1936
Amar
Jyoti is shown in Venice. Master Vinayak and cameraman
Pandurang Naik co-found Huns Pictures. Jaddanbai starts Sangeet
Films with films featuring her daughter Nargis as a child
artiste. Sohrab
Modi and Rustom Modi start Minerva Movietone. The Bengal
Motion Picture Association is formed in Calcutta. The second
All-India Motion Picture Convention held at Madras. Ardershir
Irani sets up cinecolour process laboratory with Wolf M. Henius
as chief technician.
1937
Indian
Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) founded in Bombay.
Sant Tukaram
receives special jury mention at Venice Film Festival. Imperial
Film Company releases colour film Kisan Kanya using
Cinecolour process. First songless film - J.B.H. Wadia's Naujawan.
The Amateur Cine Society of India
formed in Bombay by P.V. Pathy, Stanley Jepson and
Rudi Van Leyden. Bengali Film weekly Kheyali founded.
1938
South
Indian Film Chamber of Commerce formed in Madras. Indian Motion
Picture Distributors Association set up in Bombay. Duniya
Na Mane (1937) shown in Venice. Bombay Talkies makes probably
the first officially commissioned ad film on Lever's Dalda
cooking oil for the Lintas Advertising Agency. The first Malayalam
sound film, Balan. The Indian Screen Gazette
is started by Wadia Movietone. P.V. Pathy films a three-reeler
on the Haripura Congress for the Gazette.
1939
Indian
Film Industry celebrates its silver jubilee and holds Indian
Motion Picture Congress in Bombay bringing together allied
unions and trade associations to discuss problems. Vauhuni
Pictures is started by B.N. Reddy and Gemini by S.S. Vasan. Film
Industry, a trade newspaper is started in Bombay.
1940
Film Advisory Board set up in Bombay to
mobilize public support through war propaganda
films. Himanshu Rai dies.
Devika Rani
takes over production control of Bombay Talkies.
P.K. Atre, Master Vinayak and others start Navyug
Chitrapat with public finance.
1941
Wadia
Movietone's Court Dancer (English) released at Metro
in Bombay and sent to the USA. D.M. Pancholi's Khazanchi
becomes a trendsetter for its foot-tapping music by Ghulam Haider.
First Pushtu Film - Sarhad pictures Laila Majnu. V. Shantaram
splits with his partners at Prabhat. He briefly joins Film
Advisory Board as Chief Producer after his predecessor Alex
Shaw leaves for London.
1942
Production
hit due to shortages of raw stock. Government restricts lengths
of films to 11,000 feet to conserve stock for war propaganda
films. Mehboob Khan, Shantaram,
Homi Wadia and A.R. Kardar set up their independent Film Production
Units. The Bombay Film Society is formed. First film in Sindhi,
Ekta and Marwari, Nazrana. V.P. Sathe and others
start the journal Sound featuring politics, fiction,
reviews and essays on Indian Film.
1943
Government
imposes control of supply of raw stock. Exhibition of 'approved'
propaganda films made compulsory under Defence of India Rules
44A. Kismet one of the biggest hits in Indian Film
history is released. Information Films of India is started.
K. Ramnoth starts the Cine Technicians Association (CTA) of
South India. Court Dancer finds release in the USA.
Kailash Mukhopadhyay starts the seminal Bengali Film monthly,
Rupamancha.
1944
Government
appoints Film Advisory Committee to regulate distribution
of raw film. Increase in Entertainment Tax in Bombay, Madras,
United Province and Central Province. Death of Dadasaheb Phalke.
1945
Film Trade representatives resign from
the Film Advisory Committee. Control of distribution
of raw film stock removed
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