2. The Indian Cinema has undergone a massive
change over the years. It started in 1913 from
Silent Movies to the first talkie in 1931 to the
coloured movies which we see today.
Indian cinema, along with all its chracteristics, has
been a reflection of the socio-economic, political
and cultural changes that took place in the country.
As the world has become a global village, the Indian
film industry has reached out further to the
international audiences too.

3. BIRTH OF THE INDIANBIRTH OF THE INDIAN
CINEMACINEMADadasaheb
Phalke, released his
epochal feature film
Raja
Harishchandra on
3rd May 1913 and
thus he was called as
the Father of
Indian Cinema.
This was the first
motion picture
premiered on 21st
April 1913.

4.  Phalke made other films too- Shrikrishna Janma
in 1917, Kaliya Mardan in 1919, etc which had
strains of nationalism. His films introduced
mythological genre to the Indian Cinema
merging his notion of Swadeshi into his films.
 Inspired from these the youth at that time
started making patriotic films. For instance
Baburao Painter and his Maharashtra Film
Company made Kalyan Khajina(1924), Shahala
Shah(1925) and others. These films stirred the
masses into revolt.
 Several others in Bombay and Madras were
making such silent movies. Raghupathi Venkaiah
Naidu, S.S. Vasan, A.V. Meiyappan had set up
production houses in Madras to make Telugu
and Tamil films.

5. THE FIRST TALKIETHE FIRST TALKIE
 The silent era came to an end when Ardeshir Irani produced
his first talkie, 'Alam Ara' in 1931.
 If Phalke was the Father of Indian cinema, Irani was the Father
of the talkie. The talkies changed the face of Indian cinema.

6.  Apart from looks, the actors not only needed a commanding
voice but also singing skills, as music became a defining
element in Indian cinema.
 The year also marked the beginning of the Talkie era in
South Indian films. The first talkie films in Bengali (Jumai
Shasthi), Telugu (Bhakta Prahlad) and Tamil (Kalidas) were
also released in the same year.

7. THE 1930STHE 1930S
 The thirties is recognized as the decade of social protest in the
history of Indian Cinema. Three big banners - Prabhat, Bombay
Talkies and New Theatres gave the lead in making serious but
gripping and entertaining films for all classes of the wide audience.
 A number of films making a strong plea against social injustice
were also made in this period like V. Santharam's Duniya na Mane,
Aadmi and Padosi; Franz Osten's Achut Kanya.

8.  Others are Damle & Fatehlal's Sant Tukaram; Mehboob's Watan, Ek hi Raasta
and Aurat.
 For the first time Ardeshir Irani attempted a colour picutre in 1937 with Kisan
Kanya.

9.  The decade also witnessed the release of the first talkie films in
Marathi (Ayodhiyecha Raja- 1932); Gujarati (Narasinh Mehta -
1932); Kannada (Dhurvkumar - 1934); Oriya (Sita Bibaha -
1934); Assamese(Joymati -1935); Punjabi (Sheela- 1935) and
Malayalam (Balan - 1938).

10. THE TIMES OF WORLD WAR 2 AND THETHE TIMES OF WORLD WAR 2 AND THE
INDEPENDENCEINDEPENDENCE
 The forties was a tumultuous decade; the first
half was ravaged by war and the second saw
drastic political changes all over the world.
 In the middle of the Second World War in
1945 came 'Kismet' in 1943 starring Ashok
Kumar which became one of the biggest hits in
the history of Indian cinema.
 It had some bold themes - the first anti-hero
and an unmarried pregnancy. It clearly showed
that the filmmakers of the era were bolder than
the times in which they were living in.

11.  A close relationship between epic consciousness and the art of
cinema was being established.
 It was against this backdrop that filmmakers like
V.Shantaram(Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani), Raj Kapoor(Barsaat
and Aag) and Mehboob Khan(Roti) made their films.
 In the meantime, the film industry had made rapid strides in the
South, where Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films were taking
South India by storm.

12.  By the late 1940s, films were being made
in various Indian languages with religion
being the dominant theme.
 1940s to late 1950s was also the golden
era of music. The duo Shankar
Jaikishan(S-J), O.P. Nayyar, Madan
Mohan, C. Ramchandra, Salil Chaudhury,
Naushad, S.D. Burman - all had their
distinctive style.
 Each vied with the other to produce
some of the most unforgettable melodies
India has ever known.

13. THE GOLDEN AGETHE GOLDEN AGE
 50s and 60s were considered as the
Golden Age of Indian cinema.
 The first International Film Festival of
India held in early 1952 at Bombay had
a great impact on the Indian Cinema.
 The big turning point came in 1955 with
the arrival of Satyajit Ray and his classic
Pather Panchali which opened up a new
path leading the Indian film to the
World Film scene.

