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12 Indian Cinema Firsts You Need To Know About
It's been more than 100 years since Bollywood's inception, and Indian cinema has carved out a place for itself in the world by crossing many milestones.
Since Bollywood has come a long way, we list 12 firsts of Indian cinema that you might not know about.
1. The First Indian Film, Raja Harishchandra (1913)
Photo Credit: www.movies.ndtv.com
The 1913 release of Raja Harishchandra paved the way for the Indian film industry. Only one print of the film was made and shown.
2. First Female Director of Bollywood, Fatma Begum (1926)
Photo Credit: www.bustle.com
Actress Fatma Begum was the first woman to step behind the camera and establish her own production company in 1926.
3. First Onscreen Kiss, Marthanda Varma (1933)
Photo Credit: www.andhrastudios.com
The Malayalam film raised many eyebrows back in 1933 for showing a kiss between the main actors.
4. First Playback Song, Dhoop Chaon (1935)
Prior to the introduction of playback singing, actors would sing and be recorded live on set.
5. The First Film in Colour, Kisan Kanya (1937)
Photo Credit: www.indiatoday.intoday.in
The film wasn't much of a success, but it will always be remembered as the country’s first film in colour.
6. First Indian Film to Get a Rating, Hanste Ansoo (1950)
Photo Credit: www.b44u.net
This film featured Madhubala and was the first film to receive an "adults only" rating.
7. First Film to Be Shot abroad, Sangam (1964)
Photo Credit: www.bollywood-ish.blogspot.com
Sangam shot various scenes in Europe.
8. First Indian to Win an Oscar, Bhanu Athaiya (1983)
Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to win an Academy Award for the film Gandhi.
9. India's First 3D Film, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984)
Photo Credit: www.kerala9.com
Starring Urmila and Shakti Kapoor, this Malayalam film was India's introduction to 3D movies.
10. First Dolby Sound Film, 1942 A Love Story (1994)
Photo Credit: www.vogue.in
R.D. Burman's 1942 A Love Story, starring Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, was the first film in Indian cinema that had Dolby sound.
11. First Film to Be Insured, Taal (1998)
Director Subhash Ghai is credited for starting this trend, and Taal was the first-ever Bollywood film to be insured.
12. First Indian Film to Be Screened at the United Nations, Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)
Photo Credit: www.filmside.net
Lage Raho Munna Bhai, starring Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi, was the first Indian film to be screened at the United Nations on November 10, 2006.
Main Image Photo Credit: www.saddahaq.com
Nomaan Khan
Author
After spending some time in a completely different field, Nomaan decided to drop it all and switch to Mohawk College to pursue his longtime interest in the world of Journalism. His experience working in multimedia platforms has helped him develop exceptional skills in thinking on his feet, being ...
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