Piracy and the movies in India have an age old connection. From the 1920s, with hit films like Ben Hur, Robin Hood and Thief of Bagdad, to 2017 and the leak of episodes of Game of Thrones; Indian pirates have long circumvented the law to distribute media illegally.
Film-making began out of inspiration in India. It was only one year after the first films were screened in Paris that the French Lumiere Brothers took the technology to India. On July 7, 1896, the brothers sent their cameraman – Maurice Sestier – to hold a public showing at the prestigious Watson Hotel in South Bombay.
The legacy of Indian cinema began on that day. For in the audience was a young photographer named H.S. Bhatavdekar. He was enthralled by the experience and promptly ordered a movie camera and projector from London. When it arrived, he made the first film in India, showcasing a wrestling match in Bombay.
But in these early days, cinema was restricted to elite audiences. Film makers hadn’t the resources to build theatres for their audiences. The few theatres that existed were insufficient, and so cinema had to come to the masses rather than the masses to the cinema. Travelling cinema shows grew in popularity; often using old equipment and discarded reels. These so called ‘junk films’ were mostly from London, and had been deemed unfit for British audiences by the time they reached India (as they featured deteriorated reels or a harmful flickering effect).
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