100 years of Indian cinema: A philatelic celebration by India Post

The first two miniature sheets consist of nine stamps each and comprise winners of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award,India’s highest award in cinema for lifetime achievement,while the other four with eight stamps each depict other noted and respected personalities in the world of cinema.

Acting legends such as Prithviraj Kapoor,Ashok Kumar,Durga Khote,Dev Anand and Mehmood and Ruby Myers,acclaimed directors like Bhalji Pendharkar,Hrishikesh Mukherjee,Nitin Bose,Tapan Sinha,Yash Chopra and noted musicians including Majrooh Sultanpuri,Naushad,R D Burman,O P Nayyar and Madan Mohan have been featured on the stamps.

Speaking with Newsline,philatelist Deepak Modi said it was first time in the history of independent India that as many as 50 commemorative stamps had been released by India Post on a single occasion.

“The Department of Posts deserves appreciation — first for choosing the theme of centenary of India cinema and second for the highly organised way it has planned everything right from release of the stamps and their distribution. Since films being a subject close to everyone’s heart,these stamps are surely going to evoke huge public response,” he said.

Recalling the history of commemorative stamps themed on cinema,philatelist Shrikant Kulkarni said: “First such commemorative stamp was released on the ‘father of Indian film industry’ Dadasaheb Phalke in 1971. In 1989,India Post issued a commemorative stamp to mark the 75 years of Indian cinema. In mid-90s,it had released a special stamp to mark the centenary of world cinema. In between,it released commemorative stamps on noted film personalities like Bimal Roy,Mehboob Khan,Satyajit Ray,Madhubala and Nargis. A special series of commemorative stamps themed on yesteryear actresses too became famous in 2011.”

Reacting to the Department of Posts initiative,singer Vaishali Samant said it came as an honour for the entire Indian film industry. “It is honour for each and every artiste associated with the film industry. It will produce a spark within the industry people to excel further,” she said.

Six miniature sheets with a print order of 8.1 lakh each are being issued by the India Post,and the number is believed to be largest so far,according to philatelist community.

While the denomination of each stamp is Rs 5,it will be made available to all philatelic bureaux in the country,including the one in Pune,for sale in June.

Priya Kulkarni,a homemaker,said she would grab the commemorative stamps on Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Dev Anand among other artistes as soon as it arrived in the Pune Philatelic Bureau. “Indian films are not merely a mode of mass entertainment,but they teach you life. There is a deep connection between the real and reel life,” she said.