First Film- Raja Harishchandra 1913

Produced, directed and written by Dada Sahab Phalke, ‘Raja Harishchandra is the first full-length feature film. Quite evident from the title itself, the film is based on the life of Raja Harishchandra, a character mentioned in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Deeply influenced by iconic painter Raja Ravi Verma, Phalke’s film looked like a moving painting. The third day of May is of great significance because this film was first shown to public on this day. It was a grand success which subsequently gave birth to the Indian film industry.

First Talkie film-Alam Ara 1931

Alam Ara meaning The Light of the World was directed by Ardeshir Irani. It was the first sound film produced in India. The film unfolded the love story between a Prince and a gypsy girl. The film was a success and so were its songs. The film not only marked the incorporation of sound but music too. The track ‘De de khuda ke naam per’ was sung by actor Wazir Mohammed Khan, who recorded the song live.

First on screen smooch- Devika Rani kissing Himanshu Rai in `Karma`

A star of her times, Devika Rani, who hailed from an affluent family, was a very bold lady. She scandalized the orthodox Indian audiences by locking lips with her real life husband on screen in the film ‘Karma’ released in 1933. Apparently the kissing scene was 4 minutes long and happens to be one of the longest kissing scenes on Indian screen of all times.

First colour film-Kisan Kanya

Kisan Kanya released in 1937 happens to be India’s first indigenously produced colour film. Directed by Moti B. Gidvani and produced by Ardeshir Irani, the film unfolded the poor plight of a farmer and the consequences he faces for being a peasant. The film was not a commercial success but is remembered for being the country’s first colour film.

First film to win the Palme d`Or at Cannes Film Festival- Neecha Nagar

Directed by Chetan Anand and produced by India Pictures, ‘Neecha Nagar’ was the first Indian film to win the Palme d`Or at 1946 Cannes Film Festival. The film starred Kamini Kaushal and Zohra Saigal. Ravi Shankar composed the music for the film. the film portrayed a contrasting picture of the rich and the poor society.

First Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar in the foreign language category: Mother India (1957)

This cult film released in 1957 is perhaps one of the classic films of all times. Nargis played the epitome of motherhood while Rajendra Kumar and Sunil Dutt played her devoted sons. Directed, produced and written by Mehboob Khan, ‘Mother India’ looked like a live painting. It’s a story of a mother who fights all odds to raise her children and setup a prosperous and a progressive village.

First Indian to win an Oscar award: Bhanu Athaiya

This veteran costume designer was the first Indian to win the prestigious Academy Award for the film ‘Gandhi’ released in 1982. She has been working in the industry since the 1950s and has been associated with a number of classic films that include ‘C.I.D’, ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chaan’ and ‘Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam’ to name a few. She had also designed the costumes for Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ that had also been nominated to the Oscars in the best foreign film category.

First Indian to win Oscar for Lifetime Achievement: Satyajit Ray

This institution of filmmaking won the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in the year 1992 just a few weeks before his death. Satyajit Ray was indeed a boon to the country. The stalwart directed films like ‘Teen Kanya’, ‘Aparajito’, ‘Charulata’, ‘Sonar Kella’ that spoke volumes about his caliber and his way of story telling. His film ‘Pather Panchali’ released in 1955 won eleven international awards while his trilogy ‘Apu Triology’ (‘Pather Panchali’, ‘Aparajito’ (1956) and ‘Apur Sansar’(1959)) are among the All-Time 100 best movies.

First 3D film of India-Chota Chetan

‘My Dear Kuttichathan’, a Malayalam film released in 1984 was India’s first 3D film. It was later dubbed in Hindi and re-released as ‘Chota Chetan’ in 1997. The film was a huge Box Office success. Directed by Jijo Punnoose and produced by Navodaya Appachan and Jose Punnoose, the film used the latest technology available then to come up with the country’s first 3D film. In 1997, newer sequences were added and new technology was put into use to extend the length of the film and make it look more appealing.

Colorized film: Mughal-e-Azam

Released in 1960, this classic featuring Dilip Kumar and Madhubala was one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. The film was originally shot in black and white but was re-released in colour in 2004. Sterling Investment Corp Pvt Ltd is credited for having restored the colour version of the super-hit film that turned out to risk business for over 25 weeks at the Box Office.

By Gayatri Sankar