[Reader-list] A bried history of the indian cinema industry

[Aarti Sethi]

Dear All,

This is a synoptic chronology someone has made of the history of the
Indian cinema industry. Its quite something in terms of the detail and
the scope which is almost ten decades.

Enjoy!
best
A

http://www.hamaraforums.com/lofiversion/index.php/t3689.html

1907 : J.F. Madan opens the Elphinstone Picture Palace in Calcutta,
the first of his cinema chain. Pathe establishes office in India.

1908 : Abdulallay Esoofally, a South Asian and Singaporean traveling
showman starts exhibiting in India.

1910 : Dadasaheb Phalke attends a screening of The Life of Christ at
P.B. Mehta�s American - Indian Cinema and decides to become a
filmmaker himself.

1911 : Anandi Bose, Debi Bose and others start the Aurora Cinema Co.
showing films in tents as part of a variety bill. The Coronation
Durbar of King George V held in Delhi is filmed by several Indians.
(S.N. Patankar, Hiralal Sen, Madan Theatres)

1912 : Two amateurs N.G. Chitre and R.G. Torney attempt a narrative
film, about 1500 feet long, of a play - Pundalik.

1913 : Phalke�s Raja Harishchandra, 3700 feet long, opens on 21st
April to a select audience and opens commercially on 3rd May in
Bombay�s Coronation Cinematograph.

1914 : Phalke shows his first three features - Raja Harishchandra,
Mohini Bhasmasur and Satyavan Savitri in London. R. Venkiah and R.S.
Prakash build Madras� first permanent cinema, The Gaiety.

1915 : First South Indian feature - R. Nataraja Mudaliar�s Gopal Krishna.

1916 : Universal Pictures set up Hollywood�s first Indian Agency.

1917 : J.F. Madan�s Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra is the first feature
made in Calcutta. Phalke makes a short film about filmmaking, How
Films Are Made.

1918 : The Indian Cinematograph Act modeled on that of Britain defines
the term of censorship and cinema licensing. Phalke�s Hindustan Film
Company is established. Patankar�s Ram Vanvas is the first Indian
Serial with a length of 20,000 feet.

1919 : Baburao Painter starts the Maharashtra Film company at
Kolhapur. Dwarkadas Sampat forms the Kohinoor Film Company.

1920 : Film Censor Boards set up in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and
Rangoon. Ardheshir Irani starts his first studio, Star Film Company.
Nala Damayanti is first International Co-production. Suchet Singh, who
had trained in Hollywood releases Shakuntala starring Dorothy Kingdom.
The Bengali Film Weekly Bijoli starts.

1921 : Kohinoor�s Bhakta Vidur (1921) runs foul of the censors as its
protagonist bears more than an uncanny resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi.
Dhiren Ganguly makes the Anti-West satire England Returned. R.S.
Prakash starts the Star of the East Film Company. In Calcutta, Anandi
Bose starts Aurora Film Corporation, a distribution company.

1922 : Entertainment Tax on Film exhibition is levied in Calcutta.
Rewashankar Pancholi starts Empire Film Distributors in Karachi and
Lahore, importing American films.

1923 : Entertainment tax of 12-� % is levied in Bombay. The Saurashtra
Kinemograph is set up in Rajkot. The elite literary journal Bharati
(founded in 1877) carries a serialized history of Bengali cinema.

1924 : Dhiren Ganguli is expelled by the Nizam from Hyderabad for
exhibiting Razia Begum. India�s first periodical exclusively devoted
to cinema Mouj Majah (Gujarati) is launched in Bombay by J.K. Dwivedi.
Nanubhai Desai and others start Saraswati Film. Maneklal Patel starts
Krishna Film. Kamala Movietone started in Lahore.

