New Delhi: Countdown for the opening of the National Museum of Indian Cinema, NMIC at the Films Division premises in Mumbai has begun. The Museum Advisory Committee chaired by veteran film maker Shyam Benegal has made a fervent appeal to people associated with the film industry to come forward and donate rare artefacts, vintage instruments and other memorabilia to the National Museum, which chronicles the century old journey of cinema in India.
The Museum Advisory Committee, which met in Mumbai also gave its nod for the thematic display in the Phase II of the museum. National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata, under the Ministry of Culture, is curating the museum.
Secretary, Information & Broadcasting, Ajay Mittal, who was a special invitee at the meeting, said the government has attached enormous importance to NMIC, to build it as a platform to present various facets of Indian cinema.
NMIC is conceived as a two phase museum. Phase I is housed in the heritage building- Gulshan Mahal, mostly displaying static artefacts and telling the story of Indian cinema in a chronological form. Phase II of the Museum, being housed in the modern building will sport over 40 interactive galleries devoted to cinema across India, journey of Indian cinema from silent era to talkies, technology and creativity in cinema as well as a Children’s activity gallery.
Shyam Benegal said “‘ a visit to the film museum should be an engrossing experience and we should have a number of interactive sections, where viewers can watch clips from classics, listen to rare recordings or learn about how cinema was made in the bygone era”.
Veteran film makers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Krishna Swamy, noted cinematographer A K Bir, former Director of National Film Archives of India, Suresh Chhabria, film conservationist Shivendra Dungarpur, film critic Sanjit Narvekar, DG, NCSM Anil Manekar and DG of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalay, Mumbai Sabyasachi Mukherjee and film curator Amrit Gangar were among those who were present at the meeting.
NMIC, when inaugurated will be the first of its kind national film museum in India.
