The National Museum of Indian Cinema, at Films Division Campus, Peddar Road, Cumbala Hill, Mumbai has been opened to the public from Sunday, January 20, 2019. The Museum has been inaugurated by PM Modi on Jan 19, 2019. The Prime Minister took a tour of the Museum, after which he addressed a gathering of the film fraternity. Speaking on the occasion, he congratulated everyone for the inauguration of NMIC, which he said showcases the entire history of Indian cinema in one place. He also congratulated the film fraternity, under whose guidance Indian cinema has been continuously making new strides.
The Museum would be open to the public, from Tuesday – Sunday (it will remain closed on Mondays), from 11 AM to 5 PM.
The Museum is housed in two buildings – the New Museum Building and the 19th century historic palace Gulshan Mahal – both at the Films Division campus in Mumbai.
A) The New Museum Building has four Exhibition Halls which encapsulate:
- Gandhi & Cinema: it not only depicts the movies made on the life Mahatma Gandhi but also showcases the deep impact his life had on cinema.
- Children’s Film Studio: it gives visitors, particularly children, an opportunity to explore the science, technology and art behind filmmaking. It offers hands on experience on various facets associated with making cinema like camera, light, shooting, experience of acting, etc. – presented in an interactive format. The exhibits displayed include chroma studio, immersive experience zone, stop-motion animation studio, virtual makeover studio, etc.
- Technology, creativity & Indian cinema: it showcases the creative use of technology by Indian film makers over the years to produce cinematographic impact on the silver screen.
- Cinema across India: it showcases the charismatic kaleidoscopic presence of the vibrant cinematographic culture across India.
B) Gulshan Mahal is an ASI Grade-II Heritage Structure which has been restored as part of the NMIC project. The displays present here showcase the journey of over a hundred years of Indian cinema. It is divided into 9 sections viz. The Origin of Cinema, Cinema comes to India, Indian Silent Film, Advent of Sound, The Studio Era, The impact of World War II, Creative Resonance, New Wave and Beyond and Regional Cinema.