It’s been 110 long years since Indian cinema’s first silent film Raja Harishchandra premiered on 03 May 1913 at the coronation cinema in Mumbai. Produced and directed by the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, the film was a biopic that told the story of King Harishchandra, a legendary ruler from ancient India who was known for his honesty and truth. The mythological film showcased the struggles and sacrifices he and his family made to uphold their values.

Unfortunately, the film was partially lost; only the first and last reels of the film are preserved at the National Film Archive of India. However, it is not clear whether or not the 1917 released Raja Harishchandra is a remake of the same.

Raja Harishchandra not just put India on the map of world cinema but also transformed Indian cinema into a prospective viable industry where people started to take notice of us. So, how did Indian cinema benefit from the success of Raja Harishchandra, let’s look at some of the biggest achievements that we can be proud of:

• Established the potential of the Indian film industry by creating a demand for Indian-made films that people were willing to pay for and watch
• A new chapter in filmmaking that introduced new techniques and technologies with special effects and music and popularized Indian stories, myths, and culture
• Opened up a huge area of untapped market and created a new art form and profession that inspired a generation who wanted to enter the business of filmmaking such as – producers, actors, actresses, directors, editors, musicians, etc.
• Gave birth and rise to many experimental films like Alam Ara (1931) – India’s first talkie film, Kisan Kanya (1937) – India’s first colour film, Dhoop Chhaon (1935) – India’s first film to introduce playback singing, etc.

It’s been a long journey for Indian cinema from Raja Harishchandra to RRR. We today are one of the biggest film markets in the world producing the maximum number of films in most languages and have evolved ourselves into various forms and genres that one wouldn’t have imagined a century ago. All thanks to Raja Harishchandra and a lot many landmark Indian films in different languages which have helped us to create high-quality, engaging films in India and inspire a generation of filmmakers to explore the possibilities of the medium.