Film and Media
Bollywood Dance Classics: "Amrapali"
See four celebrated, rarely screened classics that laid the foundation for modern Bollywood.
“Amrapali,” 1966.
In this historical drama set around 500 BCE, the time of the Buddha, a warmonger king played by Sunil Dott plots the destruction of an enemy kingdom to rescue the woman he loves, the imprisoned royal courtesan Amrapali played by Vyjayanthimala. Directed by Lekh Tandon. 116 min. Hindi with English subtitles.
ABOUT THE BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASSICS FILM SERIES
Explore the origins of modern Bollywood through a selection of critically acclaimed Indian films from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, with a particular emphasis on stories of dancing women. From gorgeous spectacles to intimate character studies, these celebrated works — rarely shown in the United States — showcase the labor and creativity of film choreography and performance. For viewers who wish to look deeper, these four films also serve as case studies in dance’s potential to deliver complex narratives involving caste, gender, and religion. Above all, they are a testament to the timeless and universal delight of watching bodies move with incredible grace, skill, and virtuosity on screen.
See our schedule of all Beyond Bollywood events and performances.
Organizers & Sponsors
Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art is co-organized by the Asian Art Museum and the Cincinnati Art Museum. This exhibition has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Generous support is provided by Eliza and Dean Cash, Sumir Chadha, Vaishali Chadha and Family, Yogen and Peggy Dalal, Sonia Dhami, Shashi and Dipanjan “DJ” Deb, Susan and John Diekman, Sameer Gandhi and Monica Lopez, Aarti and Sandeep Johri, Kiran Kapany and Ariana and Misha Schwarz, Lata Krishnan and Ajay B. Shah, Fred Levin & Salle Yoo and Jeff Gray, Dipti and Rakesh Mathur, Sundar and Anjali Pichai, SACHI: Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India, Ram and Vijay Shriram, Sanjay and Suniti Subhedar, Meena Vashee, and an anonymous donor.
Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions.
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