1925 : The first major film adaptation of the social reform novel -
Baburao Painter�s Savkari Pash. Fatima Begum, probably the first
Indian woman producer, starts her production company and debuts with
Bulbul-e-Parastan. Sharda Film is started and formalizes the stunt
film genre. The Indo-German co-production The Light of Asia is
released abroad to great critical acclaim. The Madurai Bala
Shanmughananda Sabha is started dominating pre-independence Tamil
Theatre and film.

1926 : Foundation of the Punjab Film Corporation in Lahore,
inaugurating the Punjabi Film Industry. Ardheshir Irani starts
Imperial Films in partnership with Abdulallay Esoofally. Vande Mataram
Ashram is censored and briefly banned. The journal Photoplay starts in
Calcutta.

1927 : Indian Kinema Arts Studio starts in Calcutta. On October 6,
Government of India announces appointment of a Committee of Enquiry,
The Indian Cinematograph Committee. Film journals Movie Mirror
(Madras) and Kinema (Bombay) are started.

1928 : The Indian Cinematograph Committee (
1927-28) publishes its report. The British administration ignores the
report. A.R. Kardar starts the United Players Corporation in Lahore.
First Malayalam feature - J.C. Daniel�s Vigathakumaram. R. Padmanabhan
founds the associated Film Studio in Madras.

1929 : Wall Street crashes ending negotiations about a major Hollywood
expansion into India. Several important studios are started among them
Prabhat film Company in Kolhapur, Ranjit Movietone in Bombay, British
Dominion Films Studio and Aurora Film corporation in Calcutta and
General Pictures Corporation in Madras. The Gujarati film periodical
Chitrapat and the Moving Picture Monthly are launched in Bombay.
Universal�s Melody of Love is the first sound feature released in
India at the Elphinstone Picture Palace. Bengali monthly Deepali
launched.

1930 : Sailajananda Mukherjee starts the Bengali film weekly Bioscope
reporting on the Hollywood, Bombay and Calcutta film industries and
publishing reviews, pre-release synopses of films, industrial surveys
and occasionally essays about technical and aesthetic issues. Ambalal
Patel and Chimanlal Desai start Sagar Film. Gubbi Veeranna starts
production with the Gubbi-Karnataka Films Corporation at the
Malleshwaram Studios in Bangalore. First Film society in India known
as Punjab Cinema Art Society.

1931 : Alam Ara is India�s first sound film. B.N. Sircar founds New
Theatres. Several Madan Theatres productions follow in quick
successions with vastly superior sound systems. Pancholi�s Empire
Talkie Distributors acquires rights to RKO - Radio productions and RCA
- Photophone sound equipment. The Bengali film weeklies Chitralekha
and Batayan and literary quarterly Parichay start.

1932 : First sound feature in Gujarati (Narasinh Mehta). The East
India film Co. starts in Calcutta pioneering Bengali, Tamil and Telegu
filmmaking. The Motion Picture Society of India (MPSI) is set up to
represent the Indian Film Industry. Hindi weekly Cinema Sansar
launched in Bombay. In Bengal the monthly Chitrapanji includes serious
essays by filmmakers.

1933 : Prabhat Studio moves to Pune. Its Sairandhri processed and
printed in Germany becomes India�s first colour film. Kolhapur
Cinetone is started. Wadia Movietone is founded. Vijay Bhatt and
others start Prakash Pictures. Vel Pictures and Tamil Nadu talkies are
launched in Madras. Himanshu Rai�s Karma is premiered in London. The
air - conditioned Regal cinema opens in Bombay.

1934 : Bombay Talkies is established by Himansu Rai and Devika Rani.
East India Film Company�s Seeta directed by Debaki Bose is shown at
Venice Film Festival. First sound features in Oriya (Seeta Bibaha) and
Kannada (Bhakta Dhruva). Seeta Kalyanam made by Vel Pictures is the
first sound feature made in Madras. Ranjit Studio�s Toofan Mail is the
Hindi Cinema�s first major success in the stunt film genre. Hindi film
periodical Chitrapat is launched in Delhi. Bengali film weekly
Ruprekha starts.

