UAE: Bollywood history to be showcased at Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibition

As part of its 2022-2023 cultural season, Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced its upcoming exhibition, Bollywood Superstars: A Short Story of Indian Cinema, opening on January 24 and concluding on June 24.

The exhibition will showcase the depth and richness of the Indian subcontinent's art and civilisation through its long tradition of image-making and the diversity of the Indian filmmaking industry.

Through more than 80 artworks, including photographs, textiles, graphic arts, costumes and over 30 film extracts, the exhibition explores the rich history of Indian cinema from its beginnings in the late 19th Century up to the present.

The artworks come from the collections of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Musée de l'armée, Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, al-Sabah Collection, Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation and Priya Paul Collection.

As the world's leading film producer, India currently produces more than 1,500 films a year in nearly 20 languages, which are then exported throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Through Bollywood Superstars, museumgoers will discover how Indian pioneers utilised nascent image technologies such as lithography and photography, kickstarting the journey from the birth of the first films to grand musical features.

Visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the international success of Bollywood and an appreciation of the diversity of Indian cinematography. The comprehensive displays span the history of Indian cinema from storytelling, dance, and pre-cinema to the influence of religion and mythology and the rise of Bollywood superstars.

Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, commented, "Bollywood Superstars is a feast not only to Indian audiences, who are among the most important nationalities that visit Louvre Abu Dhabi, but also to everyone with an appetite for the rich culture of the sub-continent and its roots."

Emmanuel Kasarhérou, President of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, said, "Bollywood Superstars stands out for the quality and originality of its content. It is bound to appeal to visitors at Louvre Abu Dhabi."

Screening of iconic film extracts

Highlights from the exhibition include artworks from Louvre Abu Dhabi's collection, such as a Page from a Harivamsa Series: Krishna and His Courtiers by the Sea at Pandaraka (ca. 1820, Kangra, India); Mail and Plate Armour, Called "Four Mirrors" Armour (ca. 1600 – 1800, Mughal, India); and Krishna Surrounded by Gopis (ca. 1655, Rajasthan, India). Highlight loans from partner museums include a statuette of Krishna as a child playing the flute (second half of the 19th Century, Rajasthan, India) from Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac; a Dagger (late 17th Century, Kuwait) from al-Sabah Collection; Indian Armour (18th Century) from Musée de l'armée; and a Coat (19th Century) from Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet. Cinema buffs will especially enjoy the screening of several iconic film extracts that have left an indelible mark on the history of Indian cinema.

The exhibition's curators, Julien Rousseau and Hélène Kessous, said, "This exhibition is a tribute to Bollywood and can be enjoyed by both Indian cinema fans and the wider public."

Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi, said, "This exhibition provides a unique insight into an art genre with a vast history and powerful present. Visitors will discover the depth of the Indian filmmaking industry since its beginning and gain a unique perspective into the richness of forms that pervaded its creation."

Exhibition details