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BFI, in partnership with British Council, has released India on Film: 1899-1947, Treasures from the BFI National Archive, an unparalleled collection of extremely rare films of India, (250 Newly digitised Films), which have survived from the earliest days of cinema. This visual record of early twentieth century offers a unique factual account giving new audiences an eye opening insight into the people, places, traditions and most famous landmarks of India.

India on Film: 1899-1947 consolidates the BFI’s commitment to preserving and sharing world film heritage, by making these significant collections accessible for audiences globally. Newly digitised specifically as part of UK/India 2017, a year-long celebration of the long-standing relationship between India and the UK, can be seen both on the BFI Player (for UK viewers) and the BFI YouTube Channel, enabling audiences in India and internationally, an opportunity to access and engage with the online collection online.

Highlights includes the...

Directed by notable filmmaker Kamal Amrohi, Pakeezah (1972) contains everything one would envisage in a typical Bollywood film. This includes drama, romance, suspense, astounding cinematography, as well as exquisite song and dance sequences. It is a film which surely anyone infatuated with Indian cinema will love. It is also remembered for being one of the last great films to have starred the legendary actress Meena Kumari. She has been dubbed the ‘tragedy queen’ of Indian Cinema and also set the foundation when it comes to intense method acting. The film began production in the late 1950s, but took 14 years to complete. Due to a rift between Amrohi and Kumari (who were married to each other), filming came to a halt and it was in 1972 that the audience finally saw the beauty that is Pakeezah. These 14 years were no doubt worth the wait!

Set in the backdrop of Lucknow, Pakeezah is about...

It is the 44th death anniversary of one of the greatest directors that Bollywood has ever seen, Bimal Roy, fondly known as ‘Bimalda’. Born on July 12, 1909, he is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zameen, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema. He entered films as a cameraman with New Theatres Pvt. Ltd. where he photographed films like Devdas in 1935 and Mukti in 1937. His first film as director was Udayer Pathey in 1944 in Bengali, which was remade as Humrahi in 1945 in ...