1935 : First All-India Motion Picture Convention is held. New Theatres
Devdas directed by P.C. Barua becomes reference point in Hindi and
Bengali Cinema. New Theatres� Dhoop Chaon establishes playback
singing. Launch of the seminal film monthly Filmindia. The Quetta
earthquake takes place on May 21. Its after effects are filmed by P.V.
Pathy. First films in Punjabi (Sheila) and Assamese (Joymati). Madras
United Artisits started at Salem. First Trade journal started by
Motion Picture Society of India.

1936 : Amar Jyoti is shown in Venice. Master Vinayak and cameraman
Pandurang Naik co-found Huns Pictures. Jaddanbai starts Sangeet Films
with films featuring her daughter Nargis as a child artiste. Sohrab
Modi and Rustom Modi start Minerva Movietone. The Bengal Motion
Picture Association is formed in Calcutta. The second All-India Motion
Picture Convention held at Madras. Ardershir Irani sets up cinecolour
process laboratory with Wolf M. Henius as chief technician.

1937 : Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) founded in
Bombay. Sant Tukaram receives special jury mention at Venice Film
Festival. Imperial Film Company releases colour film Kisan Kanya using
Cinecolour process. First songless film - J.B.H. Wadia�s Naujawan. The
Amateur Cine Society of India formed in Bombay by P.V. Pathy, Stanley
Jepson and Rudi Van Leyden. Bengali Film weekly Kheyali founded.

1938 : South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce formed in Madras. Indian
Motion Picture Distributors Association set up in Bombay. Duniya Na
Mane (
1937) shown in Venice. Bombay Talkies makes probably the first
officially commissioned ad film on Lever�s Dalda cooking oil for the
Lintas Advertising Agency. The first Malayalam sound film, Balan. The
Indian Screen Gazette is started by Wadia Movietone. P.V. Pathy films
a three-reeler on the Haripura Congress for the Gazette.

1939 : Indian Film Industry celebrates its silver jubilee and holds
Indian Motion Picture Congress in Bombay bringing together allied
unions and trade associations to discuss problems. Vauhuni Pictures is
started by B.N. Reddy and Gemini by S.S. Vasan. Film Industry, a trade
newspaper is started in Bombay.

1940 : Film Advisory Board set up in Bombay to mobilize public support
through war propaganda films. Himanshu Rai dies. Devika Rani takes
over production control of Bombay Talkies. P.K. Atre, Master Vinayak
and others start Navyug Chitrapat with public finance.

1941 : Wadia Movietone�s Court Dancer (English) released at Metro in
Bombay and sent to the USA. D.M. Pancholi�s Khazanchi becomes a
trendsetter for its foot-tapping music by Ghulam Haider. First Pushtu
Film - Sarhad pictures Laila Majnu. V. Shantaram splits with his
partners at Prabhat. He briefly joins Film Advisory Board as Chief
Producer after his predecessor Alex Shaw leaves for London.

1942 : Production hit due to shortages of raw stock. Government
restricts lengths of films to 11,000 feet to conserve stock for war
propaganda films. Mehboob Khan, Shantaram, Homi Wadia and A.R. Kardar
set up their independent Film Production Units. The Bombay Film
Society is formed. First film in Sindhi, Ekta and Marwari, Nazrana.
V.P. Sathe and others start the journal Sound featuring politics,
fiction, reviews and essays on Indian Film.

1943 : Government imposes control of supply of raw stock. Exhibition
of �approved� propaganda films made compulsory under Defence of India
Rules 44A. Kismet one of the biggest hits in Indian Film history is
released. Information Films of India is started. K. Ramnoth starts the
Cine Technicians Association (CTA) of South India. Court Dancer finds
release in the USA. Kailash Mukhopadhyay starts the seminal Bengali
Film monthly, Rupamancha.

1944 : Government appoints Film Advisory Committee to regulate
distribution of raw film. Increase in Entertainment Tax in Bombay,
Madras, United Province and Central Province. Death of Dadasaheb
Phalke.

