Vijaya Mulay has been closely involved with the growth of cinema in India. A pioneer of the film society movement (she was the first joint secretary of the Federation of Film Societies of India), she has served on the Central Board of Film Censors, helped introduce educational film and TV through SITE and UGC, taught film appreciation at FTII and even made documentary films herself. She has been an active participant in the Indian cinema scene since the 1940s.