If we talk about the History of Motion Pictures in India, then the beginning chapters were written near mid 1890s. The first motion picture was shot in 1896. A total of six films, without audio, were shot at Bombay (present Mumbai where famous movie industry, Bollywood, is established), by Lumiere Brothers’, on July 7. In 1899 screening of motion pictures started when Sri Harishchandra Bhatvadekar started making films. Later on a pioneer rose producing the first Indian feature film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. It was the father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke.
Among the pioneers the name of Hiralal Sen and F.B.Thanawalla stand unmistakable. The produced and shot many films in early 1900s. They were joined in by J.F.Madan and Esoofaly. These two imported short films and started with bioscope shows. One popular film Pundalik, was released by N.G. Chitre and R.G.Torney in 1912.
The period from 1910 to 1920 was experimental and a preparatory phase. Indian cinema took the shape of accepted industry in 1920 with the release of many films. Some renowned names during this stage include Dhiren Ganguly, Baburao Painter and V. Santharam.
The pleasure, entertainment and expressive art brought by Indian cinema were entirely visual even during the entire 1920s. In the year 1931, the silence was finally broken with the production and release of the first sound complemented movie, Alam Ara. The film opened a new chapter of talkies or talking movies and the credit goes to the director, Ardershir Irani and Imperial Film Company. Alama Ara was released in the Majestic Cinema in Bombay. The same year also saw the release of first talkies in Bengali (Jumai Shasthi), Telugu (Bhakta Prahlad) and Tamil (Kalidass).
The decade that is 1930s was marked with the portrayal of social injustice in the films. There was increased awareness among the filmmakers of the existing social conditions social injustice systems and their failure. Many films on the same theme were released; some popular being Duniya Na Mane, Aadmi and Padosi, Achut Kanya, Sant Thukaram, Watan, Ek hi Raasta and Aurat. Another milestone was crossed in the same decade, when Ardershir Irani, attempted to produce a color picture in 1937. The film was Kisan Kanaya.
The decade, 1940s, was the decade of the Second World War and the Independence of India. These two events made a considerable impact on Indian cinema and the same can be found in the popular films of this era. These films include Shantharam's Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Mehboob's Roti, Chetan Anand's Neecha Nagar, Uday Shanker's Kalpana, Abbas's Dharti Ke Lal, Sohrab Modi's Sikander, Pukar and Prithvi Vallabh, J.B.H. Wadia's Court Dancer, S.S. Vasan's Chandralekha, Vijay Bhatt's Bharat Milap and Ram Rajya, Rajkapoor's Barsaat and Aag.
The first International Film Festival of India held in early 1952 at Bombay had great impact of Indian Cinema. In 1955 with the arrival of Satyajit Ray and his classic Pather Panchali opened up a new path leading the Indian film to the World Film Scene. International recognition came to it with the Cannes award for best human document followed by an unprecedented crop of foreign and national awards. In Hindi Cinema too, the impact of neorealism was evident in some distinguished films like Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin, Devadas and Madhumati, Raj Kapoor's Boot Polish, Shri-420 and Jagte Raho, V. Shantharam's Do Aankhen Barah Haath and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Mehbood's Mother India.
The sixties began with a bang with the release of K. Asif's Mughal-E-Azam which set a record at the box-office. It was followed by romantic musical and melodramas of a better quality. Rajkapoor's Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Dilip Kumar's Gunga Jamna, Gurudutt's Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam, Dev Anand's Guide; Bimal Roy's Bandini, S.Mukherji's Junglee, Sunil Dutt's Mujhe Jeene Do and the experimental Yaadein, Basu Bhatacharya's Teesri Kasam, Pramod Chakravorthy's Love in Tokyo, Ramanand Sagar's Arzoo, Sakhti Samantha's Aradhana, Hrishikesh Mukherji's Aashirwad and Anand, B.R. Chopra's Waqt, Manoj Kumar's Upkar, and Prasad Productions Milan were the significant Hindi films of the decade.
The seventies has further-widened the gap between multistar big budgeted off beat films. The popular Hindi hits of the decade include Kamal Amrohis Pakeeza, Rajkapoor's Bobby , Devar's Haathi Mere Saathi, Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, Zanjeer, Deewar, Khoon Pasina, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Kabhi Kabhi, Dharamveer, Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, and Muqaddar ka Sikandar. Of these majority of the films were action oriented with revenge as the dominating theme. Towards the end of the seventies with the coming of film makers like Govind Nihalani (Aakrosh), Saeed Mirza (Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai, Aravind Desai ki Ajeeb Daastan), Rabindra Dharmaraj (Chakra), Sai Paranjpe (Sparsh), Muzafar Ali (Gaman) and Biplab Roy Chowdhari (Shodh) brought boom to the flim Industry.
The late eighties and early nineties saw the revival of the musical love stories in Hindi cinema. Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Main Pyar Kiya, Chandni, Tridev, Hum, Ghayal, Saudagar, Rakhwala, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Hum Hain Rahi Pyarke, Baazigar, Aaina, Yeh Dillagi, Hum Apake Hai Kaun, Krantiveer, Raja and Rangeela were some of the popular Hindi films of the last decade.
The late eighties and early nineties saw the revival of the musical love stories in Hindi cinema. Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Main Pyar Kiya, Chandni, Tridev, Hum, Ghayal, Saudagar, Rakhwala, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Hum Hain Rahi Pyarke, Baazigar, Aaina, Yeh Dillagi, Hum Apake Hai Kaun, Krantiveer, Raja and Rangeela were some of the popular Hindi films of the last decade.
