Exhibits | National Museum of Indian Cinema

At the National Museum of Indian Cinema

“Cinema’s characteristic forte is its ability to capture and communicate
the intimacies of the human mind.”

– Satyajit Ray

Our journey begins with ‘Gulshan Mahal’, a charming 19th-century bungalow, which showcases the inception of Cinema in India. Meanwhile, our Glass Building Galleries stand as a testament to the evolution and essence of Indian cinema to the present day.

From traditional visual storytelling to optical devices, from the Lumiere brothers to H S Bhatavdekar, from open grounds to the most iconic cinema theatres of the yesteryears this gallery shows the beautiful heralding of one of the most complete forms of art & entertainment.
Here, the visitors can peep into the past through vintage optical devices
They can meet the Lumière brothers before embarking on the journey to meet the father of Indian Cinema.

This gallery takes visitors through the Silent Era of Indian cinema where full length feature films were produced, sans the sound.
It showcases the glimpses of the Silent Era, including landmark silent films like Raja Harishchandra made by Dadasaheb Phalke.
It also includes a pictorial display showcasing famous filmmakers and artists from the silent era, some early international collaborations, & a hand cranked camera.

The arrival of sound and playback singing in cinema changed the Indian film industry forever. With talkie films and musical dramas being made in every major Indian language, the cinema was becoming the most sought-after source of entertainment in Indian society.
The third gallery in the Gulshan Mahal covers this crucial transformation in the world of Indian motion pictures.
And as the visitors learn about the arrival of sound and music, they can have their own Karaoke session here, becoming playback singers for some of their favorite stars!

Situated on the first floor of Gulshan Mahal, is a continuation of the third gallery where visitors get glimpses of linguistic diversity of Indian cinema through multiple displays dedicated to film industries in various languages.
Regional cinema showcases local culture, language, and traditions, offering a wide range of narratives and genres.

Situated on the first floor of Gulshan Mahal, The New Wave Indian Cinema challenged traditional norms with bold narratives, unconventional storytelling, and a focus on marginalized perspectives, enriching the cinematic landscape with its unique vision and artistic expression.

This timeline covers the 100 years of Indian Cinema, from its first feature film upto the year 2013. It shows the whole transition from silent, to talkies, to colour, to modern cinema through rare film posters and stills.

The gallery on Studio era showcases the glory of some major film studios across India that shaped our film industry.
This includes various themes explored by the studio films, the publicity material used during those times, as well as art & literature involved in these films.

The period from 1930s to 1940s was a period of socio-political turbulence in India, and events such as freedom movement, the second world war, famine, and partition drastically affected the Indian populace.
The gallery on ‘Films & Social Turbulence’ highlights the contribution of both escapist and realistic films made during these times, and how they reflected on Indian society.

The final gallery takes the visitors through the creative resonance in Indian cinema. It talks about the films, artists, and directors that redefined Indian motion picture in the post-independent era.
While bidding adieu to the beautiful Gulshan Mahal, the visitors get one more chance to celebrate the classic melodies from the golden era with a musical kiosk!

Glass Building Galleries

“Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.”

– Akira Kurosawa, Filmmaker

Satyajit Ray: The Poet Of Cinema

As visitors enter the glass gallery, they are greeted by a life-size, hyper realistic statue of none other than Satyajit Ray – the filmmaking maestro, a precious jewel in the crown of Indian cinema.
In this recent addition to the museum exhibits, the lower ground floor and the ground floor of the glass gallery is dedicated to the life and works of Satyajit Ray, the legendary filmmaker and a versatile artist.
The visitors will get to know about Ray’s works, both cinematic and literary, through a number of exciting and interactive audio-visual contents.

Gandhi And Cinema

The lifetime of Mahatma Gandhi and the history of Indian cinema almost coincide, thus revealing a connection between the evolution of cinema and the changing socio-political scenario in India.
This gallery is a glimpse of how Mahatma and Movies have shared an enigmatic and enduring relationship over the decades, and how the life and times of a great leader has inspired the most popular art-form in India and the world.
Through a collection of interesting artefacts, a life-size hyper-realistic statue of Mahatma Gandhi, historical documents, rare archival footage, and cinematic visuals, visitors will get glimpses of the changing portrayal of Gandhian values and ideas in cinema over the years.

Children’s Film Studio

One of the most exciting galleries of the museum, it transports visitors into a world of fantasy – but a fantasy that visitors can design themselves!
This activity area provides visitors with an exciting opportunity to explore the art, science, and technology that goes into various aspects of filmmaking through interactive and fun activities.
Visitors can have hands-on experience with the camera lights, and sound effects, to see how film shootings take place
While grown-ups can dub their voices for their favorite artists, children and animation-lovers can make a mini stop-motion animation film with their favorite cartoon characters!
Moreover, the excitement is at its peak at the interactive, exciting Green screen, where everyone can get transported from a museum gallery to – a hotel, a beach, a rainforest, to space, and much more!

Technology, Creativity, And Indian Cinema

Cinema is essentially a product of technological marvels and human genius. Right from the earliest feature films, Indian filmmakers have made an innovative use of technology to produce an everlasting impact on the minds of the viewers.
The visitors will be able to witness the technological evolution of the Indian cinema in this gallery.
Supplemented with a large number of filmmaking equipment placed contextually, the visitors will get to see how the technological advancements have transformed the Indian cinema in changing times.
The highlights of this gallery include the Oxberry Animation Camera on which some of our earliest cartoon films were made, a display of a diverse range of vintage film projectors that will remind the visitors of the old times, and an editor’s table to celebrate the unsung heroes of the filmmaking process.

Cinema Across India

Indian film industry is the largest film-producing industry in the world, with more than a thousand films being produced every year in all major languages.
From makeshift tents to permanent cinema halls, Indian cinema has grown to become the most beloved form of entertainment for its viewers, igniting sparks of curiosity among generations of cinema lovers.
This gallery, dedicated to the cinema across India, attempts to comprehend the charismatic, kaleidoscopic presence of the cinematic culture in India.
It is as dynamic and vibrant as the cinema itself – starting from a makeshift cinema tent, visitors go on the see the iconic Watsons’ Hotel in Mumbai where the cinema arrived for the first time in India
Moving ahead, they get to see the evolution of Indian cinema over the decades, through audio-visual kiosks, film posters and lobby cards, meet some iconic stars of the Indian cinema, and cherish the magic of Indian Music!