Dadasaheb Phalke

Dadasaheb Phalke was the father of Indian cinema- his previous name was Dhundiraj Govind Phalke. On April 30, 1870, he was born in Trimbak, British India. (now in Maharashtra, India) and portrayed as the "Father of Indian Cinema" by many. Moreover, he was artistic by nature and had a strong interest in the creative arts in his younger years. He died in Nashik, Maharashtra, on February 16, 1944. 

Also, he enlightened India's people to the wonders of cinema and helped to create the world's greatest entertainment industry. Raja Harishchandra was India's first full-length feature film (1913). He was an excellent Indian cinema producer, director, screenwriter, storyteller, set designer, costume designer, editor, and distributor, among other things.

That is why the "Dadasaheb Phalke Award," one of the most famous awards in the Indian film industry, was named after him. It is a "Lifetime Achievement Award" given to famous personalities in the Indian film industry for their great contribution to the production and growth of Indian cinema.

It's important to know about Dadasaheb Phalke Awards, it was launched in 1969 to honour his contribution to contemporary Indian film. A group of distinguished figures from the Indian cinema industry chooses the recipient of the Phalke award. It is India's highest film honour. The Directorate of Film Festivals, an organization established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, presents it annually during the National Film Awards ceremony.

In 2018, Amitabh Bachchan was chosen for the 66th Dada Saheb Phalke Award, which was previously granted to Vinod Khanna in 2017. Let’s explore 10 interesting and unknown facts about Dadasaheb Phalke. 

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Dadasaheb Phalke the father of Indian cinema- Interesting and Unknown Facts about him

• On 30 April 1870, the father of Indian cinema was born, Dadasaheb Phalke, at Trimbakeshwar town near Nashik district of Maharashtra. He had finished his basic education in 1885 at Sir J.J School of Arts, Mumbai. In 1890 he went to Vadodara, Gujarat to study drawing, painting, and photography.

• In 1910, Phalke had a life-changing experience when he saw Ferdinand Zecca's silent film 'The Life of Christ' and saw Indian Gods on the screen, leading to the creation of his first short film, 'Growth of a Pea Plant.'

• In 1917, Phalke founded the Hindustan Film Company with the support of numerous partners and went on to make multiple films. Phalke, a skilled film technician, worked with a wide range of special effects. His audience was enthralled by his use of legendary themes and trick photography. Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janam (1918), Sairandari (1920), and Shakuntala (1921) were among his other successful films (1920).

• In Godhra (Gujarat), Dadasaheb Phalke began his career as a photographer, but he halted after the death of his first wife and kid due to a plague epidemic. After that, he went to Germany to study new technology.

• He had a wide range of magical interests dating back to his school days. He also experimented with a range of special effects at the time. In Germany, he met and worked with a magician named Carl Hertz. After some time, he was offered a job as a Draftsman with the Archaeological Survey of India, but he turned it down owing to a lack of enthusiasm and returned to Maharashtra. He established a printing press business there.

• When he saw Ferdinand Zecca's silent film "The Life of Christ" in Mumbai's "America-India Theatre," his life changed and he resolved to make "Raja Harishchandra," the first full-length feature film, silent. Without a doubt, he had realized Indian cinema's ideal.

• He had placed many ads in the paper looking for attractive performers to play the starring roles. However, because these adverts attracted inexperienced and unprofessional talent, he was forced to include a disclaimer that "ugly faces need not apply."

• Raja Harishchandra was not only the first film, but it was also the first commercially successful film, paving the path for an entire industry. Phalke advertised for handsome performers in order to locate players for Raja Harishchandra. However, after receiving numerous submissions from inexperienced and unqualified actors, he added a sentence to the advertising stating that "ugly faces need not apply."

• His wife was in charge of the actors' clothes, posters, and film production. He portrayed Harishchandra, and his 7-year-old son Bhalchandra Phalke also appeared in the film as Harishchandra's son. In addition, a man was cast in the lead part of Taramati because no woman was available to work in the film at the time. On 3 May 1913, this film was first presented in public at Mumbai's Coronation cinema.

• Do you know that the entire film Raja Harishchandra cost Dadasaheb Phalke 15 thousand rupees to make? To honour him, the most prestigious prize in Indian cinema is now named after him. The 'Dadasaheb Phalke Accolade' is an annual award given by the Indian government to dedicated movie luminaries in recognition of their lifelong contributions to the field. To honour him, India Post issued a postage stamp with his face on it in 1971.

• This award was established in 1969 to honour Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to contemporary Indian film. The Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, bestows this honour. Devika Rani, a pioneer lady of Indian cinema, received the award for the first time in 1969. A shawl, a cash prize of around Rs. 10 lakhs, and a Golden Lotus are all part of the prize (Swarna Kamal).

• Setubandhan, his final silent film, was released in 1932 and was later dubbed. The introduction of sound in movies threw his career into disarray. He made his final picture Gangavataran in 1936-38 before retiring to Nashik, where he died on February 16, 1944.

• Despite the fact that both films produced by the "Hindustan Cinema Films Company" were economically successful, the partners' disputes grew. Partners were concerned about the expense incurred and time spent by Phalke to get the required outcomes, and Phalke did not appreciate their meddling in film production. Phalke planned to leave the company, but his lawyer drew attention to the terms of his contract with the "Hindustan Cinema Films Company." The arrangement was for a period of 15 years, and if Phalke opted to leave the company, he would not be paid his Rs. 150,000 shares of profit and would have to pay the corporation Rs. 50,000. After failing to reconcile their differences, the partners sought Phalke's coworkers to assume his responsibilities in the event of his departure. Since Raja Harishchandra (1913), they had all been affiliated with Phalke and had been schooled by him to manage various aspects of filmmaking. Mama Shinde, Anna Salunke, Gajanan Sane, Trymbak B. Telang, Dattatreya Telang, and Nath Telang signed the appropriate agreements with their approval. With growing dissensions, Phalke decided to leave the company and relocate to Kashi with his family. In an article published in Navyug, he announced his retirement and revealed his thoughts.