With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Israel, the concept of a Jewish contribution to Bollywood came to mind. Sulochana, India's first female superstar; Rose, a popular starlet; Pramila, the first Miss India; Nadira, the "quintessential vamp" who...
When Danny Ben-Moshe read an obituary for acclaimed Hindi cinema actor Nadira in 2006, he noticed two things. Florence Ezekiel was one of her real names. The other was her "raunchy vamp" persona, as he put it.
Nadira was one...
When we think of the subcontinent, we think of the Mughal invasions of 1526 and the partition dates of 1947. The subcontinent's destiny and final division would be shaped by the Durrani regimes, Mughal emperors, British rule, and the...
Bollywood appears to be losing a legacy - its Indian Jewish patrons - at a time when it is reaching out to many countries.
Their contribution to the Hindi film industry, particularly during the silent era before independence, was significant,...
Fans of early Bollywood will notice that Sulochana—born Ruby Myers—and Pramila have a lot in common in their lives and professions. Both became superstars in the Indian cinema industry during a time when Indian women were rarely seen outside...
When Jews ran… Bollywood?
Hollywood has long been connected with Jews, for better or worse, since the first Jewish-run studios made cinema what it is today. Bollywood? Not at all.
Jewish women were Indian cinema's first actresses
The Baghdadi Jewish community owes a significant debt of gratitude to Indian cinema because its women were among the first to act in films, at great...
The Jewish superstars who once ruled Bollywood
Danny Ben-Moshe, a Melbourne-based documentary filmmaker, received a newspaper clipping from his Indian research assistant in 2006. It was an obituary for a famous Indian actress...
Much has been written about Hollywood's Jewish history. This, on the other hand, is a little more startling. In the early days of the similarly dynamic Indian film industry - Bollywood – Jews played a significant role. A number...
The Hindi film business, also known as Bollywood, is one of the world's largest worldwide film industries, with a population of over 1.3 billion people. It is also home to some of the world's most famous actresses. Priyanka Chopra...