Celluloid Sojourn: The Women of Indian Cinema
The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, unveiled Celluloid Sojourn: The Women of Indian Cinema on 1st April 2025, this exhibition is a visual homage to the allure, influence and artistic legacy of women in Hindi cinema. NGMA opened its doors to the exhibitions as part of its 71st Foundation Day celebrations, which marked the beginning of a series of programmes held to pay tribute to the institution’s storied journey. Entering the gallery was like walking into a time capsule of Indian film history — a space where nostalgia and contemporary reverence collide, where art breathes life into cinema’s golden years.
Featuring exquisite portraits of iconic actresses such as Madhubala, Nutan and Meena Kumari by artist Balkrishan Laxman Vaidya, Celluloid Sojourn invites visitors to admire women who didn’t just appear on the silver screen but altered its language and aesthetics. This is a travelling exhibition, that was first exhibited in the city of dreamers and cinema at the National Gallery for Modern Art in Mumbai and is now in Delhi. For lovers of vintage Hindi films, cinephiles and those who love art in any form, it is a must-see. The prints, sketches, drawings and photographs give you a peek at the golden age of cinema, the black and white canvases and photos remind one of the era that way. The younger generations may not be able to immediately identify these legendary female stars though their parents/grandparents would. These are the faces they grew up seeing, admiring them in their stillness and similarity.
On women in Indian cinema
The female lead in Indian cinema has for decades mirrored India’s societal psyche—swinging between ideals, rebellion and compromise. From the suffering mother to the brave trailblazer, her image has been subject to constant remake by the prevailing winds of politics, social norms and male-dominated narratives. Bollywood, with its wide-reaching ability and influence, has both reflected and shaped society’s views on womanhood. But within this all-inclusive narrative are the exceptional women who chipped away at stereotypes, not only with their roles but simply by showing up.
Screen legends are one thing, but icons like Meena Kumari, Madhubala and Nutan are emotional bedrocks of Indian cinematic history. Meena Kumari, whom people described as the “Tragedy Queen,” gave representation to an intensity and vulnerability rarely found onscreen. Her performances in films like Pakeezah and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam weren’t just portrayals of disenfranchised women, but complex examinations of desire, restraint, and social pressure. She was sorrow embodied, yes — but always with an inward strength and gravitas that left viewers shaken and stirred.
With her ethereal beauty and magnetic charisma, Madhubala imbued her characters with playfulness and quiet power. Most famously associated with Mughal-e-Azam, she was much more than Anarkali — one of the first female stars to achieve mass appeal across classes, she won hearts while grappling with the fragility of her own health and the industry’s gendered restrictions. She was at once gentle and fierce, fragile and defiant — an icon of paradoxes who is still without equal.
Then came Nutan — a powerhouse performer who defied the template of conventional femininity. In Sujata and Bandini, she explored complex characters anguishing over moral ambiguity, social ostracism and inner strength. Her roles were multilayered, sometimes even mordant, a mile beyond their era. Nutan didn’t merely act; she inhabited emotional and courageous roles in a way that set a standard for generations.
Their joint presence in Celluloid Sojourn isn’t incidental — it’s profoundly purposeful. These portraits are more than homage; they are a much-needed archival and aesthetic reclamation of space. In a cultural moment that has called into question the gender breakdown of on-screen time and behind-the-camera credits, this exhibition is functioning as the reckoning and the reminder. It helps us to glimpse how far we’ve travelled — and how much farther we have to go. It urges us to reflect, not with nostalgia, but with knowledge. By showcasing these women not just as muses or heroines but as cultural forces, the exhibition connects past to present, allowing audiences to see what they inspired outside the silver screen. In an industry where the female gaze long languishes, exhibitions like these matter — they reflect what was while sparking discussion for what could be.
About the artist
Celluloid Sojourn: The Women of Indian Cinema is the evocative work of Balkrishna Vaidya, one of India’s most celebrated billboard artists. Beginning his career at just 12, Vaidya helped define the visual language of Bollywood through his hand-painted film posters that once towered over the skylines of Mumbai and Chennai. His art brought stars to life—dramatic, larger than life, and bursting with emotion.
In this NGMA exhibition, a few of his grand portraits take centre stage, immortalising screen legends like Nutan, Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Vyjayanthimala, and Deepti Naval. These paintings don’t just reflect the faces of iconic women—they reflect the eras, emotions, and societal shifts that shaped their stories on screen. In an age dominated by digital visuals, Vaidya’s bold, brushy textures stand as powerful reminders of cinema’s handmade past and the enduring allure of the women who defined it.
Celluloid Sojourn is not merely an exhibition, but a sumptuous spread array of faces, feelings and frames that has helped forge the emotional topography of Indian cinema. Through the spotlight on women who have been the soul of so many stories, and in the hands of these artists, who translated their aura into paint strokes, the NGMA has carved a space that is as intimate as it is iconic. As the gallery celebrates 71 years promoting modern Indian art, the show serves as an homage not only to Bollywood’s resplendent visual legacy but also to the continued power of women in storytelling.
Image Courtesy of NGMA
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