History of Indian cinema in 10 iconic posters

Indian cinema has a rich legacy of stunt movies. The pioneers in producing such entertaining fare were Jamshed Wadia and his younger brother Homi Wadia. Even though they also produced social, fantasy, and mythological dramas, they are remembered today for the path-breaking stunt movies with Fearless Nadia in the lead. They created the unique screen persona of Fearless Nadia, as Australia-born Mary Ann Evens is popularly known, who could fight baddies on top of a running train, lift and hurl a man away, swing from chandeliers, do sword-fighting, ride a horse and jump off a building. Fearless Nadia could do all these and more, convincingly. Her feat and her significance in Indian cinema remain unmatched.

Late Riyad Wadia, the grandson of Jamshed, had collected and curated many posters, booklets pertaining to Wadia Movietone, set up by the Wadia brothers, as well as other Indian films. He also made a documentary titled Fearless: The Hunterwali Story (1993). Mumbai-based Prinseps, an auction house, will soon conduct an online auction of publicity materials from his collection, including about 30 posters, as many lobby cards, and a bunch of songbooks. These items The auction by Prinseps opens for bidding on September 19. The posters are from the Estate of Riyad Wadia and the images are shared by Prinseps. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Miss Frontier Mail (1936)

A thriller directed by Homi Wadia, released a year after Fearless Nadia played the titular role in Hunterwali. This beautifully designed poster announces two major attractions in the movies made by the Wadia brothers -- Fearless Nadia and action sequences set in trains. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Raj Nartaki (1941)

The film featuring Sadhana Bose and Prithviraj Kapoor -- prominent actors of that period -- is a romance drama set in the early 19th century Manipur. The Wadias were known for weaving in social issues in their movies. This movie talked about class conflict. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Stunt Queen (1947)

The film packs all the signs of being an edge-of-the-seat thriller. There is Fearless Nadia with a pistol, a train approaching fast as a woman with her hands and legs tied is lying on the tracks, and two men are engaged in a fight. The cutest thing on its poster is the mention of Moti, a dog, in bold letters as part of its cast. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Toofani Tirandaz (1947)

The film is an entertaining revenge drama. The poster offers a glimpse of thrilling actions scenes in the film. Fearless Nadia in a mask adds to the mystery while her sword-wielding co-actor promises exciting stunts. The poster features horse Rajput, who appears in several Wadia movies, and mentions him in the casting credit. Check out the image of an actor shooting an arrow from the galloping horse. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Mela (1948)

The film was one of Dilip Kumar's early successes. Featuring top actors of that period such as Nargis, Jeevan, and Rehman, the movie was criticised for its weak storyline. The music composed by Naushad, however, remains popular even today. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Maya Mahal (1949)

This action-packed mythological thriller with several twists and turns is an age-old story of good versus evil. Its poster uses bold colours with panache. Featuring alongside Fearless Nadia is her popular co-actor John Cawas, a bodybuilding champion who became a professional stuntman and actor.

Madhosh (1951)

The film is a love triangle directed by Jamshed Wadia, who in the early 40s chose to focus on social themes. The music was composed by Madan Mohan and Khan Saheb Vilayat Khan for this film that was supposedly inspired by Romeo and Juliet. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Jungle Ka Jawahar (1952)

The film, directed by Homi Wadia under the banner of Basant Pictures, is a thriller that revolves around a ruthless queen who is spiteful of a kind-hearted doctor and his daughter (Fearless Nadia). There are people on the hunt for rajnishani (royal souvenir) but Fearless Nadia ultimately swings into action with the help of John Cawas and saves the day. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Circus Queen (1959)

The film takes Fearless Nadia's daredevilry to another level. When a baby inadvertently enters a lion's cage, it is she who rescues him. After many adventures, she also helps the police arrest gangsters. Incidentally, Nadia worked as a circus performer before she became a film artiste. (Text by Alaka Sahani)

Khilari (1968)

The film was Fearless Nadia's last film. At the age of 58, she acted in this James Bond-inspired spy movie after staying away from the screen for some years. As expected, she fights baddies and saves the day one more time. (Text by Alaka Sahani)