Osian’s takes film history to the youth

Film lovers can now access the entire repository of Indian cinema at a click. Osian’s Group is set to launch the world’s largest film encyclopedia that aims at taking the history of cinema to the youth.

The search engine, theosianama.com is a part of the Osianama Learning Experience (OLE), the fourphase project on cinematic education with the key focus being the last “300 years of India’s arts, culture and cinema”. In the first phase, the access to information from the portal would be free for all, and is envisioned to be a part of the educational projects of various universities offering cinematic education.

According to Neville Tuli, the world audience will fall in love anew with cinema and its histories. “The project is the effort of 20 years of systematic daily work, archiving, research and innovation. The knowledge base will house information on the medieval, modern and contemporary phases of cinema and change the perception and study of India on a global scale,” he says.

OLE will include the launch of 100 books on various themes and personalities of Indian cinema at the upcoming World Book Fair and public opening of the Film & Art Museum in the city. “The search engine will cut through the politics of access to knowledge. Whether you are living in Ghatkopar or Oxford, irrespective of your background or resources, the youth will now have access, context and discrimination for understanding and experiencing cinema education in the most innovative and creative manner,” he adds.