Maarg Manthan · Topic 6.8

History of Indian Cinema (Dadasaheb Phalke)

Art & Culture › Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry · Topic 6.8

The history of Indian cinema began on 7 July 1896, when the Lumiere brothers' films were shown at Watson's Hotel in Bombay. Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, known as Dadasaheb Phalke, made Raja Harishchandra (released 3 May 1913), the first Indian full-length feature film, and is called the Father of Indian Cinema. Alam Ara (1931), directed by Ardeshir Irani, was the first Indian sound film (talkie). Kisan Kanya (1937) was the first indigenous colour film. The 1950s are the Golden Age of Hindi cinema (Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Mehboob Khan), Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (1955) began parallel cinema, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award has been the highest film honour since 1969.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry

At a Glance

First show 7 July 1896, Bombay
First feature Raja Harishchandra, 1913
First talkie Alam Ara, 1931
First colour film Kisan Kanya, 1937
Highest honour Dadasaheb Phalke Award, 1969
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the overview of cinema in India and traces its growth in time. Most Prelims questions on cinema ask for a first or a date from this history. Previous topic: Cinema in India. Next topic: Classification of Indian Cinema Film (National Film Awards).

What Are the Key Milestones in Indian Cinema?

Year	Milestone	Details and persons
1896	First film screening	Lumiere films shown at Watson’s Hotel, Bombay, on 7 July 1896
1897 to 1899	First Indian-shot films	Hiralal Sen made scenes in Calcutta; H. S. Bhatavdekar filmed a wrestling match, The Wrestlers (1899)
1912	Early Marathi film	Shree Pundalik by N. G. Chitre and R. G. Torney
1913	First full-length feature	Raja Harishchandra, silent, by Dadasaheb Phalke, shown at Coronation Cinematograph, Bombay on 3 May 1913
1917 to 1919	Regional beginnings	Keechaka Vadham (1917, Tamil, silent), Bilwamangal (1919, Bengali)
1918 to 1920	Regulation	The Indian Cinematograph Act, 1918 created censor boards at Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lahore and Rangoon in 1920
1928	First Malayalam film	Vigathakumaran by J. C. Daniel
1931	First talkie	Alam Ara, directed by Ardeshir Irani, released 14 March 1931, Majestic Cinema, Bombay. Kalidas (first Tamil talkie) and Bhakta Prahlada (first Telugu talkie) followed. Jamai Shashthi was the first Bengali talkie
1932	First Marathi talkie	Ayodhyecha Raja by Prabhat Film Company
1934	Bombay Talkies	Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani founded the studio; Sati Sulochana was the first Kannada talkie
1937	First colour film	Kisan Kanya, made by Moti B. Gidwani using Cinecolor
1940s	Studio system and war years	Prabhat, New Theatres, Bombay Talkies, Gemini
1953 to 1957	Golden Age and realism	Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Pather Panchali (1955), Mother India (1957), Pyaasa (1957)
1960	Epic	Mughal-e-Azam by K. Asif
1969	New wave and award	Bhuvan Shome (Mrinal Sen), Dadasaheb Phalke Award started; Devika Rani first awardee
1970s	Parallel cinema and the angry young man	Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974); Sholay (1975); Amitabh Bachchan
1990s to 2000s	Liberalisation and global reach	Satellite TV, multiplexes, diaspora films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995); industry status in 2001
2010s onward	Digital and OTT era	Streaming from 2016, pan-Indian films, Oscar wins in 2023

Who Were the Major Directors and Movements?

Director or movement	Era	Contribution
Dadasaheb Phalke	1913 to 1930s	Father of Indian Cinema; mythological films; Lanka Dahan (1917), Kaliya Mardan (1919); his only talkie was Gangavataran (1937)
Raj Kapoor	1940s to 1980s	Awara, Shree 420; the Showman
Guru Dutt	1950s	Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Mehboob Khan	1940s to 1950s	Mother India; first Indian Oscar nomination
Bimal Roy	1950s	Do Bigha Zamin, Madhumati; social realism
Satyajit Ray	1955 onwards	Apu Trilogy; Bharat Ratna 1992; honorary Oscar 1992
Parallel cinema	1950s to 1980s	Ray, Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Adoor Gopalakrishnan
South Indian cinema	1930s onward	K. Subramaniam, L. V. Prasad, Gemini, AVM Studios

What Else Should You Remember?

