Filmed in 1938, less than a decade before Indian independence, Delhi has a curious tale to tell. ‘Delhi’, the viewer is informed, ‘is the cockpit of the Indian Empire’, it provides the ‘gateway to the riches of the south’. The opening sections of the film focus upon those who have tried and failed to establish a lasting power in the capital. ‘At Delhi’, the commentator states, ‘successive cities have been built by conquering invaders – each has fallen into disuse and decay’. The camerawork focuses on the ‘impressive ruins’ of these earlier invaders. Although the film also depicts the enduring architecture of Muslim rulers, such as Akbar and Shahjahan, it is stressed that their power has been superseded. Legend has it that it will be the ninth city of Delhi that ‘will endure and will rule forever’. Shahjahan had built the eighth.
The future Edward VIII enjoys a stately procession and visits the Taj Mahal before meeting senior Indian royalty.
The future Edward VIII opens a durbar and enjoys a day at the races before inspecting the fire brigade in Calcutta.
Scenes from a lavish pageant held during the royal visit to India, celebrating King George V’s coronation.
King George V and Queen Mary hold ceremonial court in Delhi.
By drawing a parallel between the Indian Durga Puja festival and other forms of celebrating the divine feminine, Santa Shakti reveals the Sacred Power beyond languages and religions.
A film produced to celebrate the coronation of George V as King-Emperor at the Imperial Durbar of 1911.
Amateur film featuring government buildings in Delhi, a shooting party in Malakand and winter in Abbottabad.
Film showing the Viceregal party entering Delhi on lavishly decorated elephants, as part of the Coronation durbar of 1903.
The river Yamuna, known to the locals as 'Jamna', the lifeline of Delhi, is going through a major crisis due to pollution, mismanagement and sheer ignorance. A documentary crew tries to make sense of the situation by talking to different stakeholders and Shyam - a boatman who relies on the river for his livelihood.
Dignitaries including the Nizam of Hyderabad gather to celebrate the Durbar in honour of George V, who arrives by boat in Bombay.
Attractive travelogue filmed in and around Delhi's Qutb complex.
Rare stencil-coloured images of early 20th century Delhi during a Muslim festival.
Grand buildings and missionary work come together in the 1947 Indian tour of construction magnate John W. Laing.
L'Idiot follows Rajat "Rinku" Chaddha, an awkward, daydreaming young man obsessed with French culture, as he attempts to win over Mona, a charismatic girl in his French class. With the help of a local thief, Rinku devises a plan to become Mona's hero, but things take an unexpected turn, forcing him to confront his fantasies and reality.
Years after his father disowns his adopted brother for marrying a woman of lower social standing, a young man goes on a mission to reunite his family.
With the Parliament under siege, India’s first super soldier Arjun Shergill is tasked to get hold of the terrorists in time, save the Prime Minister from their clutches and stop a dirty bomb from exploding and destroying Delhi.
As the romantic monsoon rains loom, the extended Verma family reunites from around the globe for a last-minute arranged marriage in New Delhi. This film traces five intersecting stories, each navigating different aspects of love as they cross boundaries of class, continent and morality.
A man and a woman come from two very different cultural backgrounds, and decide that they won't get married until they convince their parents. As feared, differences between the families pose a hurdle.
Rajputana, India, 13th century. The tyrannical usurper Alauddin Khilji, sultan of Delhi, becomes obsessed with Queen Padmavati, wife of King Ratan Singh of Mewar, and goes to great lengths to satisfy his greed for her.