First Day First Show

by Anupama Chopra

For more than a hundred years now, Indians have watched movies made in the subcontinent, sung the songs and gossiped about the stars. Bollywood has been a passion, a popular tradition and a shared national conversation. In recent decades, as India has experienced economic and social change, both the film industry and the entertainment it produces have transformed themselves as well.

First Day First Show is Anupama Chopra’s guide to this dazzling world of lights, cameras and stars but also to its shadowing darkness. She takes us into the lives of the stars and into the struggles of those who never make it to centre stage; she lets us participate in the making of legendary hits like Sholay and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and also the hard-won successes of independent film-makers; she shows us the glamour as well as the murky links with the underworld. There is also the odd story of the royal bodyguard of Bhutan who became a scriptwriter; of the embarrassed Pakistani soldiers at Wagah border who did not allow their favourite Indian superstars to shoot.

This book has all the ingredients of a Bollywood hit: there is friendship, love, despair, hope, heartbreak and triumph.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Shahine Ardeshir]

The best compliment I can pay Anupama Chopra is that she has managed to write an intelligent, interesting book about Bollywood’s movie industry, devoid of any gossip, slander or judgement. The fact is that First Day First Show is an intelligent read. It takes Bollywood seriously, and in doing so, recognizes its limitations, achievements as well as highlights aspects of the business end of things that most average movie goers won’t have heard of before.

More than a book, this is a collection of Chopra’s writings in newspaper columns over the years, making it an easy read, without demanding extended concentration, chapter after chapter. The articles are in chronological order, so by the time the book’s over, you get a sense that you’ve travelled, all the way from Khalnayak and Ankhein all the way down to My Name is Khan and Dabangg. Also, for someone like me, who really only took to Hindi films in the last twenty years, it fits perfectly. Rarely is she writing about a film, person or issue that I have no context of.

That being said, even in cases where I haven’t seen or heard of the film, Anupama Chopra’s assessment makes for an interesting read. She takes her work seriously. As she explains at the beginning of the book, she studied journalism and wanted to be a legitimate movie critique, in Bollywood. Her professionalism in approach shows, and that’s what distinguishes this work from any other Bollywood writing I’ve read. I especially liked the fact that most of her articles are rooted in fact. Sure, her critique has a role to play, but not to the extent where you lose her train of thought and it becomes only her opinion versus yours.

Overall, for me Chopra writes far better than she presents (Picture This to me was always a bit on the esoteric side and a tad too gabby) and is able to express an independent, clever and yet extremely positive view of Bollywood. I would definitely recommend this to someone who, like me, is an urban reticent Hindi-movie goer. It broadened my perspective, respect for and understanding of one of the world’s largest movie industries.

[Sahir D'souza. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Day First Show is a delightful compendium of Anupama Chopra’s writings on Bollywood (and sometimes a little beyond) since the early nineties up to about 2010, plus three extracts from her three previous books.
I am a huge Bollywood fan, much like Anupama, and her pieces give me insight into not just times I have known (Jab We Met, Om Shanti Om), but also into times before I was even born (Dil To Pagal Hai, DDLJ).
She not only examines the big stars and movies, but also takes time to look at 'art-house' cinema, non-Hindi films and even modelling. Amongst my favourite pieces in this book are her review of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, her examination of Kajol and Ajay Devgn’s post-marital bliss, a piece about a little-known film called Marana Simhasanam and its success at Cannes, and a truly special piece called ‘Amitabh Bachcan Has a Cold’ that gave international readers a glimpse of our crazy celebrity-worship.
A very good anthology on Bollywood, it is not one to be missed if you are a fan of the movies.

[Tarja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This is an interesting, entertaining, and informative collection of columns and articles on Indian cinema. The chronological order of the pieces gives a nice overview of how the business has developed and changed through the years.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

ಬಾಲಿವುಡ್ ಕೇಂದ್ರೀತ ಬಣ್ಣದ ಜಿಲೇಬಿ.‌ ಒಂದೇ ತರ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿನಿಮಾ‌ ರಿವ್ಯೂ ಬರ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿದಾರೆ. ಬಾಲಿವುಡ್ ಸಿನಿಮಾ ಹುಚ್ಚರಿಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟ ಆಗಬಹುದು.

