EMBASSY OF INDIA, JAKARTA

PRESS RELEASE

In every language and dialect across the world, cinema often became expressions of pride. India started it on 21st April 1913 when an avid, small-town photographer from Maharashtra, Dadasaheb Phalke, who is now known as the father of Indian cinema, produced the first full-length Indian feature film, Raja Harish Chandra. Released at the Coronation Cinema, Girgaon, in Mumbai, Dadasaheb was unaware that his 50-minute long, silent, black and white film that took seven months and 21 days to complete would dazzle audiences across the country and was just a beginning of a long journey that would set the tone for future Bollywood classics in India.

A century later, the global footprint of Indian cinema is massive. Churning out more than 1,000 films annually – double the number Hollywood produces in a typical year – figures show the industry sold a record high of three billion cinema tickets last year. Famous for its upbeat numbers, colorful costumes and flamboyant dances, Indian cinema is not limited to Hindi Bollywood movies but also has a vibrant regional language film industry, especially in southern states of the county where film stars are often worshipped as deities.

In the last 100 years, Indian cinema has found a market in over 90 countries, including a big target audience in Indonesia, where films from all over India are screened, appreciated and equally criticized.

To celebrate this centenary year of Indian Cinema, the Embassy of India in Jakarta will start a regular movie screening, showcasing the layers of Indian cinema, from Bollywood to critics-acclaimed movies. The aim is to introduce the variety of Indian cinema, and also to enhance our people-to-people relationship with the Indonesian audience.

The movie screening will be conducted every Saturday, 16.00 Hrs onwards, starting from 1 June 2013, at the Embassy of India, Jl HR Rasuna Said Kav. S-1 Kuningan, South Jakarta. No charge to enter the venue and it is open for the public. To see the schedule and give confirmation, please visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Indianembassyjakarta or send email to [email protected].

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