Phalke: 1870 to 1944; born in Trimbak, Nashik; he made nearly a hundred films and shorts in his career; he was inspired by The Life of Christ
Bhasmasur Mohini: Phalke’s 1913 film which introduced actresses Durgabai Kamat and Kamlabai Gokhale
Alam Ara: the film was based on a Parsi play and had seven songs; its print is lost
Songs: the history of Indian cinema shows that films used songs from the start of the talkie period, a feature that remains
Studio era: Prabhat (1929, Kolhapur later Pune), New Theatres (1931, Calcutta), Bombay Talkies (1934), Gemini (1940s, Madras)
Partition: the Lahore film industry was cut off, and many artists moved to Bombay
Censorship: the Cinematograph Act, 1952 replaced the earlier boards and created CBFC
Film Finance Corporation: created in 1960 to fund new cinema, later merged into NFDC (1980)
National Film Awards: the first awards were given in 1954
Festival: the first International Film Festival of India was held in Bombay in 1952
Cannes: Pather Panchali won a special prize, Best Human Document, in 1956; Neecha Nagar won the Palme d’Or in 1946
Link: the structure of the industry appears in Cinema in India and awards in Classification of Indian Cinema Film (National Film Awards)

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Firsts: first film show, feature, talkie, colour film and regional talkies
Persons: Phalke, Irani, Himanshu Rai, Devika Rani, Ray
Dates: 1896, 1913, 1931, 1937, 1969
Movements: parallel cinema
Common errors: giving the first talkie to Phalke, or Raja Harishchandra to 1931

As an analytical point, Indian cinema moved from mythological silent films to a global industry by adapting to technology, state policy and audience taste. Its history shows how popular art can both reflect and shape national identity.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Firsts Direct one-liners
Dates 1896 to 1969
Persons Phalke, Irani, Ray

What Came Next?

The next topic is Classification of Indian Cinema Film (National Film Awards). Next topic: Classification of Indian Cinema Film (National Film Awards).

Key People and Terms

Talkie Sound film
Silent film Film without sound
Parallel cinema Realist art cinema
Studio system Company-owned production
Cinecolor Early colour process
Mythological Epic-based film

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

First show: 1896, Bombay.
First feature: Raja Harishchandra, 1913.
First talkie: Alam Ara, 1931.
First colour: Kisan Kanya, 1937.
Phalke Award: 1969, Devika Rani.

Do Not Confuse With

Phalke and Irani First feature versus first talkie
Raja Harishchandra and Alam Ara Silent 1913 versus sound 1931
Parallel and commercial cinema Realist art film versus mass film

Memory Hook

Lumiere shows, Phalke makes, Irani speaks, Gidwani colours, Ray awakens.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about cinema and national life. These points give a frame.

Reflection Social change on screen
Technology Sound, colour, digital
Policy State role and censorship

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Trace the evolution of Indian cinema and show how it reflected social and political change.”

How to Answer

Beginnings Phalke and silent era.
Growth Talkie and Golden Age.
Change Parallel and commercial.
Today OTT and global reach.

GS Relevance

Prelims: firsts in Indian cinema, persons, dates, studios, movements. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, modern art forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Father of Indian Cinema?

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, known as Dadasaheb Phalke (1870 to 1944), is called the Father of Indian Cinema. He made Raja Harishchandra, the first Indian full-length feature film, released on 3 May 1913. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest film honour, was named after him in 1969.

Which was the first Indian talkie?

Alam Ara, directed by Ardeshir Irani for Imperial Movietone, was the first Indian sound film. It was released in Bombay on 14 March 1931 and had several songs. The first Tamil and Telugu talkies, Kalidas and Bhakta Prahlada, followed later in 1931.

When was the first film shown in India?

The first film show in India was held on 7 July 1896 at Watson's Hotel in Bombay, when the Lumiere brothers' short films were screened. A year later the first Indian-shot scenes appeared, and in 1899 H. S. Bhatavdekar filmed a wrestling match.

What was the first colour film in India?

Kisan Kanya (1937), directed by Moti B. Gidwani and produced by the Imperial Film Company, was the first indigenous colour film of India, using the Cinecolor process. The first major Technicolor Hindi film was Aan (1952) by Mehboob Khan.

What is parallel cinema in India?

Parallel cinema, also called new wave or art cinema, is a realist film movement that began with Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (1955) and grew in the 1960s to 1980s. It focused on social issues with low budgets, and directors include Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

Why is the history of Indian cinema important for UPSC?

It is important because Prelims asks for firsts such as first film, talkie and colour film, and for persons like Phalke and Irani, and Mains asks how cinema reflected social change. It is a high-yield one-liner topic in GS Paper 1 culture.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Alam Ara was the first Indian talkie.

True

It was released in 1931.

2 Raja Harishchandra was released in 1931.

False

It was released in 1913 as a silent film.

3 Dadasaheb Phalke is called the Father of Indian Cinema.