The V. Shantaram Motion Picture Scientific Research & Cultural Foundation was established on November 18, 1977 by Dr. V. Shantaram in order to promote scientific research in the field of film production as well as the development of art and culture in India. In the first decade and half, the Foundation not only financed and supported several technological breakthroughs in the realm of sound recording but also produced a film on its mentor, Portrait of a Pioneer, directed by Madhura Jasraj, and published Shantarama, his autobiography in two languages Marathi and Hindi. The main library was inaugurated on April 30, 1981 while the specialised library on Indian cinema was inaugurated in 1995. It also hosted the Film Researchers Conference for several years before the Internet.