Bollywood 1516863545

What happened in the Indian film industry before the term "Bollywood" was coined?

By steew
  • Dadasaheb Phalke

    Dadasaheb Phalke
    Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the Father of Indian cinema, as he would go on to create what is considered to be the first full-length Indian feature film.
  • Raja Harishchandra

    Raja Harishchandra
    Phalke's film debut, Raja Harishchandra, is released to the public. The film is 40 minutes long and contains no audio.
  • Alam Ara

    Alam Ara
    The first Indian film to incorporate sound, Alam Ara, is released. The response to this film was immense, as large crowds gathered for its debut.
  • Kisan Kanya

    Kisan Kanya
    Kisan Kanya is the first Indian-produced film to have been shot in colour. This film, however, did not usher the start of the coloured film era in India.
  • Jhansi Ki Rani

    Jhansi Ki Rani
    Jhansi Ki Rani is believed by some to have been the first, if not one of the first, Indian films shot in technicolour. The exact film that started this era cannot be confirmed, and funnily enough, no coloured copy of this film exists today.
  • Mother India

    Mother India
    Mother India was the first Indian film to be nominated for the Academy Awards, and is still internationally recognized to this day. This film is a major milestone in Indian cinema.
  • The term "Bollywood" was coined

    The term "Bollywood" was first used in the 1970s, a term that defines this area of film to this very day.