#IndependenceDaySpecial: Let’s take a look at India’s cinematic heritage

A little over 100 years ago, India had released its first film. It was a silent Marathi movie titled ‘Shree Pundalik’ that was screened at Coronation Cinematograph in Mumbai (then known as Bombay) on May 18, 1912.

Thereafter, India produced a number of silent movies on a gamut of issues and finally, we had our first sound movie ‘Alam Ara’.

With growing production of movies in different Indian languages, India also saw the advent of its own movie theatres. Theatres started coming up in 1930s, prior to which movies were screened in studios and in tents!

But in pre-independent India, movie theatres were called ‘talkies’ and were considered a big thing. Even British used to throng these talkies to entertain themselves. Yes, we even screened English movies. The East India Company has also, for the fact, produced Indian movies.

So, on the eve of 69th Independence Day, we bring you stories of theatres from four metropolitan cities born in the pre-independent era.

(Images: makeindelhi.in, wsj blog, unsettled.wordpress.com, Mumbai77, Sriram.wordpress.com, flicr.com)