How ‘Deewaar’ Inspired Hong Kong Cinema

By Bilal Shahid

Welcome to the Brown History Newsletter. If you’re enjoying this labour of love, please do consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your contribution would help pay the writers and illustrators and support this weekly publication. If you like to submit a writing piece, please send me a pitch by email at brownhistory1947@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to check out our SHOP and our Podcast.

Characterized by his oversized moustache and turban, the Maharaja was Air India's beloved mascot. In their earlier days, Air India established an in-house art studio and commissioned artists from around the world to depict beautiful posters of the Maharaja in all his mischievous antics and  him adopting different personas in each destination, such as a monk in Rome, a lover boy in Paris, and even a sumo wrestler in Tokyo. The posters put Air India the map as an example of genius marketing in the mid-20th century, earning the company a myriad of advertising awards and a loyal legion of fans. While the Maharaja remains Air India’s mascot to this day, he is most fondly remembered throughout the world for his role in India’s golden age of advertising. (Available as print)

---

How ‘Deewaar’ Inspired Hong Kong Cinema

Deewaar movie poster

The 1970s stands out as a decade defined by anti-establishment rebellious attitudes that penetrated the discourse of numerous regions, molding the contours of global pop culture. Against the backdrop of an emerging consumerism, many nations embarked on trajectories toward economic liberalism. Following the post-World War II era, characterized by relative peace and stability, a remarkable population boom coincided with a period of disposable income for households, a rarity not experienced for a long time. Yet, beneath this seemingly prosperous surface, a simmering rage began to unfold. The harsh realities of the Vietnam War in the U.S., the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi in India, and the growing discontentment of left-leaning Hong Kong, still under British colonial rule, collectively eroded much of the trust in state institutions, particularly among the youth. Their respective media began to mirror and, in turn, influence these shifting attitudes in noticeable ways.

The Indian film industry, mirroring the disillusionment experienced by Indian society after Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency—stifling press freedoms, civil liberties, and indefinitely postponing elections—began to distance itself from the flowery and gentle heroes of the past. Movies evolved into a vehicle for expressing anti-establishment criticisms in their plots, characters, and tropes. Notably, the emergence of the "angry young man" archetype, popularized by Amitabh Bachchan in the Yash Chopra-directed and Salim-Javed-written film Deewaar, became a prominent manifestation of this societal shift.