10 iconic moments of Indian cinema: From first kiss to first bikini

As Indian cinema turns 100, we give you an insight into a series of unknown and interesting facts about the Indian film industry. From the first on-screen kiss to the first actor to have donned bikini, we get you all. Read on…
  

First on screen kiss: Devika Rani kissing Himanshu Rai in a still from Karma


Star Devika Rani, who belonged to an affluent family, left orthodox Indian viewers shocked when she locked lips with her real life spouse in the film Karma released in 1933. In fact, the scene lasted for four minutes and happens to be one of the longest kissing scenes on Indian screen.
  

First colour film: Moti B Gidvani’s Kisan Kanya
While Kisan Kanya which released in 1937 is India’s first colour film to have been produced, Mughal-e-Azam was in news because Asif filmed one reel in Technicolor

First Indian film which was nominated for an Oscar: Mother India

This cult film released in 1957 is perhaps one of the classic films of all times. Nargis played the epitome of motherhood while Rajendra Kumar and Sunil Dutt played her devoted sons. Directed, produced and written by Mehboob Khan, ‘Mother India’ looked like a live painting. It’s a story of a mother who fights all odds to raise her children and setup a prosperous and a progressive village.
  

First Indian woman to win an Oscar: Bhanu Athaiya

Bhanu Athaiya, the first Indian woman to bag an Oscar, is Indian cinema's most respected costume designer. With over 100 films, since 1950s to her credit, Bhanu Athaiya has worked with popular filmmakers - Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Conrad Rooks and Richard Attenborough.

She was given the Academy Award for Costume Design (The Oscar), for her work in 1982 film, Gandhi. She also bagged two National Film Awards in 1991 and 2002. 

First and only actor to win Best Actress award: Nirmal Pandey (Daayra)

Nirmal Pandey's powerful portrayal of a transvestite in Amol Palekar's Daayra (1996) fetched him a Best Actress award, which he shared with female lead Sonali Kulkarni, at the Valenciennes Film Festival in France in 1997. 

  

First woman producer and director: Fatma Begum

Early Indian cinema was dominated by men, and women were considered only for roles in front of the camera. But in 1926, actress Fatma Begum became the first woman to take an important role behind the camera by establishing her own production company, Fatima films, and directing Bulbul-e-Parastan. 

  

First Dolby sound film: 1942 - A Love Story

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 1942- A Love Story (1994) was music maestro R D Burman's swan song. The movie was also a stepping stone to advanced sound engineering with the introduction of Dolby sound. 

  

First technicolour film: Jhansi ki Rani

Director and producer Sohrab Modi flew in technicians from Hollywood to execute the first technicolour film Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) featuring Mehtab. Despite its stirring performance and appealing shots, the movie failed to make a mark on the box office. 

  

First double role: Lanka Dahan

Dadasaheb Phalke cast Anna Salunke, the actor who played Rani Taramati in Raja Harishchandra, in a double role in Lanka Dahan. Anna Salunke played both Ram and Sita in the movie. It is said that when the film was screened in Mumbai, people took their shoes off when Lord Rama's character appeared on the screen. 

First English song: Now The Moon Her Light Has Shed from Karma

Amongst its many breakthrough achievements, the 1933 movie Karma was the first Indian movie to have an English song sung by its actress Devika Rani. 

  

First Bollywood actress to don a bikini: Sharmila Tagore

Sharmila Tagore was the first Indian actress to wear a bikini in the Movie "An Evening in Paris" in 1967.Later she also posed in bikini for a FilmFare Magazine.

  

First animation film: Lafanga Langoor

Animation movies may still have miles to go but the first experiment with the genre was by German photographer Bocho Gutachwager in 1931 who produced the country's first animation film Lafanga Langoor.  

First film insured: Taal

Almost 85 years after the first film released, the film industry addressed the demand for risk cover against any mishap prior to the release of the film. Director and producer Subhash Ghai began the trend when he had his film Taal insured for a sum of Rs 110 million in 1998. 

  

 (which included the song Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya).
Kisan Kanya, which was directed by Moti B Gidvani and produced by Ardeshir Irani, it was the first Indian color film to be made entirely in India.