Indian cinema Facts for Kids

The cinema of India is all about the amazing movies made in India. Indian movies have been around since the early 1900s. They are super popular not just in India, but also in places like the Middle East, South Asia, and even Western countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2010, India made more films than any other country, even more than Hollywood and China! Two big parts of Indian cinema are Bollywood (which makes movies in Hindi) and Jollywood (which makes movies in Sanskrit). These are often seen as the main types of Indian movies.

What is Indian Cinema?
Where Movies Are Made and Shown
- Film Studios
- Movie Theaters
Images for kids
See also

What is Indian Cinema?

Indian cinema is a huge and exciting world of films. It includes movies made in many different languages across India. This makes it one of the largest film industries globally. India's film industry is known for its vibrant stories and catchy music.

A Long History of Movies

Movies in India started way back in the early 20th century. The first full-length Indian movie was Raja Harishchandra, made in 1913. It was a silent film, meaning it had no spoken words. Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the "father of Indian cinema" because he made this important first film.

Early Silent Films

Before talkies (movies with sound), silent films were popular. These films often told stories using actions and music. They laid the groundwork for the huge film industry we see today.

The Arrival of Sound

The first Indian movie with sound, called a "talkie," was Alam Ara in 1931. This changed everything! Movies could now have songs and dialogue, making them even more entertaining. Soon, movies in different Indian languages started to appear. For example, Kalidas (1931) was the first Tamil talkie, and Dena Paona (1931) was the first Bengali talkie.

Different Film Industries in India

India has many film industries, each making movies in a different language. While Bollywood (Hindi cinema) is the most famous, others are also very important.

Bollywood: Hindi Cinema

Bollywood is the Hindi-language film industry, mostly based in Mumbai. It's famous for its musical films, often with big dance numbers and dramatic stories. Many Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan have become household names.

South Indian Cinema

Southern India has several large film industries.

Telugu cinema (Tollywood) is based in Hyderabad. It's known for its action-packed movies and grand productions. Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu is called the "father of Telugu cinema."
Tamil cinema (Kollywood) is based in Chennai. It produces many popular films and has stars like Kamal Haasan.
Malayalam cinema (Mollywood) is based in Kerala. It's known for its realistic stories and strong acting, with stars like Mammooty.
Kannada cinema (Sandalwood) is based in Bengaluru.

Other Regional Cinemas

There are also other important film industries, such as:

Bengali cinema in West Bengal, which has produced world-renowned filmmakers like Satyajit Ray.
Assamese cinema in Assam, with its first film being Joymati in 1935.

Famous People in Indian Cinema

Many talented people have made Indian cinema what it is today.

Satyajit Ray is one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, known for his amazing Bengali films.
Sridevi was a very successful actress in the 1980s and 1990s, often called the "First Female Superstar of Indian cinema."
Amitabh Bachchan has been a popular Bollywood actor for over 45 years, starring in many iconic films.
Kamal Haasan is known for his versatility and has made many films in different languages.
Mammooty is a highly awarded actor in the Malayalam film industry.

Where Movies Are Made and Shown

India has many places where movies are made and watched.

Film Studios

Large film studios are like huge movie-making factories.

Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad is the world's largest film studio, holding a Guinness World Record.
AVM Studios in Chennai is one of India's oldest surviving film studios.

Movie Theaters

People watch movies in cinemas or theaters.

Victoria Public Hall in Chennai was an early theater in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Prasads IMAX Theatre in Hyderabad was once the world's largest 3D-IMAX screen.
PVR Cinemas is one of the largest cinema chains in India, with many screens across the country.

Images for kids

Satyajit Ray is recognised as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.
Sridevi in 2012. The most successful Indian actress during the 1980s–1990s, she is regarded as one of India's greatest and most influential movie stars and is cited as the "First Female Superstar of Indian cinema".
Victoria Public Hall, is a historical building in Chennai, named after Victoria, Empress of India. It served as a theatre in the late 19th century and the early 20th century.
Prasads IMAX Theatre located at Hyderabad, was the world's largest 3D-IMAX screen, and also the most attended screen in the world.
Ramoji Film City located in Hyderabad, holds Guinness World Record as the World's largest film studio.
PVR Cinemas is one of the largest cinema chains in India
First Assamese motion picture, Joymati, filmed in 1935
A scene from Dena Paona, 1931, the first Bengali talkie
Amitabh Bachchan has been a popular Bollywood actor for over 45 years.
A still frame from Vigathakumaran
A promotional notice of Balan
Mammooty has won the most number of National Awards in the Best Actor category in the Malayalam industry.
Kalidas (1931), Tamil cinema's first talkie
Kamal Hassan has the highest number of Academy Award Submissions in India and is one of the greatest versatile actors of all time.
Raghupati Venkayya, "father of Telugu cinema"
Advertisement in The Times of India of 25 May 1912 announcing the screening of the first feature film of India, Shree Pundalik by Dadasaheb Torne
A scene from Raja Harishchandra (1913), the first full-length Indian motion picture.
Producer-director-screenwriter Dadasaheb Phalke, the "father of Indian cinema".
AVM Studios in Chennai, India's oldest surviving film studio.