DADASAHEB PHALKE -THE FATHER OF INDIAN CINEMA

Dadasaheb Phalke. Dadasaheb Phalke, by name of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, (born April 30, 1870, Trimbak, British India [now in Maharashtra, India]—died February 16, 1944, Nashik, Maharashtra), motion picture director who is considered the father of the Indian cinema.

Dadasaheb Phalke introduced the people of India to the beauty of cinematic experience and evolved the largest entertainment industry in the world. He had made India's first full-length feature film Raja Harishchandra (1913.

He made 95 feature-length films and 27 short films in his career, spanning 19 years, until 1937, including his most noted works: Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919). .

• Dhundiraj Phalke was born on 30 April 1870 at Trimb Bombay Presidency into a  Marathi  Chitpavan  Brahmin family. His father, Govind Sadashiv Phalke alias Dajishastri, was a Sanskrit  scholar and worked as a Hindu  priest   

  conducting religious ceremonies and his mother, Dwarkabai, was a housewife.

In 1913, producer-director-screenwriter Dadasaheb Phalke gave Indian Cinema its first silent film Raja Harishchandra. The movie captured the imagination of thousands of Indians, who were delighted with the subject he chose for the film and the smooth trick photography and technology that was used.

Phalke did everything for the project – production, writing and direction. He even built the set himself and shot it for seven months and 21 days. Interestingly, Dadasaheb’s entire family contributed to the making of the legendary film ‘Raja Harishchandra’. His wife designed the costumes of the actors and cooked food for the whole cast and crew, while their son played the role of Harishchandra’s son in the movie.

Phalke, who decided to bring Indian culture to the silver screen, traveled to London to learn film making from Cecil Hepworth. After returning from London with the first movie camera, he set up a studio in a borrowed bungalow.

He also started Hindustan Films in partnership with five businessman from Mumbai.

His  last  silent  movie 'Setu  Bandhan'was   released  in  1932.He  died  on  Feb  16  1944.

DadaSaheb  Phalke  made  130  films  in  his  lifetime .He  struggled  against  all  odds   and  accomplished   his  dream of  having  an  Indian   Film  industry.

In  1969   , the  govt   of  India   established   the  DadaSaheb   Phalke  Award   which  recognizes    lifetime  contributions  to  Indian  Cinema .

The  Award  is  considered  as  one  of  the  most  prestigious   awards  in  Indian  Cinema .

DADASAHEB    PHALKE  'S  FIRST MOVIE .

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