The concept of an exclusive cinema for
India's children was mooted by its first Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru, and Children's Film Society, India (CFSI) was founded on 11 May 1955 with
Hriday Nath Kunzru as its first president. The first film produced by CFSI was
Jaldeep (1956), an adventure film directed by
Kidar Sharma also starring
Mala Sinha. The Chairperson of CFSI was selected for a duration of three years, and over the years, several notable personalities have remained Chairperson of CFSI including
Sai Paranjpye (twice),
Nafisa Ali (2005–2008),
Nandita Das (2008–2012),
Amol Gupte (2012–2015) and
Mukesh Khanna (2015–2018). In March 2022, four government-run film and media units including Children's Film Society merged with
National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). ==Activities==