Wall poster project to mark 100 years of Indian cinema

The wall opposite Norohna stores in a narrow lane in Bandra (West) will come alive with retro romance on Saturday.

The wall opposite Norohna stores in a narrow lane in Bandra (West) will come alive with retro romance on Saturday.

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The 1953 classic, Anarkali, will be projected on the wall on Chapel Road for public screening as part of the yearlong celebrations of 100 years of Indian cinema. In 1913, Dadasaheb Phalke produced and directed the first Indian full length film, Raja Harishchandra.

On another wall in the same lane is a hand-painted mural of Anarkali’s poster showing actors Pradeep Kumar holding a smiling Bina Rai in his arms. Created by Bollywood Art Project (BAP), a public art project, the mural took two weeks to take shape and was completed on May 3.

“We want to create awareness about the classics and transform the walls in Mumbai into a living memorial of Bollywood,” said Ranjit Dahiya, a Bollywood poster artist, who set up BAP along with animation designer, Tony Peter.

Some similar murals will crop up on walls across the city through the year to chart the cinematic history of India. “We plan to create three artworks per month,” said Mallika Chabba, a painter and member of BAP.

“The wall graffiti is beautiful. I remember seeing Anarkali for 25 paise when I was 12 years old,” said Pascal Noronha, 74, owner of Noronha stores.