Indian Cinema is one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world, producing thousands of films annually in multiple languages.

Eras of Cinema

• Silent Era (1899-1930): Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra (1913) was the first full-length Indian feature film.
• Golden Age (1940s-1960s): Classics by Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, and Mehboob Khan. Mother India (1957) became a global icon.
• Parallel Cinema: Spearheaded by Satyajit Ray (Bengal), whose Apu Trilogy won world acclaim.
• Modern Era: The rise of pan-Indian cinema (Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood) with massive global reach.

Timeline

• 1896: Lumiere Brothers showcase films in Bombay.
• 1913: Release of Raja Harishchandra.
• 1931: Alam Ara, the first Indian sound film.
• 1992: Satyajit Ray receives the Academy Honorary Award.
• 2023: RRR wins an Oscar for Best Original Song.