National Film Archive of India
{{Short description|Public film archive in Pune, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = National Film Archive of India
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| logo = NationalFilmArchiveofIndiaLogo.png
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| image = NFAI building, Pune.jpg
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| caption = NFAI building
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| map_size = 250
| map_caption = NFAI
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| location = Law College Rd, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India
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| website = https://nfai.nfdcindia.com/
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The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) was established as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1964.{{cite book|author1=T. M. Ramachandran|author2=S. Rukmini|title=70 Years of Indian Cinema, 1913-1983|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q9rthUDKxyEC|year=1985|publisher=CINEMA India-International|isbn=978-0-86132-090-5|pages=530–}} It was a member of the International Federation of Film Archives.{{Cite web |title=National Film Archive of India - International Federation of Film Archives |url=https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/History/FIAF-Institution-History.html?id=100031 |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=www.fiafnet.org}}
In March 2022, it was merged with the National Film Development Corporation.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-30 |title=Govt announces merger of all film bodies under National Film Development Corporation |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-announces-merger-of-film-bodies-under-nfdc-7844945/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}
Objectives
Its three principal objectives are: to trace, acquire and preserve for posterity the heritage of Indian cinema; to classify, document data and undertake research relating to films; to act as a centre for the dissemination of film culture.{{cite book|author=India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting|title=Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wqa2AAAAIAAJ|year=1978|publisher=The Ministry|pages=40–}}
Organization
With headquarters at Pune, Maharashtra, NFAI had three regional offices at Bangalore, Calcutta and Thiruvananthapuram. Developed from scratch by P. K. Nair,{{cite web|url= https://scroll.in/reel/833153/rescuing-film-prints-from-floods-fire-and-ignorance-tales-from-the-pioneer-of-archiving-in-india|title= Rescuing film prints from floods, fire and ignorance: tales from the pioneer of archiving in India |date=1 April 2017|publisher= scroll.in}} NFAI's activities related to the dissemination of film culture were manifold. Its distribution library consists of about 25 active members throughout the country and it also organizes joint screening programmes on a weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis in six important centres. The archive contains over 10,000 films, over 10,000 books, over 10,000 film scripts, and over 50,000 photographs.{{Cite web |title=National Film Archives of India |url=https://libguides.jgu.edu.in/subjects/guide.php?subject=NFAI |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=libguides.jgu.edu.in}} Another important programme conducted by the archive is the film teaching scheme comprising long and short-term film appreciation courses conducted in collaboration with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and other educational and cultural institutions.{{Cite news |date=2018-05-07 |title=FTII and NFAI kick off summer film appreciation course |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/ftii-and-nfai-kick-off-summer-film-appreciation-course/articleshow/64067606.cms |access-date=2023-08-14 |issn=0971-8257}} At the international level, NFAI has supplied several Indian classics for major screening programmes.{{Cite web |title=Dr L Murugan inaugurates India Pavilion at Marche du Film, says films carry India's strength in storytelling across the world |url=https://pib.gov.in/pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1924874 |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=pib.gov.in}}
The NFAI's archive keeps a stock of films, video cassettes, DVDs, books, posters, stills, press clippings, slides, audio CDs, and disc records of Indian cinema dating back to the 1910s.
State of preservation
On 8 January 2003, a large fire caused a massive destruction in the vault of NFAI housed in the Prabhat Studio complex of FTII in Pune, in which unduplicated irreplaceable films with a nitrate base were destroyed.{{cite web|url= https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/story/20030127-over-600-rare-films-reduced-to-ashes-in-fire-mishap-at-national-film-archives-of-india-793659-2003-01-27|title= Over 600 rare films reduced to ashes in fire mishap at National Film Archives of India |date=27 January 2013|publisher= India Today}} Ravi Shankar Prasad the then Minister of State, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India announced in the Rajya Sabha that 607 films in 5,097 reels were lost in the fire.{{cite web|url= https://indianexpress.com/article/india/14-years-after-fire-destroyed-hundreds-of-films-lessons-not-yet-learnt-4850292/|title= 14 years after fire destroyed hundreds of films, lessons not yet learnt |date=19 September 2017|publisher= Indian Express}} Among the greatest loss were films by Dadasaheb Phalke including: Raja Harishchandra (1913), Lanka Dahan (1917) and Kaliya Mardan (1919). Important films produced by Prabhat Film Company, Wadia Movietone, Bombay Talkies and New Theatres, were also gutted, namely: Bhakta Prahlada (1932), Amar Jyoti (1936), Manoos (1939), Aage Badho (1947) and others.{{cite web|url= https://frontline.thehindu.com/static/html/fl2002/stories/20030131008813300.htm|title= Fire at FTII |date=18 January 2003|publisher= Frontline}}
In March 2019, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India reported that 31,000 reels at the NFAI were reported lost or destroyed, when it audited the records between 1 May 2015, and 30 September 2017.{{cite web|url= https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cag-over-31-000-film-reels-at-nfai-national-films-archives-of-india-lost-destroyed-2008901|title= Over 31,000 Film Reels At Film Archives Body Lost, Destroyed: Auditor CAG |date=17 March 2019|publisher= NDTV}}
References
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External links
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- [https://nfai.nfdcindia.com/ National Film Archive of India Official Website]
- [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5K-sXwYtWjS3IoGoeWmWA National Film Archive of India YouTube Channel]
{{MIBI}}{{Authority control}}
Category:1964 establishments in Maharashtra
Category:Government agencies established in 1964
Category:Film archives in India
Category:Film organisations in India
Category:Organisations based in Pune
Category:Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)
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