ASSESSING AUDIENCE RESPONSE TOWARDS COLORIZATION OF ICONIC BLACK-AND-WHITE BOLLYWOOD FILMS

Abstract

In cinema, colors have significance on various levels, including the physical, psychological, and aesthetic. But adding color to black-and-white films so that they appear realistic to the majority of human observers was a significant challenge for the film industry in the 1980s, as it was a very difficult and time-consuming process. However, with the advancement of artificial intelligence and technical developments, the process of colorization has improved, which makes it possible to turn black-and-white films into vivid experiences in a matter of hours. Colorization performs by transferring out the luminance or scalar value, stored in each pixel of a B&W image to a three-dimensional color space.The objective of this research is to assess the reception of colorized versions of iconic black-and-white Bollywood films by contemporary audiences, particularly the younger generation. By employing a mixed methods approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative techniques, we explore whether the introduction of color through digital technology and recent artificial intelligence motivates the new generation to engage with these venerable classics.As case studies, five well-known Bollywood movies from various genres—Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Shree 420 (1955), Naya Daur (1957), Kala Pani (1958), and Dil Tera Deewana (1983)—were chosen. Short video montages featuring scenes from both the colorized and original black-and-white versions of these films were presented to undergraduate and postgraduate students at a university. Nonprobability purposive sampling was used to acquire the data, and a mixed-methods strategy was used to analyze it. The results show that colorization has a substantial effect on younger viewers, who have a greater desire to see these movies in color. This study highlights the evolving importance of colorization in preserving classic cinema and reviving its appeal to modern audiences. Although not devoid of controversies, the process of colorization has emerged as a means to bridge the generational gap in the appreciation of cinematic legacy.