Bhagwan Das Garga (1924–2011) stands as a towering figure in Indian cinema, a documentary filmmaker and historian whose six-decade career chronicled the evolution of the moving image. His 2005 book, The Art of Cinema: An Insider’s Journey Through Fifty Years of Film History, published by Penguin India, is a testament to his unparalleled expertise. This collection of essays delves into the craft, personalities, and milestones of Indian and international cinema, enriched with over 40 vintage photographs from Garga’s private collection. From profiling masters like Bimal Roy to analyzing classics like Mughal-e-Azam, Garga offers a vivid insider’s view. In an era before social media, Garga’s legacy endures through digital archives and exhibitions, curated by his wife, Donnabelle, and collectives like Lightcube. This article traces Garga’s extraordinary journey, the creation and impact of The Art of Cinema, and how his work continues to inspire in a digital age.

The Author: B.D. Garga’s Cinematic Journey

Born on November 14, 1924, in Lehragaga, Punjab, B.D. Garga developed an early passion for photography, publishing images in The Illustrated Weekly of India as a teenager. Sent to a missionary school in Lahore, his medical aspirations were derailed by his expulsion for political activities during the 1942 Quit India Movement. In 1943, he moved to Bombay, the heart of India’s film industry, studying cinematography at St. Xavier’s College and working under director V. Shantaram. There, he met K.A. Abbas, a left-leaning journalist and critic, who encouraged Garga to write about Indian cinema’s history for Sargam magazine, sparking his lifelong scholarship.

In 1948, Garga directed his first documentary, Storm Over Kashmir, launching a career that spanned over 50 films. His cinematic curiosity took him to Europe in 1953, where he studied at Ealing Studios, connected with the British Film Institute, and forged a lifelong friendship with Henri Langlois of Cinémathèque Française, whom he later called “world cinema’s greatest benefactor.” Garga contributed to Abbas’s Indo-Soviet film Pardesi (1957) at Mosfilm Studios and organized the first international retrospective of Indian cinema in Paris in 1968 with Langlois. As a founding member of the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) in 1964, he helped preserve India’s cinematic heritage, serving on the Film Advisory Board and lecturing at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

Garga’s writings appeared in global journals like Cahiers du Cinéma, Sight & Sound, and Cinema in India, and he contributed to Encyclopaedia Americana and Soviet film encyclopedias. His books—So Many Cinemas (1996), From Raj to Swaraj (2007), and Silent Cinema in India (2012)—earned critical acclaim, with the latter two winning National Film Awards. In 1996, he received the V. Shantaram Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival. In 1992, Garga and his wife, Donnabelle, moved to Goa, where, despite failing eyesight, he completed Silent Cinema days before his death on July 18, 2011. His collection of 3,000+ memorabilia, sold to IGNCA in 2010 for ₹20 million, remains a treasure trove for cinephiles.

The Genesis of The Art of Cinema

The Art of Cinema (2005) emerged from Garga’s vast scholarship and personal archive, compiled during his later years in Goa. Unlike his earlier So Many Cinemas, which broadly traced Indian cinema’s history, or From Raj to Swaraj, focused on documentaries, this book is a reflective anthology, blending essays on craft, profiles of filmmakers, and analyses of iconic films. Garga’s aim was to offer an “insider’s view,” drawing on his experiences as a filmmaker, journalist, and jury member at festivals worldwide. His collaboration with Donnabelle, who typed drafts and preserved photographs in Goa’s humid climate, was crucial, as she protected fragile materials with tracing paper to prevent sticking.

The book’s scope reflects Garga’s global cinephilia, shaped by his European sojourns and friendships with figures like Ismail Merchant, Mrinal Sen, and Satyajit Ray, whose letters are part of his archive. His fascination with Soviet cinema, evident in essays on Eisenstein and Pudovkin, stems from his Mosfilm work, while his focus on Indian classics like Devdas and Mother India draws on his proximity to pioneers like Shantaram and Roy. Garga’s 1968 Paris retrospective and UNESCO reports (The Present-Day Situation and Future Prospects of the Feature Film in India, 1961) informed his historical insights, making The Art of Cinema a bridge between Indian and global film discourses.

The Content and Craft of The Art of Cinema

The Art of Cinema (258 pages, with 32 pages of plates) is structured in four thematic sections: the craft of filmmaking, profiles of Indian cinema giants, analyses of classic films, and broader issues in cinema. Garga begins by exploring the roles of directors, editors, and cinematographers, emphasizing their collaborative artistry. He profiles luminaries like Himansu Rai, founder of Bombay Talkies; P.C. Barua, director of Devdas (1935); Bimal Roy, known for Do Bigha Zamin; and Raj Kapoor, whose Awara globalized Indian cinema. Critical essays dissect films from the golden era—Sant Tukaram (1936), Mother India (1957), and Mughal-e-Azam (1960)—highlighting their narrative and technical innovations.