1945 : Film Trade representatives resign from the Film Advisory
Committee. Control of distribution of raw film stock removed.

1946 : Information Films of India disbanded. Dharti ke Laal produced
by Indian People�s Theatre Association (IPTA) and directed by K.A.
Abbas wins critical acclaim at home and abroad. Chetan Anand�s Neecha
Nagar shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani
made as a war-effort film. Ranakdevi establishes the Gujarati Cinema
as a financially viable industry.

1947 : Vijay Bhatt�s Ram Rajya (1943), A.R. Kardar�s Shah Jehan(1946)
and V.Shantaram�s Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani shown at Canadian National
Exhibition in Totonto. AVM Film Co. starts with Nam Iruvar. Paul Zils
and Fali Billimoria start the Documentary Unit - India. Udaya Studios
is the first film studio in Kerala. Satyajit Ray, Chidananda Das Gupta
and others start the Calcutta Film Society. Foundation of the Bengali
film weekly Rupanjali. Deaths of Master Vinayak, K.L. Saigal.

1948 : Government revives the production of documentaries and
newsreels. S.S. Vasan�s Chandralekha is his first major hit in Hindi.
Uday Shankar�s Kalpana is applauded in India and abroad for its
innovation and artistry. RK Films with Raj Kapoor as Producer and
Director debuts with Aag. Ajit is made on 16mm Kodachrome and blown up
to 35mm. Nehru announces a freeze on construction of movie theatres.
The Bengali film monthly Chitrabani is initiated.

1949 : June 30. Government re-introduces compulsory exhibition of
�approved� documentary films. Countrywide closure of cinemas in
protest against the Government�s taxation policy. Entertainment Tax is
raised to 50% in the Central Provinces and 75% in West Bengal. Indian
Cinematograph 1918 amended to include new censorship classification
for �Adult� and �Unrestricted� exhibitions of films. Film Enquiry
Committee appointed under chairmanship of S.K. Patil. Films Division
is set up. Dharti ke Lal is the first film to receive widespread
release in the U.S.S.R. Dev Anand and Chetan Anand start Navketan
Productions.

1950 : Various Film Trade Organizations confer to decide upon
formation of Film Federation of India (FFI) as an apex body. Death of
Rai Bahadur Chuni Lall, President of IMPAA and MPSI and one of the
architects of FFI. The Pakistan Government levies a tax of Rs 1 per
foot on all imported Indian films.

1951 : FFI formed with Chandulal Shah its first president. The Film
Enquiry Committee submits its report. Formation of Central Board of
Film Censors with B.N. Sircar representing the Film Industry. Russian
director Pudovkin and actor Cherkasov visit India traveling to Bombay,
Calcutta and Madras to meet Indian Film Makers. Guru Dutt makes his
directorial debut with Navketan�s Baazi. The weekly newspaper Screen
is set up by the Indian Express Group.

1952 : First International Film Festival held in India traveling to
Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras. Parliament passes the
Cinematograph Act of 1952 replacing 1918 Act though with little
changes. A film delegation lead by Chandulal Shah visits Hollywood to
study its working and to meet prominent filmmakers there. Parasakti,
the most famous DMK film is released. Colour Films Aan and Jhansi ki
Rani are made. Filmfare claiming to be �first serious effort in film
journalism in India� launched. Hindi tabloid Cinema begins
publication. West Pakistan bans import of Indian Films. Bombay Talkies
ceases production.

1953 : Censorship rules amended for re-certification of films every
five years and for depositing a copy of the script or film with the
Censor Board. Prabhat Studio ceases production. The Cinematograph Act
is amended extending the power of various authorities to suspend
exhibition of certified films. The Film Federation of India accepts an
Advertising Code. The Trade Weekly Trade Guide is started. Maiden
Filmfare Awards are inaugurated.

