Dadasaheb Phalke’s legacy celebrated in Mumbai

The birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, was celebrated in Mumbai - the capital of the entertainment industry.

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944), was a producer-director-screenwriter, who made 95 feature-length films and 27 short films in his career, spanning 19 years including Raja Harishchandra (1913), Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919).

The celebrations were held at the National Museum of Indian Cinema at Pedder Road in Mumbai, during which Raja Harishchandra, the first feature film, and the renowned Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory were screened along with a discussion on the legacy of Dadasaheb Phalke.

It was a rare experience for the youth, students and cinema lovers to watch India’s first feature film and a silent film, Raja Harishchandra and the memory of it would last a lifetime.

Dadasaheb Phalke, who was inspired by Raja Ravi Varma's paintings, chose one of the most popular mythological stories to make India's first feature film which was a commercial success at that time - paving the way for the silent era of Indian Cinema.

The audience was enthralled at the screening of another renowned Marathi Film called Harishchandrachi Factory, a film chronicling the making of Raja Harishchandra by Paresh Mokashi. The film, which was a directorial debut, won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi.

Following the screening, filmmaker, producer, and director, Paresh Mokashi, film historian and expert on Phalke’s work, Amrit Gangar, and film analyst, content creator, and founder of ‘Fables of Film’, Ankit Sinha, talked about the legend.

They threw light on the legacy of Dadasaheb Phalke, his contribution, and his impact on Indian Cinema and its audiences.

The event was also attended by the grandson and granddaughter-in-law of Dadasaheb Phalke, Chandrashekhar Pusalkar and Mrudula Pusalkar, who are also the custodians of the last of his belongings such as some unseen photographs and a car in Nashik that was used by Dadasaheb Phalke.

“The day is special for every Indian because Dadasaheb Phalke was the person who laid the foundation for the magical world of Indian Cinema as we know it today. At the National Museum of Indian Cinema-NFDC, there is a treasure trove of Indian cinematic history and an entire section dedicated to Dadasaheb Phalke. The museum is a must-visit for every cinema lover in India and the world”, said Gangar.