Media & Environment

Indian CINEMA - CENTURY COLLECTIBLES

1896-First show in India-Marvel of the century ,arranged by the agents of Louis and August Lumiere, at Bombay’s Watson Hotel on July 7.

1899-First use of cine-camera.  H.S. Bhatavdekr imports a cine-camera from London.  He films a wrestling bout at hanging gardens in Bombay, the first documentary.

1902-First bioscope show.  J.F.Madan launches his bioscope show in a tent at Culcutta maidan.

1907-First Indian cinema hall.  J.F.Madan opens the elphinstone picture palace in Culcutta, the first of his cinema chains.

1913-First heroin A young boy, Salunke, who plays Taramati in Dadasaheb’s phalke’s Raja Harischandra.  The first true heroin is Kamalabai Gokhale.

1913-First hero Dattatraya Damodar Dabake becomes the first hero, as Raja Harischandra in eponymous film, India’s first full-length feature.

1915-First animation Agkadyanchi Mouj, made by Phalke, is the first animation film after his earlier unreleased attempt of 1912, called the Growth of the Pea Plant.

1918-Indian Cinematograph Act The terms of the censorship and licensing are spelt out.  In 1920, censor boards set up in Bombay, Culcutta, and Madras.

1921-First censorship controversy Kanjibhai Rathod’s Bhakt Vidur, released around the time of the Rawlatt Act, is seen as “politically subversive” and banned in Madras and Karachi.

1923-First film poster Baburao painter creates a poster for his film Maya Bazaar, also known as Vatsala Haran.

1929-First lip-lock Seeta Devi and Charu Roy lock lips in the silent film Throw of Dice.  Some say Lalitha Pawar was the first to kiss in Pati Bhakti, made in 1922.

1931-First film song De De Khuda Ke Naam Par Pyare, sung by W.M.Khan for Alam Ara; its composer phiroz Shah Mistry, the first music director.

1931-First talkie Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara releases on March 14 at Bombay’s majestic Cinema.  Audiences actually hear a film for the first time.

1935-First stunt film With Hunterwali, starring Fearless Nadia, the stunt film is accepted as a respectable big-budget genre.

1937-First International recognition  Sant Tukaram, released at Central Cinema, Bombay, in 1936, receives Special Jury mention at the 5th Venice International Film Festival.

1937-First colour film Kisan Kanya, by Moti B. Gidwani, is the first colour film processed in India.  The earlier colour effort, Sairandhri, was processed in Germany.

1938-First camera crane Wadia Moviestone uses the camera crane, built in its own workshop under B.M.Tara’s supervision.

1943-First certified blockbuster Gyan Mukherjee’s Kismet has leading man Ashok Kumar play an anti-hero; incorporate themes like pre-marital pregnancy.

1945-Rafi’s first screen appearance Mohd Rafi makes an appearance in Laila Majnu, music director Madan Mohan tries out his acting chops in Parda, 1947.

1946-Lata Mangeshkar’s Bollywood debut Paa Lagu Kar Jori Re in the film Aap Ki Sewa Mein is her first Bollywood song.

