Billboard Layouts
Billboard artists created small format versions of what would become large scale hoardings.
Buddha Mil Gaya (Found an Old Man), 1971
Billboard Layout, c. 1971, 22.5cm X 37cm
Tinted silver gelatin print and paint on textured board.
Buddha Mil Gaya is the story of two hustlers who take in an elderly man they come across at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay. The elderly man’s estate is worth millions and as the two hustlers try to get their hands on the money, several murders are committed. The film featured a hit song, entitled "Raat Kali Ek Khwab Mein", sung by Kishore Kumar.
The film Buddha Mil Gaya (1971) was produced by L. B. Thakur and directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Music by R. D. Burman. Colour, Hindi, starring Navin Nischal, Archana and Deven Verma.
--Additional text by Dr. Deepali Dewan and Alexandra McCarter, based on Deepali Dewan, ed. Bollywood Cinema Showcards: Indian Film Art from the 1950s to the 1980s. Showcards from The Hartwick Collection. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum Press, 2011. Copyright of and reproduced here with the generous permission of the Royal Ontario Museum.
Chhoti Bahu (Youngest Daughter-in-law), 1971
Billboard Layout, 20cm X 42cm
Tinted gelatin silver print and poster paint on textured board with hand-lettering.
Chhoti Bahu stars Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Kanna, a popular on-screen duo of the 1970s. During their careers, they have both received the highest honours in Hindi Cinema - Filmfare’s recognition as Best Actress and Actor respectively. Both stars have also won Lifetime Achievment Awards.
Sharmila Tagore was the most glamorous actress of her time, and her sensual style made her a fashion icon. In 1967, she was the first Indian actress to wear a bikini. Rajesh Khanna, also known as Kaka, was one of the first superstars of the Indian film industry. During the peak of his career, his fans would line the road while scores of women would mob his car, covering it with lipstick kisses.
The film Chhoti Bahu (1971) was produced by Darius Gotla-Seeroo Dayanani of Delux Productions and directed by K. B. Tilak. Music by Kalyanji. Colour, Hindi, starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna.