Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (Marathi: दादासाहेब फाळके) (April 30, 1870 - February 16, 1944) is known as the father of Indian cinema. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Indian film industry is the largest in the world in terms of ticket sales and number of films produced annually (877 feature films and 1177 short films were released in the year 2003

Early career

Dadasaheb Phalke was born in Nasik, India. http//wwwmapsofindiacom/maps/maharashtra/roads/nashik_roadjpg Nashik (नाशिक India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country He joined Sir J. J. School of Arts, Bombay in 1885. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common After passing from J. J. School, Phalke went to the Kala Bhavan in Baroda where he learned photography, printing and magic. He began his career as a small town photographer in Godhra but had to leave business after the death of his first wife and child in an outbreak of the bubonic plague. See also Godhra train burning WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Godhra is a town and the originally the name came from "Gou" Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as He soon met the German magician Carl Hertz, one of the 40 magicians employed by the Lumiere Brothers.

Soon after, he had the opportunity to work with the Archeological Survey of India as a draftsman. However, restless with his job and its constraints, he turned to the business of printing. He specialized in lithography and oleography, and worked for painter Raja Ravi Varma. Lithography is a method for Printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface Raja Ravi Varma ( April 29, 1848 - October 2, 1906) was an Indian painter who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes Phalke later started his own printing press, made his first trip abroad to Germany, to learn about the latest technology and machinery. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Mr. Dadasaheb Phalke

Film

However, following a dispute with his partners about the running of the press, he gave up printing and turned his attention to moving pictures, after watching a silent film, The Life of Christ and envisioning Indian gods on the screen. He made his first film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1912; it was first shown publicly on May 3, 1913 at Bombay's Coronation Cinema, effectively marking the beginning of the Indian film industry. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Around one year before, Ramchandra Gopal (known as Dadasaheb Torne) had released his film Pundalik in the same theater. Ram Chandra Gopal "Dadasaheb" Torne रामचंद्र गोपाळ "दादासाहेब" तोरणे ( 13 April 1890 However, the credit for making the first Indian feature film is still attributed to Dadasaheb Phalke.

Once again, Phalke proved successful in his new art, and proceeded to make several silent films, shorts, documentary feature, educational, comic, tapping all the potential of this new medium. However, film, having proved its financial viability, soon attracted businessmen who favored money over aesthetics.

Hindustan Films

Phalke formed a film company, Hindustan Films in partnership with five businessmen from Bombay, in the hope that by having the financial aspect of his profession handled by experts in the field, he would be free to pursue the creative aspect. He set up a model studio and trained technicians, actors, but very soon, he ran into insurmountable problems with his partners. In 1920, Phalke resigned from Hindustan company, made his first announcement of retirement from cinema,and he wrote 'Rangbhoomi', an acclaimed play.

But lacking his imaginative genius, the Hindustan company ran into deep financial loss, and he was finally persuaded to return. However, Phalke felt constrained by the business, and, after directing a few films for the company, he withdrew.

Sound film

But then the times changed, and Phalke fell victim to the emerging technology of sound film. Unable to cope with the talkies, the man who had fathered the Indian film industry became obsolete. During 1936-38, he made his last film 'Gangavataran'. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is instituted in his honour. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an annual award given by the Indian government for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

Selected filmography

• Raja Harishchandra (1913)
• Shri Krishna Janma (1918)
• Kaliya Mardan (1919)
• Setu Bandhan (1923)
• Gangavataran (1937)

External links

• Dadasaheb Phalke at the Internet Movie Database
• Dadasaheb Phalke @ SPICE
• Website on Dada Saheb Phalke