Today the Indian film industry is a multi billion dollars industry but readers would be stunned to know that Dada Saheb Phalke, who laid the foundation stone of this industry in 1913 with India’s First movie RAJA HARISHCHANDRA, had to sell his home utensils and his wife’s ornament to make the movie. Glamsham.Com salutes the legendary film wizard on his birth anniversary today (April 30).
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| DADA SAHEB PHALKE | ||
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke better known as Dada Saheb Phalke was born in the holy town of Trimbakeshwar, in Nasik. During that time the town had just one profession, producing religious scholars. His father was also a Sanskirt scholar and Phalke too was destined to follow the same profession. But young Phalke rebelled and joined Mumbai’s JJ College of arts in Mumbai to fulfill his creative passion.
Inspired by the foreign movie LIFE OF CHRIST, he was so overwhelmed by the technology of motion picture that he went to Germany and England to learn the art. Thankfully few of his wealthy friends supported him. However, when he came back to India and decided to make the movie RAJA HARISHCHANDRA, he had hard time acquiring finances as investors hesitated to invest and nobody believed in his claims of a motion picture. Some even termed him mad.
Phalke needed about Rs. 25,000 to Rs 30,000 to make the film. Hence left with no option, he took loan from his life insurance policies, sold wife’s jewellery and when all these fell short he sold one by one all his utensils and furniture’s but completed the movie! What a dedication. Indeed!
The movie was released on May 13, 1913 and was a huge hit. The popularity of the movie even created waves in England and was also exhibited in London in 1914. It’s reported that the filmmakers of West were so thrilled at the genius of Phalke that he was insisted to stay back and make movies but he declined the lucrative offers for the love of his mother land.
