NEW DELHI: Today's Google doodle commemorates Dadasaheb Phalke , who's called the 'father of Indian cinema ', on the occasion of his 148th birth anniversary.Phalke gave Indian cinema its first silent film, ' Raja Harishchandra ', in 1913. He made 95 movies and 27 short films in his career spanning 19 years.Today's doodle by artist Aleesha Nandhra portrays a young Phalke directing actors, wielding the camera and editing film.Phalke was born in Trimbak, in present-day Maharashtra, and his father was a noted scholar. The young Phalke developed a keen interest in the arts and went on to study, at various points, an array of disciplines, including photography, lithography, architecture, engineering, and even magic, says Google's write-up on the filmmaker.While Phalke was working as a painter and theatre set designer he chanced upon Alice Guy's silent film, 'The Life of Christ' (1910). That's when he resolved to bring Indian culture to the silver screen. He traveled to London to learn filmmaking from Cecil Hepworth, a British director, producer and screenwriter who is considered one of the founders of the British film industryIn 1969, the government paid homage to Phalke by establishing the Dadasaheb Phalke awards recognizing lifetime contributions to Indian cinema.
Today Google celebrates the 148th birth anniversary of legendary filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke, who is known as the Father of Indian Cinema with a doodle. Dadasaheb Phalke is a celebrated producer, director and screenwriter who made 95 movies and 27 short films in a career that spanned 19 years.Dadasaheb Phalke's debut work, "Raja Harishchandra", is recognized as India's first ever full-length feature film. He went on to make more memorable movies like "Mohini Bhasmasur", "Satyavan Savitri" and "Kaliya Mardan".Dadasaheb Govind Phalke was born on 30 April 1870 in Trymbakeshwar in Maharashtra, 30 km from Nashik. His father was an accomplished scholar. Dadasaheb Phalke went on to study in the JJ School of Art in Mumbai in 1885. He then studied sculpture, engineering, drawing, painting and photography from Kala Bhavan in the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara.He then started his career as a photographer in Godhra, but he stopped after losing his first wife and child in an outbreak of the bubonic plague. He briefly worked with the Archaeological Survey of India before he turned to the business of printing. He worked with painter Raja Ravi Varma before starting his own printing press.A dispute with his business partners and a viewing of the silent film "The Life of Christ" was what led his attention to turn to movies. He went on to make "Raja Harishchandra" in 1912, a year before it was first shown publicly. "Raja Harishchandra" effectively marked the beginning of the Indian film industry, which is now one of the world's biggest. In 1969, the government of India honoured the legendary filmmaker by instituting the Dadasaheb Phalke award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in Indian cinema and the highest official recognition for film personalities in India. The award is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony. Actress Devika Rani was the first recipient of this award and other noted personalities include Raj Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Yash Chopra, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Shyam Benegal. Vinod Khanna, who became only the second person to be posthumously presented the award, is the most recent recipient of the award this year. Dadasaheb Phalke had a career that spanned 19 years and it was only with the introduction of sound film that he hung up his boots in 1937 after releasing his last work "Gangavataran". He died in Nashik on 16 February 1944.
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Manisha Koirala, Konkona Sensharma, Armaan Malik, Neeti Mohan, Farida Jalal, Amit Sadh and Manish Paul among others were honoured at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards 2018 held on April 29 in Mumbai. Other guests seen at the event were Arshi Khan and Rakhi Sawant. Scroll to see photos. (Source: Photo by Varinder Chawla)
Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the father of Indian Cinema. (Express archive photo) Dadasaheb Phalke is known as the father of Indian Cinema. (Express archive photo)
Today is Dadasaheb Phalke’s 148th birth anniversary. A Marathi, Dadasaheb Phalke, whose real name was Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, is credited with making Raja Harishchandra, the first feature film in India, and is thus called the father of Indian cinema. He did everything for the project – production, writing and direction. He even built the set himself and shot it for 7 months and 21 days.
In those days, cinema around the world was still in its infancy. Making a single film even without sound (sound did not come to Indian films until 1931’s Alam Ara by Ardeshir Irani) was an expensive proposition that required inventiveness and improvisation even if you had money. If you did not, well, even the cost of film stock was enough to make you bankrupt.
Dadasaheb Phalke as a young man. (Express Archive photo) Dadasaheb Phalke as a young man. (Express Archive photo)
Dadasaheb Phalke possessed the mind of an artist much before he began to make films. He had been a photographer. He studied engineering and sculpture. He worked with the famous painter Raja Ravi Varma. He owned a printing press for a while, and so on. It was only after watching a silent film The Life of Christ that he got interested in motion pictures.
Dadasaheb Phalke with his wife Saraswatibai. (Express archive photo) Dadasaheb Phalke with his wife Saraswatibai. (Express archive photo)
Also Read | Dadasaheb Phalke’s 148th birth anniversary: Google dedicates doodle to father of Indian Cinema
Dadasaheb Phalke made Raja Harishchandra in 1912 and it was shown in 1913. The story was based on a legendary noble and just king of the same name from Hindu mythology who was famous for always telling the truth come what may. He gave away his kingdom, became a slave along with his family because of a vow he made to a sage. After this film, Phalke went on to make about 130 films most of which were inspired by Hindu myths. He passed away in 1944 in Nasik after having retired after his last film, 1932’s Setubandhan.
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