[Nita]

I finished the book sometime ago, but am writing the review now.
First Day First Show, has on its cover, this sentence from the writer Anupama Chopra-Writings From The Trenches. This is what intrigued me. Anupama Chopra is not into Bollywood Bunkum. She does not create controversies that more or less describe most writing about Bollywood.

She mostly writes about the movers and shakers of The Hindi Film Industry. After I read this book, I had an insight to this industry that fascinates every Indian.

She cuts through glitz and glitter, enters the minds of the producers, directors, actors to reveal the emotions and passions that motivate them.

In the Foreword, Shahrukh Khan explains why he was the right person to write the foreword-no, it was not because she had written a book about him! OK, I believe him. He and Anupama Chopra, are both outsiders, now privileged insiders.

I personally believe that insiders normally have a myopic viewpoint, but they are privy to information that outsiders do not have access to.

Shahrukh Khan describes the author Anupama Chopra as a serious journalist who wrote about Hindi Films in a serious way. Her writing reflected research and she did not gloss over facts and figures. After she married a film maker -Vidhu Vinod Chopra, she became an insider who had been an outsider. This is why Shahrukh Khan, an ousider turned insider, could relate to her viewpoints.

I bought the book in 2014, but have not read it in one sitting. On and off I read about the star or producer or director when they are in the news due to some controversy or other. This is when you realize them that Anupama Chopra knew exactly what made them tick!

This is not a classic, but a study of human nature-those living in a glass bowl! Every action and word there for the world to judge.

Now I feel that with movies like Raazi, Fanney Khan, Padman, Mulk etc. the Hindi Film Industry has come of age! It seems that the leading men are getting their best roles, now, when normally one would expect their career to be a downward spiral. This book is important because it chronicles the evolution of the Industry and its movers and shakers.

The #MeToo movement has exposed the cultural ethos, but it was heartening to know that #MeToo also got the ball rolling with the Hindi Film Industry

Now specially, I reread some snippets here and there when some one belonging to this industry is in the eye of a media storm!

[Ramaswamy Raman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of columns written by Anupama Chopra from 1990's to 2010 forms the chapters of this book
The topics range from actors working in multiple shifts, the money coming into the industry, the types of films etc.
There are film reviews as well growth of actors and actresses, the directors established as well as those new entrants etc all are covered.
The initial half part deals with films, controversy etc which to reader today might be boring but it is how things worked in the industry. The growth of the film industry from concentrating on India to getting money from overseas can be understood clearly from this book.
Anupama Chopra starting as journalist and marrying Vidhu Vinod Chopra became an insider, this has helped her to reach out to many stars and get first hand viewing of movies both Indian and global.
Overall good writing and detailed research makes this a good read though boring and outdated at times for today's youth.

[Saju · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too much of a Bollywood movie fan, or a Shah Rukh Khan fan, though the author has the foreword written by the actor and also has an excerpt from her book on the actor included as a chapter in this book.
Ok, disclaimer done, now on to the review of the book!!
Overall, I like the book, was like a breath of fresh air, with her criticisms.
Appalled at the money they make in Bollywood on movies and for movies. Never knew the difference between Mollywood movies and Bollywood till I read this book.
There are chapters on the trends, issues and reviews of movies, however most interesting of all were the chapters on actors - new entrants, old horses, struggling and the reigning stars.
Nice read!!

[Avishek Bhattacharjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is only for bollywood...Anuapama chopra with all the articles created a saga.But prior to interlude this book gives you lot of informations specially movies adapted from different novels but after that a hurried end,poor articles.
My take from this book are series of Novels which i am going to buy soon
A casual read and can only recommend if you want to know our Hindi film industry

[waqar ahmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of articles that take you on a journey through the JHAKAS Bollywood of early 90s to the elegant and classy Bollywood of late 2000s and beyond. Typical flavor of Anupama's writing is found. first ARTICLE based book that i actually found worth reading