The first Indian film Harishchandra was produced by Dada Saheb Phalke in the year 1913. Since then, the Indian Cinema has made tremendous strides under the impact of various social, cultural and economic forces. The Indian Cinema, by all standards has become a big commercial enterprise and a giant industry.
The first motion picture screened in India was at Heston Hotel in Bombay on July 7, 1858 through a “cinematograph” of the Lumiere Brothers. The first short film “Wrestler” made in India was by H.S. Bhatwadekar in 1889. F.B. Thanawala made his own film in 1900. He and Sawe Dada and Hiralal Sen were the earliest Indians to make pioneering efforts in this field. The first Indian silent film “Pundalik,” based on a story was made by R.G. Torney and N.G. Chitre, in 1912.