Film, TV and Entertainment
- First Film to be exhibited in India on 7 July 1896, with the Lumiere Brothers' Cinematography, unveiling six silent short films at the Watson's Hotel in Bombay, viz., Entry of Cinematographe, The Sea Bath, Arrival of a Train, A Demolition, Ladies & Soldiers on Wheels and Leaving the Factory.
- First silent film to be made in India : Raja Harishchandra, 1913 by Dadasaheb Phalke.
- Bengali film maker:Hiralal Sen
- First Bengali talkie : Dena Paona (1931)
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Devika Rani (1969)
- First Government award for films :Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards(1937)
- First Punjabi film made in the city :Kolkata
- First Indian filmmaker to get Bharat Ratna :Satyajit Ray (1992)
- Sound film: Alam Ara (1931) directed by Ardeshir Irani, 1931, First Talkie actress:Zubeida
- Colour film : Kisan Kanya (1937), directed by Moti B. Gidvani.
- Film to be banned : Neel Akasher Neechey, (1959(Directed by-Mrinal Sen) .
- Cinemascope film : Kaagaz Ke Phool(Directed by -Gurudutt) (1959)
- Oscar for Lifetime Achievement: Satyajit Ray (1992)
- Film to attract International critical attention : Pather Panchali, (1955) won eleven awards.
- Oscar winner: Bhanu Athaiya for Best Costume Design for Gandhi (film) in 1982
- Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film: Mother India, 1957
- Music director to win an Oscar and first double Oscar winner-Mr. A. R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire, 22 February 2009.
- Sound engineer to win an Oscar : Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire, 22 February 2009
- Palme d'Or at 1946 Cannes Film Festival : Neecha Nagar, directed by Chetan Anand
- National Film Award for cinema : Shyamchi Aai, 1954
- Colorized film : Mughal-e-Azam in 2004 (the original black-and-white version was released in 1960)
- Sponsored TV serial : Hum Log, started on 7 July 1984, was also the first soap opera of India, ran for 156 episodes
- Guinness Book of World Records in the category, Fewest actors in a narrative film : Yaadein (1964) directed and acted by Sunil Dutt
- Actor to enact 10 roles: Kamal Haasan
- Actress to enact 10 roles = Priyanka Chopra plays 12 different characters in Bollywood film-"What's Your Raashee?"
- 3-D film : My Dear Kuttichathan, a Malayalam film, produced in 1984, dubbed in Hindi as Chhota Chetan.
- 70 mm film : Around the World, a Hindi film, starring Raj Kapoor and Rajshree in 1967
- Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) - Director : Mrinal Sen (1985); Actor : Sivaji Ganesan (1995); Actress : Sharmila Tagore(2004)
- Hindi film screened at the United Nations : Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 10 November 2006,directed by Rajkumar Hirani
- First Bhojpuri feature film to be featured in the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India : Deswa (2011)
- First music record was recorded by Gauhar Jaan singing a khayal in Raag Jogiya, recorded on 2 November 1902, by Fred Gaisberg, assistant to Emile Berliner, the father of Gramophone record.
Read more about this topic: List Of Firsts In India