India — Is there countless evil fathers sending their beautiful daughters off to an arranged marriage with an equally evil and ruthless husbands? Will the ‘Deewaar‘, or whoever the hell he is, burst in with red hot guns blazing (John Wayne crossed with beef vindaloo style), save the daughters, kill the bad guys, maybe put the fathers right as well?

That is the spell of Cinema India — inspiring. The Bollywood mix of emotion and thought in film posters is something that Western posters lose in their persistent image making formula and annoying credit lists — including the Third Director of Makeup, Third Director of Makeup‘s dog, and Third Director of Makeup‘s dog assistant. No offense to Make-up Directors, their dogs and their dog‘s assistant of course.

By Owen Ridgwell ( and Aunty Di we suspect )