Before Indian cinema entered the era of modern technology, VFX, and pan-India blockbusters, the period from the 1950s to 1990 was shaped by bold filmmakers who dared to dream bigger than the limitations of technology and big budget films. India was still a young nation, yet its film industry produced some of the most ambitious, expensive, and larger-than-life movies in its early decades. These big-budget films of the pre-1990 era laid the foundation for the cinematic scale we see today.
This article explores the big budget films made in India till 1990, their cultural impact, and how they shaped the evolution of Indian films.
The Early Era: Lavish Sets, Grandeur, and Historical Spectacle (1950s–1960s)
- Mughal-e-Azam (1960) — A Monument of Indian Cinema
K. Asif’s masterpiece is often remembered as India’s first true mega-budget film. Shot in both black-and-white and colour, it took nearly a decade to make.
Massive sets recreating Mughal palaces
Real pearls, swords, carpets, and ornaments
Elaborate war sequences with hundreds of extras
Music and art crafted at never-before scale
Even today, “Mughal-e-Azam” is a benchmark for passion, perfection, and scale.
Impact:
Proved Indian cinema could match global scale despite limited technology
Established the culture of epic historical dramas
Influenced costume design, art direction, and soundtrack quality for decades
The Rise of Technicolor Grandeur (1960s–1970s)
- Sangam (1964) — Raj Kapoor’s First Technicolor Dream
Raj Kapoor invested heavily in shooting abroad, bringing foreign locations into mainstream Hindi cinema.
Expensive international shoots (Europe)
Large outdoor sequences
Stylish sets and big song budgets
Impact:
Opened the doors for shooting Indian films overseas
Increased audience expectations for visual beauty
Made “grand romance” a big-budget trend
- Guide (1965) — Creativity Meets Cost
Although not as massive as Mughal-e-Azam, “Guide” was one of the costliest films of its time due to:
Double production (Hindi + English)
Outdoor locations
Advanced filming techniques
Impact:
Elevated screenplay standards
Showed that big budgets could support deep, emotional stories
- Sholay (1975) — India’s First “Super-Commercial Big-Budget” Blockbuster
At its release, “Sholay” was one of the most expensive films ever produced in Indian cinema.
70mm cinematography
Stereophonic sound
Large-scale action sequences
Expensive set design (especially Ramgarh village)
Impact:
Introduced the concept of the mass action blockbuster
Set new marketing and distribution standards
Influenced every Indian action film that followed
Became the “template film” for commercial Indian cinema
The 1980s: Ambitious Productions & Experimentation
- Razia Sultan (1983) — Grand Production, Massive Costs
Kamal Amrohi’s vision was huge. From palaces to costumes to unique visual style, the film pushed the limits of production budgets.
Impact:
Elevated set design and historical costumes
Inspired future filmmakers to attempt women-centric historical narratives
- Kranti (1981) — Big Budget Meets Patriotism
Vijay Anand’s “Kranti” featured:
Massive star cast
Elaborate sets and war scenes
Costly period costumes
Impact:
Showed patriotism could be blended with blockbuster cinema
Became a milestone for multi-star cast big-budget films
- Mr. India (1987) — India’s First Costly Sci-Fi Adventure
Shekhar Kapur’s “Mr. India” was a high-budget risk for its time:
Cutting-edge visual effects
Innovative action design
Strong villain character design (Mogambo)
Impact:
Built the base for future Indian sci-fi films
Showed that VFX-driven stories could succeed
Made superhero/science-fiction investments viable
- Nayakan (1987, Tamil) — South India’s Big Budget Cinema Booms
Mani Ratnam’s “Nayakan” was one of Tamil cinema’s costliest productions:
Large sets recreating Mumbai underworld
Extensive action sequences
Cinematic lighting and production innovation
Impact:
Inspired stylish gangster dramas across India
Played a major role in the evolution of “Tamil New Wave Cinema”
- Sagara Sangamam (1983, Telugu) — Artistic Cinema with High Production
K. Viswanath’s ambitious film had unique:
Dance sequences requiring expensive choreography
Grand classical music production
High-quality cinematography for its time
Impact:
Showed Telugu cinema could create large-scale artistic dramas
Raised standards for choreography and music budgets
How Big Budget Films (Till 1990) Transformed Indian Cinema
Big budget films before 1990 didn’t just create hits — they reshaped the DNA of Indian cinema.
1. They Introduced the Idea of Scale & Ambition
Before these films, Indian cinema was mostly studio-driven. After them:
Large outdoor shoots
Realistic sets
Multiple location filming
Higher production demands
Audiences began expecting grandeur.
2. Professionalism & Technical Growth
Big budgets encouraged:
Better cameras
Advanced sound design
Improved lighting techniques
Early forms of special effects
This era laid the technical foundation for later decades.
3. Rise of the Star System
Directors and producers realized that big budgets required big stars to recover investments.
This gave rise to:
Multi-starrer films
Big banners controlling theatrical business
Stars as marketing assets
4. International Appeal Begins
Films like Sangam and Sholay began influencing foreign audiences. The world started to recognize Indian cinema’s scale and storytelling style.
5. Budget Became a Marketing Tool
Before 1990, budgets were rarely discussed. But as films became ambitious, their budgets became part of publicity.
This trend later exploded in the 2000s with films marketed as “biggest ever.”
6. Genres Expanded
Because of bigger budgets, India could make:
Historical epics
War films
Sci-fi stories
Romance-travel films
Large-scale dramas
The creative playground expanded dramatically.
Conclusion
From Mughal-e-Azam to Mr. India, the period till 1990 was the era where Indian cinema first tasted true cinematic grandeur. These big-budget films proved that India could dream big, create large-scale cinematic worlds, and compete on a global visual stage even without modern technology.
Their legacy lives on in today’s mega films — from Baahubali to RRR to Jawan — all of which walk on the foundation built by the bold, ambitious filmmakers of India’s early decades.
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