Garga’s international perspective shines in essays on Soviet filmmakers, whose montage techniques influenced Indian cinema, and on issues like censorship, which he critiques for stifling creativity, and the portrayal of sex, which he sees as often exploitative in Indian films. His account of Indian cinema’s origins—from the Lumière Brothers’ 1896 screening in Bombay to Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra (1913)—is enriched with anecdotes, like Phalke’s “two miles long” publicity for sparse audiences. The book’s 40+ photographs, including stills from Shri Krishna Janam (1918) and Garga with Satyajit Ray, add visual depth, showcasing his archive’s rarity.

Garga’s prose is scholarly yet accessible, blending technical analysis with personal reflections. A Google Books reviewer calls it a “good read,” appreciating its portrayal of “eminent figures” and “classic movies” alongside Garga’s “personal views and experiences.” The book’s compact yet comprehensive scope makes it a valuable resource for students, cinephiles, and historians.

Reception and Cultural Impact

The Art of Cinema is highly regarded, with a 4.6/5 rating on Amazon.fr (3 reviews) and praise on Amazon.in for its “exquisite” photographs and insider insights. Readers value its blend of technical detail and historical narrative, though some note its academic tone may not appeal to casual readers. A 2005 Google Books review highlights its structure—covering craft, personalities, films, and personal views—as “fascinating,” particularly for Indian cinema enthusiasts. Compared to Garga’s Silent Cinema in India (National Film Award, 2012), The Art of Cinema is broader, bridging Indian and global cinema.

Culturally, the book contributes to India’s cinematic historiography, complementing works by authors like Debasmita Dasgupta (Terminal 3), whose graphic novels explore modern narratives, or A.S. Byatt (Ragnarok), whose myth retellings share Garga’s reflective depth. In India, where film preservation remains challenging due to “moisture, fire, and carelessness,” Garga’s archive and writings are vital, as noted in a 2017 Scroll.in article. The 2017 IGNCA exhibition, A Story Called Cinema, curated by Anandana Kapur, showcased his collection’s “enthralling kaleidoscope” of memorabilia, reinforcing his role as a “kahaanikar” (storyteller) of Indian cinema. The Garga Archives website, launched by Lightcube, digitizes his legacy, making it accessible globally.

Garga’s Digital Legacy

Garga, active before the social media era, left no personal digital footprint. His legacy is preserved through institutional efforts:

• The Garga Archives (garga-archives.com): Lightcube’s digital platform, curated by Anuj Malhotra, features Garga’s letters (e.g., with Ismail Merchant), photographs, and notes, aiming to “recompile” his life. Malhotra compares it to a “pharaoh’s tomb,” offering relics of Garga’s cinephilia.
• IGNCA: The 2017 exhibition and digitized collection (4614 acquired, 1195 donated items) are accessible via IGNCA’s Media Centre, with YouTube coverage

• Lightcube Events: A 2019 British Council event, promoted on the Indian Cultural Forum, celebrated Garga’s contributions, with posts on Facebook.
• Publisher Promotions: HarperCollins India and Penguin India (@harpercollinsin, @penguinindia on Instagram) share occasional posts about Garga’s books, though The Art of Cinema is less frequently highlighted.

Donnabelle Garga’s role in digitizing materials—rummaging through “ancient files, attics, and trunks”—ensured their survival, as Malhotra notes in a 2019 Indian Cultural Forum interview. This digital archive aligns with modern Indian storytelling, as seen in Sonia Mehta’s educational books, but Garga’s focus on cinema’s tactile history sets him apart.

B.D. Garga’s The Art of Cinema is a masterful chronicle of Indian cinema’s golden era, blending essays, profiles, and rare photographs to illuminate the craft and legacy of filmmakers like Bimal Roy and films like Mother India. Garga’s journey—from a Punjab photographer to a global cinephile collaborating with Shantaram, Abbas, and Langlois—reflects a life devoted to cinema’s storytelling power. Though he shunned social media, his legacy thrives through The Garga Archives, IGNCA exhibitions, and publisher efforts, ensuring his “peculiar cipher” as a Zelig-like figure endures. In a digital age, The Art of Cinema remains a timeless resource, celebrating India’s cinematic heritage and Garga’s role as its storyteller, much like the kahaanikar he was.