1954 : P.K. Atre�s Marathi Film Shyamchi Aayee bags the first
President�s Gold Medal as the Best feature Film of 1953. Bimal Roy�s
Do Bigha Zameen also made in 1953 gets special mention at Cannes.
Indian Film Festival held in the Soviet Union. Awaara (1951) is a
major hit in the USSR. Government publishes its decision on the S.K.
Patil Enquiry Committee Recommendations. K.A. Abbas�s film Munna is
the second songless film. Talks between the Film Federation of India
and the Government fail over All-India Radio�s policy of broadcasting
film songs without crediting sources, driving producers to Radio
Ceylon. The compulsory exhibition of �approved� films (Government
propaganda films) in Madras is declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.
Last ditch effort to save Bombay Talkies - Badbaan fails. Death of
Baburao Painter.

1955 : Pather Panchali directed by Satyajit Ray has its world premier
at Museum of Modern Art, New York. Sangeet Natak Akademi organizes
film seminar in Delhi at which prominent film personalities
participate. Festivals of Indian Cinema in Beijing and London. The
Children�s Film Society is set up. The South Indian Film Chamber of
Commerce starts The Journal of the Film Chamber. The High Court at
Andhra Pradesh grants an interim stay on the law of compulsory
exhibition of �approved� films and on the show tax.

1956 : Pather Panchali wins President�s Gold Medal as Best Film of
1955. It also wins an award at Cannes as Best Human Document. Silver
Jubilee of the Indian Talkie (1931-56) celebrated in Bombay. The
Government refuses to make its �approved� compulsory propaganda films
available free of charge to exhibitors. The freeze on construction of
new cinemas in Bombay is lifted. The Kerala Film Chamber is started in
Cochin. The Andhra Film Journal is launched in Vijaywada. Hindi
journal Film Sangeet published. Rossellini starts work on India 57.
Despite major Government support and funds, his visa is allowed to
expire after a variety of controversies including allegations that he
infringed local moral codes.

1957 : Satyajit Ray�s Aparajito (1956) wins the Golden Lion at Venice
Film Festival. K.A. Abbas makes the first Indo-Soviet co-production
Pardesi. RK Films� Jagte Raho wins Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary
Festival. Kabuliwala receives a special mention for music in Berlin.
Raw stock is declared an essential commodity and its import is
centrally controlled. The Cinematograph Bill intended to start a
National Film Board, Production Bureau and Film Institute is
withdrawn. Chidananda Das Gupta, Satyajit Ray and others start the
Indian Film Quarterly.

1958 : Mother India wins an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film and
loses to Fellini�s Nights of Caberia by a solitary vote. Nargis wins
Best Actress for the film at Karlovy Vary Festival. Do Aankhen Barah
Haath wins the President�s Gold Medal for Best Feature of 1957. It
also wins a Silver Bear at Berlin and the Samuel Goldwyn Award for
Best foreign film. Ajantrik is shown in Cannes, out of competition.
Death of D.N. Sampath, founder of Kohinoor Talkies.

1959 : Pather Panchali runs for over seven months at the Fifth Avenue
Playhouse, New York and sets a record for foreign films released in
the United States. Federation of Film Societies formed with Satyajit
Ray as President. India�s first film in cinemascope, Kaagaz ke Phool.

1960 : Film Finance Corporation (FFC) formed with authorized capital
of Rs 1 crore. The Government of India acquires Prabhat Studios to set
up The Film Institute of India. The Institute for Film Technology is
started in Madras. The Hindustan Photo Film manufacturing Co. starts
making B&W X-ray film. Ranadheera Kanteerava is the first big Kannada
hit establishing its star, Rajkumar. K.Asif�s Mughal-e-Azam hits the
screen after almost 10 years in the making and is a resounding
success. Gandhian Sarvodaya workers start a series of protests against
indecent film posters and hoardings. The weekly tabloid Movieland is
launched in Madras.

1961 : Mrinal Sen�s Baishey Sravan shown at National Film Theatre in
London draws great critical acclaim. First Rajasthani film, Babasa Ri
Laadi.

