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Published: 02 February 2026

Last Updated: 02 February 2026

Video camera movements are very complex but there are three basic ones. Pan is from left to right, tilt is from up to down, tracking is going forwards and backwards. All these movements are very common in modern Hindi films. Luckily we have the first silent movie at least part of it is available.

So I watched the film Raja Harishchandra (1913). To my surprise quite early in the film I found a panning movement. The camera stand is stationary but the camera rotates to follow the movement of people. In the video you can see the coastline moving when the people are moving too.

I'm sure this is well known to film historians.

If not then I take the full credit for discovering this for the first time :)

Now You Know! 

Raja Harishchandra Panning

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Published: 31 January 2026

Last Updated: 31 January 2026

A popular side heroine of the 40s, many songs were filmed on her.

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Published: 28 January 2026

Last Updated: 28 January 2026

She was one of the three ladies who sang in the first playback song in Dhoop Chhanv (1935). The other two were Parul Ghosh and Suprova Sarkar.

The song is main khush honaa chaahun, khush ho naa sakuun

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