The first screening of a film by the Lumière brothers in India took place in the year ______ at the Watson Hotel in Bombay. 

The correct answer is 1896.

Key Points

• The Lumiere Brothers presented six pictures at the Watson Hotel in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) on July 7, 1896, which marked the beginning of Indian cinema as we know it today.
• The Lumiere brothers were French cinematographers who came to India after establishing their reputation in Paris.
• This occurrence was dubbed the "miracle of the century" by the Times of India. The concert was well-received, and motion films were shortly released in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai, India (Madras).