14.  International recognition came to it with the
Cannes award for best human document
followed by an unprecedented crop of foreign
and national awards.
 The impact of neorealism was evident in some
distinguished films like Bimal Roy's Do Bigha ayal
BaajZamin, Devadas and Madhumati; Rajkapoor's
Boot Polish, Shri-420 and Jagte Raho;V.
Shantharam's Do Aankhen Barah Haath and
Jhanak Jhanak Pe; Mehboob's Mother India;
Gurudutt's Pyaasa and Kagaz Ke Phool and
B.R.Chopra's Kaanoon.

15.  The transition to colour and the consequent preference
for escapist entertainment and greater reliance on stars
brought about a complete change in the film industry.
 The sixties was a decade of mediocre films made mostly
to please the distributors and to some extent, meet the
demands of the box office.

16. 1970s1970s
 The 70s completely changed the way films were made,
especially in Hindi film industry. Changing social norms and
changing economies influenced movies and the companies
that made them.
 The narrative style changed. The story structure changed.
Characters changed. Content changed. Masala films were the
demand of the time.
 The genre promised instant attraction and had great
entertainment value.
 The seventies further-widened the gap between multi-star
big budgeted off beat films.

17.  The popular Hindi hits of the decade include Kamal Amrohi's
Pakeeza; Rajkapoor's Bobby; Devar's Haathi Mere Saathi, Ramesh
Sippy's Sholay, Zanjeer, Deewar,Khoon Pasina, Yaadon Ki Baarat,
Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhi;Dharamveer, Amar Akbar Anthony,
Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, and Muquaddar Ka Sikandar.
 Of these majority of the films were action oriented with revenge
as the dominating theme.
 It was the age of the angry young man and Amitabh Bachchan rose
to prominence with the success of Sholay, Zanjeer and Deewar.

18.  While Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Jitendra and Dharmendra
continued to bask in the glory of back to back hits, the
actresses were not far behind. Right from the time of Savitri,
Vyjayanthi Mala, Nargis, Waheeda Rahman and Sharmila
Tagore to Sridevi, Rekha, Smita Patil, Hema Malini, several
actresses became the heartthrobs of India.

19.  Down in the South, the new wave cinema originated in
Karnataka and Kerala. Pattabhi Rama Reddy's Samskara (1970)
and Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram (1972) were the
trend setters in Kannada and Malayalam respectively.
 This continued with a series of socially conspicuous films like
Chomana Dudi, Ghatasradha, Arangetram, Chuvanna Vithukal
and many more.

20.  The Hindi new wave
reached its bloom period
towards the end of the
seventies with the coming
of film makers like Saeed
Mirza (Albert Pinto Ko
gussa Kyon aata hai,
Aravind Desai ki Ajeeb
Daastan), Rabindra
Dharmaraj's (Chakr), Sai
Paranjpe (Sparsh), Musafar
Ali (Gaman) and Biplab Roy
Chowdhari (Shodh).

21. 1980s and 90s1980s and 90s
 The new cinema movement
continued with full spirit in the
next decade (eighties) also.
Shyam Benegal presented
some good movies like
Manthan, Bhumika, Nishant,
Junoon, and Trikal. Nihlani's
Aaghat and Tamas were
remarkable works.
 Other important films with
new style of treatment include
Damul(Prakash Jha), 36
Chowringhee Lane(Aparna
Sen), Umrao Jaan (Musafir
Ali), Andhi Gali (Buddhadeb
Dasgupta), Aajka Robin Hood
(Tapan Sinha), etc.

22.  The new wave masters of Kerala, Adoor
and Aravindan, consolidated their position
in the 80s with their films Elippathayam,
Mukhamukham, Anantharam, Esthappan,
Pokkuveyil, Chidambaram, and Oridath.
 Elippathayam won the prestigious British
film Institute award for 1982.
 Shaji N. Karun's maiden film Piravi (1988)
bagged several national and international
awards and was shown in nearly forty film
festivals.
 Meera Nair, the young woman director,
won the Golden Camera award at Cannes
for her first film Salaam Bombay in 1989.

23.  The late eighties and early nineties saw the revival of the
musical love stories in Hindi cinema.
 Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya,
Chandni, Tridev, Hum, Ghayal, Saudagar, Rakhwala, Jo Jeeta
Wohi Sikander,Heena,Hum Hain Rahi Pyarke, Baazigar, Aaina,
Yeh Dillagi, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, Krantiveer, Raja, Rangeela
were some of the popular Hindi films of the last decade.

