A loud and euphoric ‘Yes sir!’ was the response from a hall brimming with celebrities from cinema and television at the launch of the National Museum Of Indian Cinema
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; January 21, 2019)

At 3.45 pm on Saturday, the stage was set. The security was tight and the atmosphere was charged with energy and enthusiasm at the National Museum of Indian Cinema, awaiting the inauguration of its four storeyed new wing that houses the history and progress of Indian cinema since its inception. Actors, filmmakers, technicians were all seen catching up with each other, a few minutes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Peddar Road campus of the Films Division, where the museum is located.

While santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma was among the first to arrive, filmmakers Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty, Rajkumar Santoshi, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nitesh Tiwari, Ramesh Sippy, Shaji N Karun, Gauri Shinde, Aanand L Rai, Imtiaz Ali, Ram Madhvani, Madhur Bhandarkar and Mukesh Chhabra came in quick succession. Producers Siddharth Roy Kapur, Dinesh Vijan, Nikhil Dwivedi and Boney Kapoor were seen hobnobbing with their director and actor buddies, while producer Mahaveer Jain looked into the nitty-gritties of the event, ushering in the industry friends and briefing them about the event.

Actor Manoj Kumar was wheeled in by his son Kunal and was warmly received by the entire fraternity. He had a little banter with Asha Parekh, his heroine in several films, and Kamini Kaushal, who has played his mother in films like Purab Aur Paschim. Jokingly, he addressed the latter as ‘Mummy’, which left everyone in splits.

Asha Bhosle and A R Rahman exchanged notes on music. Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty touched the singer’s feet and had a warm exchange with her, too. “In about 70 years of being a part of cinema, I have seen almost all these people — Karan and Rohit grow up from being little kids to fathers. Ata hey suddha mhatare zhale! (laughs) They are doing so well. On this big day today, I can’t help recalling the kind of work Pancham (R D Burman) and I did together for cinema. I’ve also enjoyed working with so many seniors present in this auditorium,” Asha Bhosle told BT, present at the event.

Meanwhile, Jeetendra, Randhir Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Kartik Aaryan, Parineeti Chopra, Mohit Raina, Kapil Sharma, late Vinod Khanna’s wife Kavita, Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan also occupied the seats earmarked for them.

The PM arrived a little past 4 pm and decided to get a complete dekko of the museum before addressing the gathering. He was given a Maratha-style welcome with live music. With the help of a live broadcast, everyone in the auditorium watched the PM make the rounds of the museum.

Prasoon Joshi, lyricist-writer, CBFC chief and the chief of the innovation committee of the museum, and filmmaker Shyam Benegal, the chief of the advisory board for the museum, were seen explaining what different sections of the museum had to offer. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore and Governor Vidyasagar Rao accompanied the PM in his walk-through. He seemed extremely pleased with the children’s section and the section that depicts technological advancements in the field.

As he entered the hall, PM Narendra Modi was welcomed with a thunderous applause. Shyam Benegal gave the opening address in which he said, “Just three years after cinema was invented in 1896, the first Indian film was made. Few people realise that Indian cinema is as old as its invention. A very famous filmmaker Mr Bhatwadekar decided to honour a mathematician who was getting off a ship from Cambridge. It was filmed in Mumbai and that was the first film made. The city became the film capital eventually while other cities joined in. It’s extraordinary because ours is the only cinema that has its own form that is different from all others in the world. We’ve created a form of entertainment that suited us and included everything. It’s a big day, today. For the first time, our national asset is being commemorated.”

On the sidelines of the event, Prasoon Joshi told BT, “We have been working on this museum for quite some time now. We wanted the museum to be interactive for everyone, especially children. So, there is a dedicated floor for children who are always curious about cinema. We made it a point to underline the fact that modern technique has influenced cinema and its contribution should be lauded. We want people to experience the heritage of cinema, learn from it and cherish it. We will hopefully set up more museums like this in other parts of the country.”

PM Narendra Modi, in his address, put forward a question to the film fraternity in the audience. He said, “Today, when all of you have come together to take India’s entertainment industry to new heights, I have a question for all of you. Stars from every generation are present here, and when I am here with the film fraternity, let me put it this way. ‘How’s the josh?’” This question from him received an instant euphoric collective response from the audience. It was a loud, ‘Yes sir!’ That brought the audience alive. Generous claps, laughs and cheers from the audience poured in as the PM addressed the crowd for about 35-40 minutes.

“Films and society are a reflection of each other. What you see in films is happening in society and what is happening in society is reflected in films. In the past, poverty was considered a virtue and our films were about poverty and helplessness but today, if we highlight a problem, we also offer solutions through cinema which is a sign of change. If there are a million problems, there are a billion solutions,” the PM said.

He also urged filmmakers to make more films on history, science and innovation. He urged personalities from the fraternity to tell youngsters, through social media, about the hardships and struggle they have seen in their lives before making it big, so the youth feel inspired and empowered. The PM said, “Films play a big role in the growth of the tourism sector, which gives employment to even the poorest people, even a chaiwala makes money when tourism grows.” This was received with a loud clap and cheers.

He continued to assure the film industry that effective steps would be taken to curb piracy, and also start a single-window clearance system for obtaining permissions for film shoots.

The PM also talked about the popularity of Indian cinema in other countries. He recalled a meeting with the head of state of Israel, who sang, Ichak daana beechak daana without knowing its meaning, which left everyone in splits. He acknowledged the contributions made by veterans like Raj Kapoor and Manoj Kumar whose films, he said, have immense following abroad.

Towards the end of his address, he also requested the industry to provide him with a detailed note on industry-related obsolete laws that should be repelled. PM Modi discussed the idea of a communication and entertainment university in the country and an economic forum on the lines of the World Economic Forum held at Davos, for the film fraternity.

After the gathering wrapped up, Narendra Modi met a vast number of filmmakers and actors in a separate room meant for VVIP guests for about 25 minutes.