Hindustan Film Company!

Dada Saheb Phalke

He was also named as Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, was born on 30th of April, 1870, Trimbak, British India lived until 16th of February 1944, Nashik, Maharashtra. He was one of the renowned motion directors and thus was considered to be the father of Indian Cinemas. Mr. Phalke was rewarded with all the credit of the making of India’s first indigenous feature film spawning the proliferate Indian Film Industry, chiefly was known through the productions of Bollywood.

During his childhood, he was showing his interest in the creative arts which push his determination towards his dreams which led him to join the Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay in the year of 1885.

As he showed his interests in a variant spectrum which includes lithography, amateur dramatics, he was also an adept magician, architecture, and photography. He worked as a photographer, painter, and a theatrical set designer. While his work at the lithography press of celebrated painter Ravi Varma, Phalke was highly influenced by the series of the painting made by Varma… the expressing Hindu Gods, which left on the greater impact over the Phalke which pushed him to portray the various forms of God and Goddesses which were further been used in his mythological film later.

In the year of 1908, Phalke along with his partner established a Gallery of Art, Painting and the Engraving Works but due to their difference, the business got failed. Having the chance to view one of the silent films “The Life of Christ (1910)” which embarked the turning point of his career. Highly influenced by the film, Phalke saw his dream to bring all that is Indian to the moving picture screen. In the year if 1912, he went to London to learn the craft from Cecil Hepworth, British Pioneer Filmmaker. In the year of 1913, he released his silent film inspired by Hindu Mythology, Raja Harishchandra. This film which was scripted, directed, produced and distributed by Phalke was the big hit which imprints the important milestone in the history of Indian Cinema. In the same pace, he introduced a female actor in the film named Bhasmasur Mohini, in the leading role in the year of 1913 which was the time where acting as the profession for the women was a taboo.

Being helped his several partners, he finally established the Hindu Film Company in the year of 1917 and started off producing several films one after another. As being an outstanding film technician, he introduced variant special effects, his employment of the mythological themes and trick photography amazed his audience. Counting on his prodigious work, he runs the number of blockbuster films which includesShri Krishna Janma (1918), Shakuntala (1920), Lanka Dahan (1917) and Sairandari (1920).

Later the introduction of the sound in the Indian Cinema along with the expansion of the Film Industry, there when the work of Phalke took the downfall. Thus, he left his career in filmmaking in the year of 1930s.

In the recognition of his work contributed to the Indian Cinema, the Indian Government instituted the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the year of 1969, which is been awarded by the President of India for their lifetime contribution to the Indian Cinema.

Cheers to his Lifetime Achievement!