A commemorative postage stamp on the 75 years of the Indian Film Industry : 1^st full-length Indian feature film “Raja Harishchandra” :

Issued by India

Issued on May 30, 1989

Description of Designs : The stamp depicts a scene from the film “RAJA HARISHCHANDRA“. The stamp has been designed by India Security Press, Nashik Road, First Day Cover by Brijraj Goel and cancellation by Nenu Gupta.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Two colour

Denomination : 60 Paise

Overall size : 3.34 x 2.88 cms.

Printing size : 2.98 x 2.52 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Indigenous unwatermarked P.G. Matt coated stamp paper

Number Printed : 15,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 42

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printed : India Security Press

About : 

• India is among the earliest countries in the world to have adopted the cinema. Within 6 months of public showing of “Cinematographe“ of Lumière brothers to British, Russian and American audiences, the people of Bombay saw this new wonder show at Watson’s Hotel, Bombay. Very soon, the great Indian entrepreneur Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke) successfully produced the First Indian Story film “RAJA HARISHCHANDRA“ in 1913 – overcoming enormous obstacles and successfully screened this short film (3,700 feet – 4 reels) at Coronation Cinema, Bombay on May 13, 1913. The First Indian Cinema “RAJA HARISHCHANDRA” was widely praised by the press and ran initially for a record 23 days or six times the normal run of silent films of those days.
• The success of “RAJA HARISHCHANDRA“ took the country by storm. Madras became the second important film production centre, where R. Nataraj Mudaliar made “KEECHAKA VADHAM“ in 1919 followed by J. F. Madan of Calcutta who made “NAL DAMYANTI“ in 1920.
• From this humble beginning, Cinema in India became a great industry with glorious traditions and accomplishments. It proved a big force for national unity and national integration and during the period of the Indian freedom struggle, cinema inspired thousands of its audience with sentiments of nationalism.
• In the 75 years of its existence, Indian cinema has produced the largest number of feature films in the world (about 850 to 900 every year). More than 2.5 crore Indians see Indian films every day. The cinema is the single largest disseminator of popular culture and plays a significant role as a medium of entertainment, information, education and as a catalyst of social change.
• Text, Courtesy : Film Federation of India.

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