Ramesh Sippy‘s Sholay is regarded as one of the landmark films in Indian cinema. The film revolutionized technical brilliance in Indian cinema like reviving the 70 MM format, Stereophonic sounds, Technicolor and introducing Hollywood style cinematography. The other vital contribution of Sholay to film technology was giving an impetus to the style of ‘Flashback’ the brilliant technique of disrupting the chronological sequence of the narrative and inserting events of the previous incidence.
If you recall Sholay, you would realize the entire tale of Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) and his encounter with dread dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) is told in Flashback. Writers Salim Javed has brilliantly written the narrative and film director Ramesh Sippy has excellently edited the narration so effectively that the film becomes gripping and cine buffs are captivated watch the film. Though the film is an exhaustive 204 minutes (3 hours and 15 minutes) but the slick editing makes the film an enjoyable affair!
Before Sholay, the ‘Flashback’ technique has been used by filmmakers but not on large scale. The Flashback narration is originally an old style of writing by Western authors. For instance, English laureate William Shakespeare used flashback in his famous novel Henry V to explain points in King Henry’s past and how that past affects his present judgment.
Speaking about the film, the ‘Flashback’ technique was First introduced in Indian films by Pramathesh Chandra Barua, popularly known as P.C. Barua, the Bengal film director cum actor who hit stardom with his film Bangla film Devdas (1935). In the year 1934 P.C. Barua introduced Flashback in his film Roop Lekha (1934). The film was re-made in Hindi as Mohabbat Ki Kasauti staring Bollywood star K.L. Saigal.
Filmmaker Kamal Amrohi used the Flashback technique quite successfully in his ‘Reincarnation’ horror tale Mahal (1949). The success of the film opened doors for the ‘Reincarnation’ genre of movies like Bimal Roy‘s Madhumati (1958), Mehbooba (1976) Chetan Anand‘s last movies, Kudrat (1981). Even Shah Rukh Khan‘s Om Shanti Om (2007) used the same trick. In fact, Akshay Kumar‘s latest hit Housefull 4 used the Reincarnation formula in an entertaining.
Among the recent films to adopt Flashback successfully include Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which starts with a narrative of a mute Pakistani girl becoming stranded in India and depicts an extended flashback introduction as to how Salman Khan (Hero) meets Kareena Kapoor Khan (Heroine) the woman he loves. Similarly the superlative suspense in Baahubali 2 about the secret of Katappa Ne Bahubali Ko Kyon Maara? Brilliantly told in a flashback by film director S. S. Rajamouli was truly Paisa Vasool!!
