India revives century-old movies from 'magic lantern'

PANAJI, India: Long before the lights, cameras and the action came to Bollywood, a family armed with a "magic lantern" breathed life into stories from Hindu mythology to audiences across India.

Nearly 120 years later, the same device - essentially a projector with colorful hand-painted glass slides - is enthralling modern cinema lovers at the annual International Film Festival of India, which is being held in Goa.

The green metal-and-wood projector, known as the Shambarik Kharolika, or Magic Lantern, is a star of the festival, drawing crowds keen for a taste of the movies, 19th-century style.