Firstly, Indian Cinema doesn't directly mean Bollywood.

While researching for this article, I came across a dozen articles that directly quoted Bollywood as Indian Cinema. Kollywood, Tollywood, Mollywood & many other regional film industries play a significant role in shaping the Indian Cinema and its richness. With about 20+ official languages across the country, each having its regional film industry - imagine the cultural diversity our Indian Films would represent!

So folks, what would you expect if you asked a kid from the GenZ commune about the History of Films today?

Black and White films? Classic ‘Sholay ’ or the epic DDLJ?

But this isn't even close to scratching the surface of the History of Indian Cinema & Filmmaking. This article is going to be a real treat for all the cinephiles as it will take you to time travel in the era of the beautiful Mute Films, a slow integration of speech and sound, then color, and now what- VFX (the new orange! ).

What is a ‘cinematographe’?

Basically, this was an invention of the Lumiere Brothers It was a simple camera & projector that marked the actual beginning of Motion Pictures. The word also draws the foundation of the term "Cinematography."

Before Cinematographe, one could see "films" through a device called Kinetoscope (a peeping device for one person at a time; Edison & Williamson's invention )

So when the Lumiere brothers came to India with their Camera & Projector, they previewed six short films (only a series of visuals; no sound ). It was 1896, in Watson Hotel, Mumbai, when and where the paradigm of Indian Cinema saw an iota of Films and Filmmaking.

Developments in the Silent Era of Films:

During the silent era of Indian cinema, dialogue was conveyed through titles—text displayed on screen. These inter-titles were often in English and a few Indian languages. Additionally, almost every film featured a live background score that played throughout the movie, enhancing the dramatic effect. Sometimes, a piano provided the accompaniment, while other films incorporated instruments like violins, harmoniums, and tablas.

While there was no movement in Indian Filmmaking for the next 15 years after the Lumiere brothers introduced Indians to Filmmaking, however, there was a wave of epic films after that.

The first film- Pundalik (1912 ):

N.G. Chitre and R.G. Torney made the first Indian film based on a story. Titled “PUNDALIK”, it portrayed the life of a holy man in Maharashtra.

The Phalke Effect!

Dhandiraj Govindraj Phalke (D.G. Phalke ) released this landmark film ‘Raja Harischandra ’ on May 3, 1913.
After returning from England, Phalke set up his studio in 1913. He established the foundation for the future Indian film industry and trained young filmmakers in his Nasik studio. His enthusiasm, dedication, and belief that “Indians must see Indian movies on the Indian Silver screen” drove his work.
Now can you guess why Phalke is also known as the Father of Indian cinema? The prestigious Phalke Award rightfully honors his remarkable contributions to Indian cinema. Despite financial challenges, Phalke's Nasik studio became the first regular studio. Silent movies emerged from Calcutta studios, including “SATYAVAADI HARISCHANDRA” (1917 ) and “KEECHAKAVADHAM” (1919 ).

Globally, the silent era (1896-1930 ) witnessed over a thousand Indian films, but only ten survive today, preserved in Pune archives.

Impact of American and European Films:

American and European films continued to gain popularity. The imperial Government worried about their influence on Indian minds. In 1917, the European Association cautioned against a film called “The Serpentine Dance,” fearing it would lower esteem for white men and women in India.

Would you call it the first ‘Censorship ’ in movies in India? Give it a thought!

Here comes the Dialogues!
An inquisitive fellow, Ardeshir Irani, born into a Parsi family in Pune in 1886 changed the dynamics of Indian Filmmaking forever! He came up with ‘Alam Ara ’ )The Light of the World ( in 1931 as the first Indian movie with sound, and music. It was a costume drama about the rivalry between two queens that he depicted.
Post-British rule, movies around “Free India” and Patriotism were on a roll, for example- ‘Sikandra ’ ) 1941 ( and ‘Shaheed ’ ( 1948 ).

Criticism of Movies with Sound

• Talkies dealt with its fair share of criticism. Some felt that injecting sound into movies destroyed them aesthetically.

• Moreover, another problem with talkies was, that people from different regions know different languages to watch a silent movie and derive its meaning, however, Talkies hampered that aspect of Films.

1960s & 70s of the Indian Film Industry

A major shift in the approach of selecting heroes was seen. The emergence of the Angry Young Man archetype replaced romantic heroes. As we all know, Ramesh Sippy's iconic film “Sholay” set the standard higher.
Meanwhile, Assamese cinema also flourished, with directors like Samarendra Narayan Dev making their mark. However, a disparity in terms of fundings and sponsorships was often seen in regional films,

The Classic 90s' - 90s kids anyone?

The 1990s was a period of romance and music. Shah Rukh Khan became synonymous with this era. Films like “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak,” "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (DDLJ ), and “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” set benchmarks for on-screen romance1.
Alongside mainstream hits, parallel cinema thrived. Mira Nair's “Salaam Bombay” received Oscar nominations and Cannes acclaim, providing an alternative voice to commercial cinema. Ram Gopal Varma's “Satya” kick-started Mumbai noir, exploring urban struggles.

In the present times,12 Mn+ people go to cinemas every day, on average. Around 800 films are made every year, across India.

From the early days of cinematographe reels to todayvs stunning cinematic spectacles, film technology has evolved significantly. Iconic films like “Gone With the Wind” (1939 ), which used the innovative Technicolor process to provide rich, vibrant colors. Hopping to the present times, we're witnessing leaps in CGI and motion capture technologies, transforming how movies are made. For instance, “Avatar” (2009 ) pushed boundaries with groundbreaking motion capture techniques and 3D filming technology1.

AI and VR Impact: Artificial Intelligence (AI ) is revolutionizing film production. It influences scriptwriting, editing, and even casting. While AI-generated scripts like "Sunspring" (2016 ) exist, its primary role lies in streamlining pre-production tasks and reducing post-production time. Additionally, Virtual Reality (VR ) is transforming cinema into an interactive experience, as seen in films like "Ready Player One" (2018 ).

Concluding this time travel of Indian cinema in the words of the legendary, and ever-inspiring, Satyajit Ray-

“Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.”