1962 : Second International Film Festival is held in New Delhi. Ray
makes his first film in colour, Kanchenjunga. Pakistan bans Indian
films in East Pakistan hitting the Bengali Cinema pretty hard. Indian
Film Culture, the journal of the Federation of Film Societies of India
is launched in Calcutta.

1963 : Indian Film Industry celebrates its golden jubilee. The Indian
Motion Picture Export Corporation (IMPEC) is formed. The first Indian
Merchant-Ivory Film, The Householder. Barnouw and Krishnaswamy�s
Indian Film is published. The Journal of the CTA of South India, a
Madras based monthly is started. It is probably the first technical
film journal in India and reports on the work of major technicians in
the South.

1964 : National Film Archive of India set up in Pune. The Film
Institute at Adyar, Madras starts. First Indian film shot extensively
abroad - Raj Kapoor�s Sangam. Report on Indian Cinema for UNESCO by
Jerzy Toeplitz, President of FIAF. First Kashmiri Film Naizraat. Death
of Guru Dutt.

1965 : Dev Anand�s Company Navketan produces jointly with Pearl Buck
an American version of Guide based on R.K. Narayan�s novel and
directed by Ted Danielowski. The International Film Festival of India
turns competitive.

1966 : Ramu Kariat�s Chemeen wins the President�s Gold Medal as Best
Feature of 1965, the first Malayalam Film to win the honour. Ritwik
Ghatak joins the Film Institute of India. Karnataka initiates a scheme
to subsidize all films made in the State. The initial subsidy is Rs
50,000 for a B&W and Rs 1,00,000 for a colour film. The first film in
Dogri, Kumar Kuldip�s Gallan Hoyian Beetiyan.

1967 : Hindustan Photo Films makes India self sufficient in B&W and
sound negative film. Around the World, first 70mm Indian Film. Start
of the Bengali film Monthly Chitrabikshan. M.G. Ramachandran is shot
at and injured by co-star M.R. Radha. The Vividh Bharati Channel on
All-India Radio goes commercial in Bombay, Pune and Nagpur.

1968 : Month long retrospective of Indian Films organized by B.D.
Garga opens at Palais de Chaillot, Cinamatheque Francaise. Bombay
Cinema Houses close in protest against Maharshtra State taxation
policy. The Khosla Committee submits report on censorship to the
Government. K.A. Abbas�s Char Shaher Ek kahani sparks a major
censorship controversy. A manifesto for New Indian Cinema is issued by
Mrinal Sen and Arun Kaul, advocating a state sponsored author-cinema.
The State owned Jyoti-Chitraban studio is inaugurated in Kahilipara,
Guwahati, Assam.

1969 : Mrinal Sen�s Bhuvan Shome in Hindi becomes a trendsetter for
low budget offbeat films. In the wake of its commercial success FFC
declares its policy to back low budget offbeat films. Uski Roti
directed by Mani Kaul also produced by the FFC. Aradhana makes Rajesh
Khanna a megastar. Publication of P.Parrains�s Regards sur le cinema
indien in Paris. First Satyajit Ray retrospective held at the
Cinematheque, Paris. Deaths of S.S. Vasan and Ardheshir Irani.

1970 : Pattabai Rama Reddy�s Sanskara becomes path breaker for low
budget Kannada cinema. Devika Rani is the first recipient of the
Dadasaheb Phalke Award. English gossip magazine Stardust launched.
Close Up (no. 5/6) publishes a special number on �The Indian film
Scene.� Journal of the Kerala Film Chamber starts. Firoze Rangoonwala
comes out with Indian Filmography: Silent and Hindi Films 1897-1969.

