India’s movie industry toasted its 100th birthday on Friday with the release of two films celebrating its humble origins in the silent era and the influence of glamorous modern-day Bollywood.
comprises four short stories inspired by India’s love of cinema and the impact of the movies, created by some of the country’s leading filmmakers.
“You usually celebrate birthdays and that’s what we are doing today. Indian cinema turns 100 and we are acknowledging that,” said Zoya Akhtar, who directed the film along with Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee.
The acclaimed cast includes Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rani Mukherjee, with a cameo from acting legend Amitabh Bachchan.
The film’s theme song features Bollywood A-listers that include Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor.
The movie will have a special gala screening at the Cannes film festival this month, where India is to be honoured as the “guest country” in its landmark year.
