Artists like Satyajit Ray, Chidanand Dasgupta and Vijaya Muley  and others started the Calcutta Film Society, the first such organization which survived the vicissitudes of artistic vagaries and created awareness for good films among the public.

Later societies in other cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna, Faizabad and Roorkee were established at the initiative of pioneers in adult education like Maria Seton, Muriel Wasi and Vijaya Muley and started functioning.