1971 : Agreement between the Indian Government and the MPEAA is
allowed to expire. The directive to the FFC to sponsor independent
film-making is written into its official objectives. Shantata! Court
Chalu Aahe starts the New Indian Cinema Movement in Marathi. Deaths of
Debaki Bose and K. Asif

1972 : First art house cinema opened by the FFC. First features in
Manipuri (Matamgi Manipur) and Coorgi (Nada Manne Nada Koolu). MGR is
expelled from the DMK and forms the ADMK. The first co-operative run
by technicians, The Chitralekha Co-op, starts production with Adoor
Gopalakrishnan�s debut Swayamwaram. The Malayalam film weekly Nana
starts. Do Gaz Zameen ke Neeche establishes the Ramsay brothers and
the horror genre in Hindi. Deaths of Prithviraj Kapoor, Geeta Dutt and
Meena Kumari. Pakeezah goes on to become a big hit after Meena
Kumari�s death.

1973 : The FFC becomes channelising agency for import and distribution
of raw stock. The Government imposes 250% import duty on raw film.
First Haryanvi Film (Beera Shera). Bobby reinvigorates the love story
genre. Zanjeer launches Amitabh Bachchan as the �angry young man.�
Shyam Benegal�s Ankur is a commercial success starting the
middle-of-the-road cinema of the independently financed, commercially
designed art-house movie, a genre that soon dominates state-sponsored
film and television. Launch of the Bombay based weekly trade paper
Film Information providing the most reliable listings of Hindi Cinema.

1974 : Hindustan Photo Films starts limited production of positive
colour stock. The Film Festival of India becomes an annual event. The
Film Institute of India is registered as an autonomous society and is
merged with the TV training centre to become the Film and Television
Institute of India (FTII).

1975 : A new agreement with the MPEAA means that US films can be
imported again. Sholay, India�s first film in 70mm stereophonic sound
and perhaps India�s biggest cult film is released and breaks
box-office records. The other big surprise hit of the year is Jai
Santoshi Ma. The Bengali film fortnightly Anandalok starts. Death of
S.D.

1976 : Strict censorship of films during the Emergency imposed by
Indira Gandhi. Amrit Nahata�s Kissa Kursi ka, a satire on power
politics destroyed. The Committee on Public Undertaking attacks the
FFC art-film policy. The journal Film Blaze starts in Bombay. Death of
Mukesh.

1978 : The Orissa Film Development Corporation announces the financing
of �Janta Cinema Houses� in rural and semi-urban areas. Panorama of
Indian Cinema at the Carthage Film Festival. The Malayalam film
journal Chitrabhoomi is started by the owners of the mainstream daily
Mathrubhoomi.

1980 : FFC and Indian Motion Picture Export Corporation merge to form
the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The Lotus Cinema
hired by the FFC becomes Bombay�s only venue for art-house films
beginning with Bimal Dutt�s Kasturi (1978). K.S. Karanth�s Report of
the Working Group on National Film Policy is published and ignored by
the Government. Independent Filmmakers start the Forum for Better
Cinema and ask the Government to ask Satyajit Ray to head the
organization. Ray turns down the offer. While on Ray, a retrospective
of his films is held at the Indian International Film Festival. Mrinal
Sen retrospective is held at the National film Theatre, London. The
journal Cinema Vision India starts in Bombay with an issue on Silent
Cinema in India. Deaths of Mohd. Rafi, Uttam Kumar, Sahir Ludhianvi.

1981 : Indian Film Industry celebrates the golden jubilee of the
Indian Talkie. Formation of the short-lived Indian Academy of Motion
Pictures Arts and Science (IAMPAS). A three part package of Indian
Cinema - pre-Ray, a Ray retrospective and New Indian Cinema tours the
United States. Special issue on Indian Cinema by the Journal for Asian
literature. Death of Nargis.

1982 : Adoor Gopalakrishnan�s Elipattahyam wins prestigious British
Film Institute Award. Shekar Kapur�s debut Masoom. Asian games held in
Delhi provide the occasion to start telecasting of colour programmes
on TV. N.T. Rama Rao starts the Telegu Desam Party. The Tamil Film
weekly Gemini Cinema starts. First films in Brijbhasha (Brij Bhoomi)
and Malvi (Bhadwa Mata).