1946-Canes Grand Prize Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar wins Grand Prize at the first Cannes Film Festival.
1948-RK films set up Raj Kapoor starts RK Films, builds his studio in 1950.  Its iconic logo is based on the famous Raj Kapoor-Nargis clinch from Barsaat  (1949).
1950-First ‘A’ film Akash Chitra’s Hanste Aansu is the first Hindi feature film to get an ‘A’ certicificate.  Social Evil, a 1929 docu-drama, got an ‘A’ tag.
1951-First comedy film Bhagwan Dada’s Albela, a musical featuring Shola Jo Bhadke…Dil Mera Dhadke, Bholi Soorat Dil Ke Khote, is arguably the first comedy film.
1952-IFFI The First Internation Film Festival of India is organized by Films Division (set up in 1949) in Bombay, Madras, and Culcutta.
1954-First National Awards The Marathi Film Shyamchi Aai, directed by P.K.Atre, and Jagat Murali’s short film Mahabalipuram win the very first National Awards.
1957-First Academy Awards Entry Mother India releases.  It is India’s first submission for Best Foreign Language film in 1958, and is nominated.
1959-First film in cinemascope Gurudutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool is the first widescreen film, shot with cinemascope lenses from 20th century fox.  Bombs at the box office.
1960-Lavish production cost of Asif’s Magnum Opus Mughal E Azam touches $330,000 in the twelve years of its making.
1962-First Bhojpuri film Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo is the first film made in Bhojpuri.
1964-Switzerland The snowy slopes of Switzerland make their debut in Bollywood with Sangam.  Triggers the trend of shooting songs abroad.
1967-First 70-mm film Pachhi’s romcom Around The World is shot in 70-mm using blow-up method and stereophonic  sound.  Later in 1975, Sholay too shot in 70-mm format.
1969- New Wave Mrinal’s Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (right) and Mani Kaul’s Uski Roti usher in an all-new experimentation in technique from the narrative.
1971-Cup runneth over India makes 433 feature films, making it the world’s biggest film producer.
1972-First horror film Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche sees the Ramsey spearhead the genre.  Earlier film dealt with reincarnation and ghosts, but weren’t  gory.
1973-Indie, Love Story, Bobby boosts the love story genre.  At the other end of the spectrum, Shyam Benegal’s Ankur paves the way for middle-of-the-road cinema trend.
1973-Angry Young Man Bottled-up anger, exploding into action takes centre stage with inspector Vijay in Zanjeer.
1975-Sholay breaks all records, Becomes the first film to celebrate a silver jubilee in more than 100 cinema; runs for over five years at Mumbai’s Minerva theatre.
1977-First actor CM MGR is the first actor to become a chief minister; is CM of Tamilnadu from 1977 to 1987.
1982-Colour TV enters living rooms.  One of the earliest colour film to be seen in colour on TV Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi.
1983-First Oscar for India Bhanu Athaiya becomes the first Indian to win the academy award for Costume Design for her work in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.
1983-Rajanikanth’s Hindi debut The southern superstar is seen in Andha Kanoon,with Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini.
1984-First 3D film Malayalam film My Dear Kuttichathan uses 3D technology. It is later dubbed in Hindi as Chhota Chetan.  The first Hindi 3D movie Shiva Ka Insaaf.
1989-Salaam Bombay! Mira Nair’s gritty, heart-wrenching film becomes the second Indian film to make it to the Oscar’s Best Foreign Language category.
1992-Honorary Oscar Days before his death, Satyajith Ray gets the Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement “in recognition of the mastery of the art of motion pictures….”
1994-Musical megahit The 14-song musical Hum Aapke Hain Koun is declared the biggest hit in the history of indian cinema.
1995-’item’ number Sonali Bendre’s Humma Humma dance in the film Bombay is the first item song in Indian cinema, though the term is not used yet.
1996-First film on homosexuality Deepa Mehta’s Fire creates a furore over its open depiction of lesbianism and is banned.
1997-First multiplex PVR Anupam, with four screens, opens in Delhi.
1999-First insured film for Taal, Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts took an insurance policy worth ruppees 11 crores against shooting schedule disturbances or accidents.
2002-Lagaan’s Oscar nomination Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan makes it to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars.
2009-Double Oscar A.R.Rahman wins 2 Oscars for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.  Resul pookutty bags an Oscar for best sound mixing.
2010-Digicam film Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha is shot on a handheld digicam, in the found footage style.
2011-Most expensive At $30 million, Shahrukh Khan’s ambitious superhero flick Ra.One becomes the most expensive film till date.
2012-World’s largest film studio The 2,700-acre Prayag film City at Chandrakona,West Bengal,is unveiled. When it becomes fully operational next year,it will become the world’s largest film studio complex,taking the crown away from Ramoji film city in Hyderabad.

Compiled by Anju Abraham, II MJMC, August, 2012.

Source: Outlook, Cinema Special, July, 2012.

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