Indian Cinema

India has one of the world's largest film industries, producing nearly 3,000 films annually (as of 2014 survey) — approximately 1,000 short films and 1,969 feature films. It produces films in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bhojpuri, and other languages. Cinema's history in India spans from the 1896 arrival of the Lumiere Brothers' Cinematograph to the modern globalised industry. **Beginnings (1896–1912):** The Lumiere Brothers exhibited six soundless short films in Bombay in 1896 (titled Coconut Fair and Our Indian Empire, shot by an unknown photographer in 1897). The first Indian filmmaker was Harishchandra Bhatvadekar (Save Dada), who made two short films in 1899 using the Edison Projecting Kinetoscope. Major Warwick established the first cinema house in Madras (Chennai) in 1900. Jamshedjee Madan established the Elphinstone Picture House in Calcutta in 1907. Universal Studios set up the first Hollywood agency in India in 1916. **Era of Silent Films (1910–1920):** The first Indo-British silent film was Pundalik (1912) by N.G. Chitre and R.G. Torney. The first indigenous Indian silent film was Raja Harishchandra (1913) by Dadasaheb Phalke — the "Father of Indian Cinema." Phalke also made Mohini Bhasmasur, Satyavan Savitri, and the first box office hit Lanka Dahan (1917). Kohinoor Film Company and Hindustan Cinema Films Company were established in 1918. Entertainment tax was introduced in Calcutta in 1922, in Bombay in 1923. Fatima Begum was the first Indian woman to produce and direct a film — Bulbul-e-Parastan (1926). First censorship controversy: Bhakta Vidhur banned in Madras (1921). **Epoch of Talkies (1930s onward):** The first talking film was Alam Ara (1931) by Ardeshir Irani (Imperial Film Company), screened at Majestic Cinema, Bombay. W.M. Khan was India's first singer; his song "De de khuda ke naam par" was the first recorded song in Indian cinematic history. First Indian colour film: Sairandhri (1933) by Prabhat — but processed in Germany. First indigenously made colour film: Kisan Kanya (1937) by Ardashir Irani. First film using studio system: P.C. Barua's Devdas (1935). First film without any songs: Naujawan (1937) by J.B.H. Wadia. First South Indian film: Premsagar (1939) by K. Subrahmanyam. **1950s — Coming of Age:** First International Film Festival of India (IFFI): held in Bombay in 1952. First Indian film to win award at Cannes: Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zameen. First National Film Award feature: Shyamchi Aai. Best short film: Mahabalipuram by Jagat Murari. First film to win President's Gold Medal: Mirza Ghalib (1954) by Sohrab Modi. First techni-colour film: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) by Sohrab Modi. First Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language: Mother India (1957). First Indian film in Cinemascope: Kagaz Ke Phool (1958) by Guru Dutt. First film to shoot at foreign locations: Naaz (1954) by S.K. Ojha. First Indo-Soviet collaboration: Pardesi (1957) by K.A. Abbas. Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) established in Pune in 1960. Dadasaheb Phalke Award instituted in 1969 (lifetime achievement). **Later Milestones:** First 3D film: My Dear Kuttichatan (Malayalam, dubbed as Chhota Chetan). Dolby sound system introduced via 1942-A Love Story (Vidhu Vinod Chopra). Sholay: first film on 70mm scale; longest running film in cinemas till 1990s; screenplay by Kaifi Azmi and Javed Akhtar. National Film Archive of India: opened in 1964.

The Indian Cinematograph Act, 1952 governs the certification of films in India. Its primary function is to establish the constitution and working of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), commonly called the "Censor Board of India." **CBFC Structure:** The CBFC was originally set up in 1950 as the "Central Board of Film Censors" and renamed under the 1952 Act. It operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Headquarters: Mumbai. Regional offices in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Cuttack, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad. The board is headed by a Chairman and members (minimum 12, maximum 25) appointed by the Central Government. Chairpersons and members can be appointed for three or more years. They are usually talented personalities from the film industry or intellectuals. **Film Certification Categories:** - U: Universal exhibition - A: Restricted to adult audience only - UA: Unrestricted public exhibition with parental guidance for children under 12 (added in 1983) - S: Public exhibition restricted to specialised audiences like doctors, engineers (added in 1983) In 1983, Cinematograph (Certification) Rules were upgraded to add UA and S categories. **Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT):** Established under Section 5D of the 1952 Act to hear appeals from parties dissatisfied with CBFC certification decisions. If a filmmaker disagrees, they can approach two-tier committees: the Examining Committee and the Revising Committee. **Exceptions from CBFC certification:** Films made for Doordarshan (official government broadcaster) and television programmes/serials do NOT require CBFC certification. Foreign films imported to India DO require CBFC certification. Dubbed films from one language to another also require fresh certification. **Shyam Benegal Committee (2016):** Constituted to recommend norms for film certification. Key recommendations: CBFC should only be a certification body (not a censoring body); it should categorise films for audience suitability based on age and maturity; Chairman should not be involved in day-to-day certification; UA category should be further subdivided into UA12+ and UA15+; A category should be subdivided into A and AC (Adult with Caution). **Enforcement:** Certification is a Central Government subject, but enforcement of censorship in their respective domains lies with State governments.

Parallel cinema (also called "art cinema" or "new cinema") is a movement in Indian filmmaking that prioritises artistic excellence and humanist perspectives over commercial entertainment. It focuses on realistic depictions of social problems and human experiences, in contrast to the fantasy-based world of mainstream popular cinema. **Origins and Causes:** Parallel cinema has existed since the late 1940s (with films like Neecha Nagar by Chetan Anand, and Aurat by Mehboob). The formal movement began with the regional cinema — specifically Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome (1969) — which launched the "new cinema" wave. Three contributing factors: 1. Global post-WWII trend toward neo-realism and depiction of human errors (reflected in Indian films like Mother India, Shree 420) 2. Availability of film institutions like National Film Archive of India (opened 1964) and FTII (Pune, 1960) 3. India as a destination for international film festivals exposed directors to global cinematic trends **Key Directors of Parallel Cinema:** - **Satyajit Ray**: foremost name; made the Apu Trilogy — Pather Panchali, Apur Sansar, Aparajito; won global critical acclaim and multiple awards; Pather Panchali won at Cannes - **Ritwik Ghatak**: focused on lower middle-class problems; films include Nagarik, Aajantrik, Meghe Dhaka Tara - **Mrinal Sen**: Bhuvan Shome (1969) — started the new cinema wave in regional cinema - **Women directors in 1980s parallel cinema:** Sai Paranjpye (Chasme Baddoor, Sparsh); Kalpana Lajmi (Ek Pal); Aparna Sen (36 Chowringhee Lane); Meera Nair (Salaam Bombay — won Golden Cannes Award, 1989) **V. Shantaram** is NOT associated with parallel cinema — he was a mainstream filmmaker from the silent/early talkie era. **Role of women in parallel cinema:** Unlike mainstream cinema which stereotyped women as ideal mothers (1960–80) or vamps, parallel cinema directors (Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal) showed the real life of Indian women.