First Indian film museum in 2013: Ambika Soni

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) The Indian government aims to complete work on the country's first film musuem by 2013, which marks centenary of the Indian film industry, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ambika Soni said at the 58th National Film Awards ceremony here Friday.

India's first feature film 'Raja Harishchandra', a silent film, released in 1913.

'The national museum of Indian cinema, a first-of-its-kind, that will showcase the evolution of Indian cinema, is being built in Mumbai and I hope it will be ready to be inaugrated in the centenary year of 2013,' said Soni, while addressing the gathering at the Vigyan Bhawan before President Pratibha Patil gave away the awards.

A large number of dignitaries from the Indian film industry were present on the occasion.

Talking about the plans for the musuem, Soni said: 'Three thousand films will be acquired and digitised, and another 3,000 will be restored and transferred into negatives, which will be available at the affordable rates on DVDs for the public.'

The musuem will be a window to India's ever-expanding soft power, cinema.

'It (the century) is the milestone in our cinematic journey and will provide us with excellent opportunity to exhibit India's soft power and reinforce the idea of Indian cinema and incredible India campaign,' she said.

'Films all over the world have been a powerful tool for globalisation and filmmaking has emerged as the strongest force for the global audience,' she added.

Copyright  IANS

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