Babubhai Mistry (5 September 1918 – 20 December 2010) was an Indian film director and

special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...

pioneer who is best known for his films based on

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...

, such as ''

Sampoorna Ramayana ''Sampoorna Ramayana'' () is a 1961 Indian Hindi-language Hindu mythological film directed by Babubhai Mistry, based on the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' by Valmiki, starring Mahipal and Anita Guha as Rama and Sita respectively. The film was a box of ...

'' (1961), ''

Mahabharat The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

'' (1965), and ''

Parasmani ''Parasmani'' ("Philosopher's stone" that converts iron into gold) is a 1963 Indian Hindi-language film. The film is a musical fantasy drama shot partly in Black and White and partly in colour. It was directed by Babubhai Mistri, who is known a ...

'' (1963) and

Mahabharat (1988 TV series) ''Mahabharat'' is an Indian Hindi-language epic television series based on the ancient Sanskrit epic of the same title. The original airing consisted of a total of 94 episodes and were broadcast from 2 October 1988 to 24 June 1990 on Doordarsh ...

In 1999, Mistry received the

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

at the

Zee Cine Awards The Zee Cine Award (ZCA) is an Indian awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. They were instituted in November 1997 to award "Excellence in cinema - the democratic way". They were first held in Mumbai until 2004, when the ZCA went internat ...

.Zee awards
''Indian Express'', 1 March 1999. In 2009, he was honored "for his contribution to

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

as the master of special effects" at an event, "Immortal Memories," held to honor the "living legends" of the Hindi film industry.

Early life and education

Babubhai was born in area of

Surat Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

and studied until class four.

Career

Babubhai was a regular art director for various movies produced by

Wadia Movietone Wadia Movietone was a noted Indian film production company and studio based in Mumbai, established in 1933 by Wadia brothers J. B. H. Wadia and Homi Wadia. It was most known for stunt, fantasy and mythological films, including ''Hunterwali'' (1 ...

owned by JBH and

Homi Wadia Homi Wadia (22 May 1911 – 10 December 2004) was an Indian film director and producer in Bollywood (Hindi cinema). He was the co-founder of Wadia Movietone productions, established in 1933 and later after the closure of Wadiatone, he founded Ba ...

brothers along with

Fearless Nadia Mary Ann Evans (8 January 1908 – 9 January 1996), also known by her stage name Fearless Nadia, was an Australian-born Indian actress and stuntwoman, who worked in Indian cinema. She is most remembered as the masked, cloaked adventurer in ''Hun ...

. Here he discovered his penchant for handling camera and trick photography. He trained with

Vijay Bhatt Vijay Bhatt (born Vrajlal Jagneshwar Bhatt; 12 May 1907 – 17 October 1993) was a producer-director-screenwriter of Hindi cinema, who made such films as '' Ram Rajya'' (1943), ''Baiju Bawra'' (1952), ''Goonj Uthi Shehnai'' (1959) and ''Himalay ...

at Basant Pictures as a special effects director from 1933 to 1937. '' Khwab Ki Duniya'' (1937) came to him after Vijay Bhatt asked him to go and watch the American film ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...

'' (1933) and later asked whether he would be able to replicate them for a film, thus starting his career in special effects. Gulzar., p. 490 In fact his special effects in the film earned him the nickname ''Kala Dhaga'' (black thread) for the black threads he used in the film for performing various tricks. Thus ''Khwab Ki Duniya'' was the first film in which he was credited as a "trick photographer". In the coming years, he also received acclaim for his effects in Basant Pictures' ''Hatimtai'' (1956) directed by

and Ellis Duncan's ''

Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

'' (1954). Mistry soon became a director and a cameraman. He started his directing career by co-directing his first two films, ''

Muqabala ''Muqabala'' is a 1942 Indian action drama film directed by Batuk Bhatt and Babubhai Mistri, and starring Fearless Nadia, Yakub, Agha, Dalpat, Srinivas and Rajni. Batuk Bhatt started his career as a director by co-directing this film and '' ...

'' (1942) and '' Mauj'' (1943) with Nanabhai Bhatt, both starred Fearless Nadia. Over the next four decades, he gathered stories from diverse religious, epical and language texts, such ''

Puranas Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

'', and went on to direct over 63 fantasy, mythological and religious films, including ''

'' (1961), "a milestone in the history of Hindu mythology", ''

'' (1963) and ''Mahabharat'' (1965). Later, he also remained a consultant for

Ramanand Sagar Chandramauli Chopra ( ; 29 December 1917 – 12 December 2005) known professionally as Ramanand Sagar, was an Indian filmmaker, editor, playwright, poet and an author. He is best known for making the television show '' Ramayan'' (1987-1988). The ...

