The history of Indian film dates back to the eighteenth century. The Lumiere Brothers’ very first films were screened in Mumbai in 1896. (Then Bombay).
However, history was made when Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatavdekar, a still photographer, often known as Save Dada, was so inspired by the Lumiere Brothers’ work that he ordered a camera from England. ‘The Wrestlers,’ his first picture, was shot at the Hanging Gardens in Mumbai. It was a rudimentary recording of a wrestling fight that was broadcast in 1899 and is regarded as the Indian Film Industry’s first motion picture.
Bollywood’s beginnings
The first full-length feature film, ‘Raja Harishchandra,’ was released in 1913 by Dadasaheb Phalke, the Father of Indian Cinema.
The silent film was a commercial success. Dadasaheb was the director, writer, cameraman, editor, make-up artist, and art director in addition to being the producer. The first Indian film to be exhibited in London was Raja Harischandra in 1914.Despite the fact that Indian Cinema’s first mogul, Dadasaheb Phalke, oversaw and controlled the creation of twenty-three films from 1913 to 1918, the Indian Film Industry’s first rise was not as rapid as Hollywood’s.
In the early 1920s, a slew of new production businesses popped up. The 20s were dominated by films based on mythical and historical events and episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but Indian viewers also enjoyed Hollywood pictures, particularly action flicks.
The Beginning of Talkies
The first talkie, Ardeshir Irani’s ‘Alam Ara,’ premiered in Bombay in 1931. It was India’s first sound film. With the premiere of Alam Ara, a new era in Indian cinema began. Alam Ara’s original music director was Phiroz Shah. ‘De de khuda ke naam par’ was the first song recorded for Alam Ara in 1931.
W.M. Khan performed the song.
Following it, other production companies arose, resulting in a rise in the number of films released. There were 328 films made in 1931, compared to 108 in 1927. Huge movie theatres were established at this time, and the number of moviegoers increased dramatically.
Regional Films’ Expansion
Not only did the country experience the rise of Hindi cinema, but it also saw the emergence of a regional film industry. In 1917, J.F. Madan produced the first Bengali feature film, ‘Nal Damyanti,’ which featured Italian actors in the lead roles. The photographs were taken by Jyotish Sarkar. The first silent South Indian feature film, titled ‘Keechaka Vadham,’ was released in 1919. R. Nataraja Mudaliar of Madras directed the film (Chennai). In 1919, Manadakini, Dadasaheb Phalke’s daughter, became the first female child star when she played Krishna in Phalke’s ‘Kaliya Mardan.’ The first Bengali talkie film, ‘Jamai Shashthi,’ was released in 1931 and was produced by Madan Theatres Ltd. H.M. Reddy directed the first Tamil talkie, ‘Kalidass,’ which was released in Madras on October 31, 1931. There are several other languages besides Bengali and South Indian.
The Beginning of a New Era
During World War II, the number of films made fell for a brief period. Essentially, the current Indian film business began around 1947. The film business had a significant and extraordinary development during this time period.