1983 : Mrinal Sen�s Kharij wins special Special Jury Prize at Cannes.
Bhanu Athaiya becomes the first Indian to win an Oscar for costumes
designed for Richard Attenborough�s Gandhi (1982). Panorama of Indian
Cinema at the Centre Pompidou, Paris. First film in Garhwali (Jagwal)
and Khasi (Ka Lawei Ha Ki Ktijong Ngi). The Karnataka state subsidy to
films is increased to Rs one lakh for B&W and Rs 1.5 lakh for colour.

1985 : Indian Cinema Season at Pesaro Film Festival, Italy.

1986 : Death of Smita Patil.

1987 : The NFDC starts the quarterly journal Cinema in India. Death of
Kishore Kumar.

1988 : The journals Cinemaya (A quarterly on Asian film) and Deep
Focus start. Death of Raj Kapoor.

1989 : Death of Prem Nazir.

1990 : The first Bombay International Film Festival for Documentaries
and Short Films held. Satyajit Ray presented the Legion d�honneur by
French President Francois Mitterand in Calcutta. Death of V.
Shantaram.

1991 : Deaths of Nutan, Durga Khote.

1992 : Satyajit Ray awarded the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement and the
Bharat Ratna, India�s highest civilian honour. Death of Ray. Five
selected regional TV channels go national.

1993 : Bill to regulate Cable TV introduced in Lok Sabha. Five more
Doordarshan channels are launched. Murdoch�s Star TV acquires 49.9 %
shares in the Zee TV network. Controversy over the Choli ke Peeche Kya
Hai song in Khalnayak.

1994 : Hum Aapke Hain Kaun is declared the biggest hit in the history
of Indian cinema. The Sarkailo Khatiya song in Raja Babu causes a
scandal leading to the announcement of amendments in the Censor Code.
Shekar Kapur�s Bandit Queen runs into censor problems. Jurassic Park
(1992) is dubbed into Hindi and is a big success paving the way for
dubbed versions of other Hollywood films.

1995 : Aditya Chopra makes his debut with the mega hit Dilwaale
Dulhania Le Jayenge. Mani Ratnam�s Bombay releases after it is cleared
by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thakeray. CNN announces a news channel with
Doordarshan.

1996 : First V. Shantaram Award for Lifetime Achievement in the field
of Documentary Film presented to B.D. Garga. N.T. Rama Rao dies.

1997 : Gulshan Kumar, owner of T-series and pioneer of the
audiocassette revolution of the 1990s, is assassinated. Leading music
director Nadeem accused of the murder. Accusations abound about the
criminalization of the Film Industry.

1998 : The Government declares the Film Industry as a legitimate
Industry qualifying it for Institutional Finance. Shekar Kapur makes a
major breakthrough in the West with Elizabeth. Both Dil Se and Kuch
Kuch Hota Hai enter the UK top 10. A small independent film Hyderabad
Blues is the sleeper hit of the year paving the way for the production
of a series of low budget �different� films.

1999 : Elizabeth goes on to win several Oscar nominations including
one for Best film. Shekar Kapur however misses the Best Director
nomination. Manoj Night Shyamalan of Indian origin breaks through
Hollywood in a major way following the success of The Sixth Sense. The
first fully insured Indian film Taal enters the US top 20. Santosh
Sivam�s Terrorist has a successful run at the box office besides being
screened at various film festivals around the world. Amitabh Bachchan
declared the superstar of the millennium ahead of such greats as
Charlie Chaplin and Sir Laurence Olivier.

2000 : Terrorist has a release in the USA. The Sixth Sense receives
Oscar nominations in the Best Film, Director and Original Screenplay
among other categories but wins none. Kaho na Pyaar Hai introduces the
brightest new discovery in Indian Cinema in a long time - Hritik
Roshan. IIFA, the Indian International Film Awards launched.