24.  90s was a mixed genre of romantic, thrillers, action and comedy
films.
 A stark upgrade was seen on the canvas as technology gifted the
industry Dolby digital sound effects, advanced special effects,
choreography and international appeal.
 The development brought about investments from the
corporate sector along with finer scripts and performances.
 It was time to shift focus to aesthetic appeal.
 Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth, Madhuri Dixit, Salman
Khan, Aamir Khan, Chiranjeevi, Juhi Chawla,etc.,. enriched
Indian cinema with their performances.

25.  From Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Manipur came films like
Tahader Katha, Bagh Bahadur, Charachar (Buddhadeb
Dasgupta), Uttoran (Sandip Ray), Wheel Chair(Tapan Sinha),
Unishe April (Rituparno Ghosh), Adimimansa, Lalvanya
Preethi (A.K.Bir),etc.
 In the South Malayalam Cinema presented some notable
films. They include Vasthuhara (Aravindan), Vidheyan
(Adoor),etc.
 From Tamil and Telugu cinema, there came few films like
Anjali, Roja and Bombay (Mani Ratnam),etc.
 English films like Miss. Beatty's Children (Pamela Rooks), and
English August (Dev Benegal) were also produced during this
period.

26. THE NEW MILLENNIUMTHE NEW MILLENNIUM
 Now, the Indian cinema has reached the
new millennium and a revolution of sorts
has happened in terms of defining glamour,
entertainment, commercial values,
budgeting, marketing and box office
reports.
 Today Indian Cinema ,especially, Hindi
cinema is not only popular in India but in
parts of the Middle East, Pakistan, UK and
virtually every other place where Indians
live.
 Films like Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and
Monsoon Wedding making the international
market sit up and take notice definitely
indicate that India is poised for bigger things
as far as Cinema goes. Monsoon Wedding
was the all-time top 10 foreign box-office
hits in America.

28.  Apart from regular screenings at major international film
festivals, the overseas market contributed a sizeable chunk
to Bollywood’s box office collections.
 Regular foreign Investments made by major global studios
such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros
put a stamp of confirmation that Bollywood had etched itself
on the global podium.
 Emergence of new age filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap,
Rajkumar Hirani, Dibakar Banerjee ,Vishal Bhardwaj,etc., has
changed the scene.
 There are movies on a number of themes. There are
comedies, thrillers, horror, fiction, movies with message like
Taare Zameen Pe, Vicky Donor, Munnabhai MBBS, Chak De
India, Lajja, and many more.

31. DELHI FESTIVALDELHI FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING THE 100CELEBRATING THE 100
YEARSYEARS
 In a show of solidarity and unity, representatives from
India's multi-billion dollar, dynamic cinema world came
together for the inauguration of the Centenary Film
Festival on 25TH
April 2013.
 The idea behind the fest on Indian cinema, the nation's
"soft power", is to create a week-long event, which "truly
epitomizes the ethos of the country".

32.  A highlight of the inaugural
programme was the screening of
silent film Throw of Dice, with a
live musical orchestra by maestro
Nishat Khan.
 The foyer area saw a display of old
cameras with descriptions, which
clearly gave one an idea of the
progress the country's cinema
industry has made over a century
since silent film Raja
Harishchandra was made in 1913.
 Over the days, the festival will host
screenings of some classics as well
as contemporary Indian films by
master directors such as Bimal
Roy, Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal,
Adoor Gopalakrishnan,etc.

33.  The fest is being celebrated in Siri Fort Auditorium as well in
venues such as Jamia Milia University, Jawaharlal Nehru
University and India Habitat Center.
 Another key highlight of the festival is the 'Cut-Uncut', a 3-
day workshop conceived and being executed by members of
the Central Board of Film Certification.
 A special Satyajit Ray retrospective and display of artwork of
Ray, has also been arranged to pay homage.
 A play on the life and times of Dadasaheb Phalke by Aamir
Raza Hussain would mark the end of the festival on April 30,
while the centenary celebrations will culminate in the
National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan on May 3.

34. CANNES INTERNATIONALCANNES INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVALFILM FESTIVAL
 The 66th edition of Cannes International Film Festival has India as
the guest country this time and is thus celebrating the 100 years
of Indian cinema.
 The festival is an eleven day event starting May 15, 2013 and it will
see screening of three Indian movies - Bombay Talkies, Monsoon
Shooting and Dabba - in different sections.
 It will open with the Amitabh Bachchan-Leonardo DiCaprio
starrer The Great Gatsby.
 Vidya Balan will be a part of the jury. The jury will select films in
competition section for the awards, which will be announced
during the closing ceremony May 26.
 Sonam Kapoor has shot for a special feature with a French team
who has come down to capture a day in the life of a Bollywood
celebrity. They have been investing time apprehending Sonam's
routine between her shooting and promotion schedule.

35. Arnab Acharya
Associate Vice President
Overseas Distribution & Media Syndication Rights
Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd
Reach me at :
reacharnabacharya@gmail.com