Installation view: A Cinematic Imagination: Josef Wirsching and the Bombay Talkies
The Josef Wirsching Archive: Bombay Talkies – Cinematic History of India exhibition was held at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Mumbai in April 2024. The exhibition focused on the rich history of Indian cinema, particularly the iconic Bombay Talkies studio, through the lens of Josef Wirsching's photographic archive. Wirsching, a German-born photographer, captured pivotal moments from the studio's golden era, providing a rare visual documentation of Bollywood's formative years. The exhibition offered visitors an opportunity to explore the cinematic legacy of one of India's film studios, showcasing photographs, documents, and other archival materials.
Nirmala, 1938, Bombay Talkies, d. Franz Osten, set-up for a tracking shot taken in the BT compound. The camera is mounted on a sturdy trolley as assistants operate the camera and pull focus during the take. A microphone can be seen suspended on a boom directly over the camera and just out of frame.
Vachan, 1938, Bombay Talkies, d. Franz Osten, Debutante actress, Meera and Bombay Talkies veteran, Mumtaz Ali rehearse a scene from the film, a historical fantasy set in ‘no particular time’ or locale.
Devika Rani/ Jeevan Naiya, 1936, Bombay Talkies, d. Franz Osten, Devika Rani in a posed studio still on set in the Bombay Talkies studio
Nirmala, 1938, Bombay Talkies, d. Franz Osten, Saroj Borkar and the child artiste Gulbadan sing a lullaby in the opening sequence of Nirmala, a story about a young woman’s deep desire to become a mother
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Originally published in Museum Mosaic 2024, published May 2025.
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