Salaam Bombay!
Updated: 12/20/2025, 12:57:11 PM Wikipedia source
Salaam Bombay! is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language drama film, directed, co-written and co-produced by Mira Nair. The screenwriter was Nair's creative collaborator Sooni Taraporevala. This was the first feature film directed by Nair. The film depicts the daily lives of children living in slums in Bombay (now Mumbai), India's largest city. It stars Shafiq Syed, Raghuvir Yadav, Anita Kanwar, Nana Patekar, Hansa Vithal and Chanda Sharma. Nair's inspiration for the film came from the spirit of Bombay's street children and how they lived. Production began in early 1988, and the film was co-financed by the National Film Development Corporation of India. After being released worldwide on 6 October 1988, the film grossed an estimated $7.4 million at the overseas box office, against a production budget of only $450,000. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 61st Academy Awards, the film was India's second film submission to be so nominated. After its initial release on 11 May 1988 at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, Salaam Bombay! achieved significant critical acclaim. It won the Caméra d'Or and Audience award at the Cannes Film Festival. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, the National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film and three awards at the Montreal World Film Festival. The film was on the list of "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made" by The New York Times.
Infobox
Directed by
Mira Nair
Screenplay by
Sooni Taraporevala
Story by
Mira Nair
Produced by
mw- Mira Nair Michael Nozik
Starring
Shafiq Syed Hansa Vithal Chanda Sharma Nana Patekar Raghuvir Yadav Anita Kanwar Raju Bernad
Cinematography
Sandi Sissel
Edited by
Barry Alexander Brown
Music by
L. Subramaniam
Productioncompanies
Cadrage Channel Four Films Doordarshan La Sept Cinéma Mirabai Films NFDC
Distributed by
Alliance (Canada) Cinecom Pictures (USA) Dendy Films (Australia) Transmundo Films (Argentina) Tamasa Distribution (France)
Release dates
May 11, 1988 (1988-05-11) (Cannes Film Festival) September 13, 1988 (1988-09-13) (TIFF) October 7, 1988 (1988-10-07) (Worldwide)
Running time
113 minutes
Country
India
Language
Hindi
Budget
$450,000
Box office
est. $7.5 million (overseas)
Tables
Professional ratings · Post-production › Music and soundtrack
Source
Source
Review scores
Source
Review scores
Rating
Allmusic
Allmusic
Review scores
Allmusic
Review scores
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
List of awards and nominations · Critical reception › Accolades
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Organisation
Cannes Film Festival
Date of the ceremony
May, 1988
Category
Caméra d'Or
Nominee(s)
Mira Nair
Result
Won
Audience Award
Audience Award
Organisation
Audience Award
Date of the ceremony
Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Organisation
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Date of the ceremony
10 December 1988
Category
New Generation Award:
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Foreign Film
Best Foreign Film
Organisation
Best Foreign Film
Date of the ceremony
Nominated
National Board of Review
National Board of Review
Organisation
National Board of Review
Date of the ceremony
13 December 1988
Category
Top foreign films
Nominee(s)
Won
Boston Society of Film Critics
Boston Society of Film Critics
Organisation
Boston Society of Film Critics
Date of the ceremony
1988
Category
Best Foreign-Language Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Los Angeles Women in Film Festival
Los Angeles Women in Film Festival
Organisation
Los Angeles Women in Film Festival
Date of the ceremony
1988
Category
Lillian Gish Award (Excellence in Feature Film)
Nominee(s)
Won
Montreal World Film Festival
Montreal World Film Festival
Organisation
Montreal World Film Festival
Date of the ceremony
1988
Category
Jury Prize
Nominee(s)
Won
Air Canada Award for Most Popular Film of the Festival
Air Canada Award for Most Popular Film of the Festival
Organisation
Air Canada Award for Most Popular Film of the Festival
Date of the ceremony
Won
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Organisation
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Date of the ceremony
Won
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Organisation
Golden Globe Awards
Date of the ceremony
28 January 1989
Category
Best Foreign Language Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
César Awards
César Awards
Organisation
César Awards
Date of the ceremony
4 March 1989
Category
Best Foreign Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Organisation
Academy Awards
Date of the ceremony
29 March 1989
Category
Best International Feature Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
National Film Awards
National Film Awards
Organisation
National Film Awards
Date of the ceremony
May 1989
Category
Best Feature Film in Hindi
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Child Artist
Best Child Artist
Organisation
Best Child Artist
Date of the ceremony
Shafiq Syed
Category
Won
Annonay International Film Festival
Annonay International Film Festival
Organisation
Annonay International Film Festival
Date of the ceremony
1989
Category
Prix du Public
Nominee(s)
Mira Nair
Result
Won
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Organisation
British Academy Film Awards
Date of the ceremony
11 March 1990
Category
Best Film Not in the English Language
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
Organisation
Filmfare Awards
Date of the ceremony
1990
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Organisation
Best Director
Date of the ceremony
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Organisation
Best Supporting Actress
Date of the ceremony
Anita Kanwar
Category
Nominated
| Organisation | Date of the ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref.(s) |
| Cannes Film Festival | May, 1988 | Caméra d'Or | Mira Nair | Won | |
| Audience Award | Won | ||||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | 10 December 1988 | New Generation Award: | Won | ||
| Best Foreign Film | Nominated | ||||
| National Board of Review | 13 December 1988 | Top foreign films | Won | ||
| Boston Society of Film Critics | 1988 | Best Foreign-Language Film | Won | ||
| Los Angeles Women in Film Festival | 1988 | Lillian Gish Award (Excellence in Feature Film) | Won | ||
| Montreal World Film Festival | 1988 | Jury Prize | Won | ||
| Air Canada Award for Most Popular Film of the Festival | Won | ||||
| Prize of the Ecumenical Jury | Won | ||||
| Golden Globe Awards | 28 January 1989 | Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | ||
| César Awards | 4 March 1989 | Best Foreign Film | Nominated | ||
| Academy Awards | 29 March 1989 | Best International Feature Film | Nominated | ||
| National Film Awards | May 1989 | Best Feature Film in Hindi | Won | ||
| Best Child Artist | Shafiq Syed | Won | |||
| Annonay International Film Festival | 1989 | Prix du Public | Mira Nair | Won | |
| British Academy Film Awards | 11 March 1990 | Best Film Not in the English Language | Nominated | ||
| Filmfare Awards | 1990 | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Anita Kanwar | Nominated |
References
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