's television epic series, '' Ramayan'' (1987-1988). He was also in search of special effects in

B.R. Chopra Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008) was a famous Indian director and producer of Bollywood industry and television series . Best known for directing Hindi films like '' Naya Daur'' (1957), '' Sadhna'' (1958), '' Kanoon'' (196 ...

. In 2005, at the annual

MAMI Mami may refer to: People *Cheb Mami, Algerian raï singer * Mami (given name), a Japanese feminine given name * Mami (goddess), a goddess in the Babylonian epic ''Atra-Hasis'' *Mami Wata, a pantheon of ancient water spirits or deities Entertainme ...

festival, he was awarded the Kodak Trophy for Technical Excellence for his contribution to Indian cinema. Dawyer, p. 44

Filmography

;Director * ''

'' (1942) * '' Mauj'' (1943) * ''

'' (1961) * ''King Kong'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) * ''

'' (1965) * ''

Bhagwan Parshuram ''Bhagwan Parshuram'' is a 1970 Indian Hindi language drama film directed by Babubhai Mistry. The film stars Abhi Bhattacharya and Jayshree Gadkar. Plot This is the story of Lord Parshuram, who beheads his mother in the beginning to prove the ...

'' (1970) * ''Daku Man Singh'' (1971) * ''

Saat Sawal ''Saat Sawal'' is a List of Bollywood films of 1971, 1971 Bollywood adventure film directed by Babubhai Mistry. The film stars Neville Symons and Heena Kumari. Cast *Naval Kumar as Hatim-Al-Tai *Heena Kumari as Gulnar Pari / Husna Pari *Shyam ...

'' (1971) * ''

Hanuman Vijay ''Hanuman Vijay'' is a 1974 Bollywood film directed by Babubhai Mistri. Plot The story mainly revolves around Lord Hanuman. The relationship between him and his wife Makri and how Hanuman helped Lord Ram and his younger brother Lakshman when A ...

'' (1974) * ''Alakh Niranjan'' (1975) * '' Maya Maschindra'' (1975) * ''

Amar Suhagin ''Amar Suhagin'' is a Bhojpuri film released in 1978 directed by Babubhai Mistri. It stars Upendra Trivedi, Snehlata Gadkari, Padma Khanna. The music is composed by S.N. Tripathi. Cast * Upendra Trivedi * Snehlata Gadkari *Padma Khanna *Tun Tu ...

'' (1978) * '' Har Har Gange'' (1979) * '' Sant Ravidas Ki Amar Kahani'' (1983) * '' Kalyug Aur Ramayan'' (1987) * ''

Hatim Tai Hatim al-Tai ( ar, حاتم الطائي, ''Hatim of the Tayy tribe''; died 578), full name Ḥātim bin ʿAbd Allāh bin Saʿd aṭ-Ṭāʾiyy ( ar, حاتم بن عبد الله بن سعد الطائي) was the ruling prince and poet of the T ...

'' (1990) *''Mahamayi'' (1991) (Tamil) ;Special effects * '' Khwab Ki Duniya'' (1937) * ''

Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag ''Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp'' (Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag) is a 1952 Indian fantasy film produced and directed by Homi Wadia. Made under the Basant Pictures banner, it had story, scenario and additional dialogue by JBH Wadia. The dialogues w ...

'' (1952) * ''

Jungle Ka Jawahar ''Jungle Ka Jawahar'' (Hero of the Forest) is a 1953 Hindi action adventure film directed by Homi Wadia and produced by Basant Pictures. The story was written by Boman Shroff and the special effects were by Babubhai Mistry. Having played darede ...

'' 1953 * ''

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1954) * ''

Zimbo Zimbo may refer to: Arts and entertainment * TV Zimbo, a television network in Angola * Zimbo (film), a 1958 Bollywood film * Zimbo Trio, a Brazilian instrumental ensemble established in 1964 in São Paulo * a character in the Aaahh!!! Real Monst ...

'' (1958) * '' Angulimaal'' (1960) * ''

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

'' (1980) ;Cinematographer * ''

Kaash ''Kaash'' is an 1987 Bollywood film written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It is produced by the comedian Mehmood's brother Anwar Ali. Like several other 1980s films by Mahesh Bhatt, ''Kaash'', was described as a semi-art film and upon release, ...

'' (1993)

Notes

References

* * *

External links