Dadasaheb Phalke: Making of the pioneer of silver screen
Dadasaheb Phalke is the man who introduced the people of India to the beauty of cinematic experience and pioneered the beginning of one of the largest entertainment industry in the world. In a career spanning over two decades, he made 121 movies, including 26 short films.Today, on his birth anniversary we present to you some interesting facts related the very first movie made in India at a time where making movie was nothing less than a gamble of a lifetime.
The (late) beginning: Dadasaheb Phalke tried many odd jobs before deciding to make the movie, Raja Harishchandra, at the age of 40. In fact, upon hearing about this plan some of Phalke's friends thought he had lost his mind.
Instant hit: Apart from being the first movie, Raja Harishchandra was also the first commercially successful movie that paved the way for an entire industry.
Finding actors for the first film: To find actors for Raja Harishchandra, Phalke posted ads stating that handsome actors are required. However, after receiving many applications from amateur and not-quite-adequate actors, he added another line on the advertisement that said 'ugly faces need not apply'.
It's a family matter: Phalke's family members were an integral part of the production of Raja Harishchandra. His wife stepped into multiple shoes as part of the production team, including cooking for the crew to helping in making the posters. His son also played a part in the movie.
Marketing strategy: To promote the first feature film, Phalke used the following line "A performance with 57,000 photographs. A picture two miles long. All for only three annas".
Foreign screening: A year after this first movie was released in India, Raja Harishchandra was also screened in London in 1914. Thus, this was also the first movie to have been screened in overseas.
