As soon as we think of Rajasthan, the first thing that probably pops into our minds is its rich culture, its royal palaces, magnanimous forts, traditional dance, and folk music. Nonetheless, what mostly goes unnoticed is its cinema, the Rajasthani Film Industry. So, we’ve curated an entire list of all the things that you all must know about this vast industry of Rajasthani films and cinema. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
1. What is the Rajasthani Cinema?
All the films produced and made in the royal city of India, Rajasthan, constitute the cinema of Rajasthan. The languages of these films are mostly the tribal and the regional languages of Rajasthan such as Marwari, Mewari, Brajbhasha, Bagri.
2. The first-ever Rajasthani film
The first-ever Rajasthani film was Nazrana released in 1942. It was produced in the Marwari language and directed by G.P Kapoor.
3. The first Rajasthani film that got famous
The first Rajasthani film that bagged the most fame and name was Babasa Ri Ladli. Released in 1961, B.K. Adarsh was the producer.
4. Famous Rajasthani Films
Apart from Babasi Ri Ladli, which was the first film that got famous, some of the other evergreen films that stayed in people’s hearts were Dhanak (2015) – directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, Taawdo The Sunlight (2017) – directed by Vijay Suthar, I Am Kalam (2010) – directed by Nila madhab Panda, Rudaali (1993) – directed by Kalpana Lajmi, Manorama Six Feet Under – (2007) – directed by Navdeep Singh, Birani Sardar (2015) – directed by Gandhi Brothers, Mero Badloo (2015) – directed by Mahendra Gaur amidst many more.
5. Digitalisation and growth of Cinema of Rajasthan
There was a time when single-screen cinemas used to play movies through projectors and reels. However, now all the cinemas and single-screen theatres use satellite projectors to run the films. This has resulted in the rise in the quality of the films projected on the big screens.
Moreover, the introduction of e-tickets has also added to the growth of the Rajasthani film industry. Now people don’t have to stand in long queues to buy the tickets as they’re easily available online. This not only saves time but the effort in buying tickets. Besides, this has also resulted in a tremendous decrease in the black marketing of the tickets. All of this has contributed to the growth of the Rajasthani Film Industry.
6. Capping of the Entertainment Tax
Entertainment tax – that was as high as up to 100% – was yet another factor that used to tamper the Rajasthani Film Industry. It used to make cinema available to the rich only, discouraging more and more people to go and watch the movies. However, due to the introduction of GST (Goods and Services Tax), the tax rate has gone down to 28%.
Besides this, the government also encourages all those single screens that cap their prices at Rs 100 and levy a tax of just 18%. This leads to a significant rise in the viewer-base.
7. Lack of finance and quality
Despite all the factors that have been contributing to the rise in the Rajasthani Film Industry, it is still facing threats and is dying. One of the major factors is the lack of talent, finance, and quality in the Rajasthani Film Industry. This results in a decrease in the number of screens that release the regional Rajasthani films.
Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu film industries are reaching sky-high limits and are earning up to Rs 200 crores in the markets. However, unfortunately, it’s hard to say the same for the Rajasthani Film Industry.
8. Hollywood As A Threat to the Rajasthani Film Industry
As we keep binge-watching American shows and movies, obsess over BTS, Billie Eilish and so many more pop Hollywood stars and celebrities, the Rajasthani Cinema is under serious threat. Several latest films and shows such as Avengers – End Game, The Office, Game of Thrones, and many more have created records – they are doing wonders in the Indian market.
As a result, Hollywood filmmakers and producers have started identifying India as one of the most potential markets in the world. Hence, this is posing a severe threat to the regional films of Rajasthan.
9. Rise of OTT Platforms
Gone are the days when people used to wait for the day when they would go and watch their favorite movies in the theatre halls. With cheap internet plans and a rise in the OTT platforms, the content is easily available everywhere. Now, even though it makes the content available to more people, it also results in a significant fall in the number of people who wish to buy a ticket to watch a film. As a result, this affects the overall Rajasthani Film Industry.
Well, as much as we would all love to go to a theatre to watch the movie with our friends with a large bucket of crispy popcorn and coke, the pandemic is still not over. So, stay home stay safe, fellas!
10. Lack of Promotion and Poor Production
Since the 2000s the number of films produced in the Rajasthani Film Industry has witnessed a stark downfall. Some of the major reasons behind the downfall are the lack of promotion and poor production quality. Nowadays, filmmakers and creators spend a good chunk of time and money on the promotion of the film. So, when a film doesn’t gain as much attention due to lack of promotion which also stems from the lack of finance sometimes, the film might not do as well in the theatre.
Another factor is the poor scripts due to which mainstream filmmakers and actors are distancing the 7-decades old Rajasthani Film Industry. Several famous and mainstream actors and filmmakers who used to actively contribute to the Rajasthani Film Industry are now aiming for Bollywood.
Do you also know some interesting facts about the Rajasthani Film Industry? Let us know about it in the comments below!
Follow Rajasthan Studio on Instagram for more amazing art and travel content. Reach out to us on email at contact[at]rajasthanstudio[dot]com. This blog is curated by Rajasthan Studio and written by Prachi Batra.
