3 May — in history: India’s first full-length movie Raja Harishchandra is released

Raja Harishchandra

3 May — in history: India’s first full-length movie Raja Harishchandra is released

The 3rd May of 1913 marked the event that changed the way India saw entertainment and popular culture forever. Raja Harishchandra, the first full-length feature film ever made in India, paved the way for other movie productions down the century. 

With "Raja Harishchandra", India's first full-length feature, Phalke, regarded as the father of Indian cinema, set the pace for the silent era which went on till the 1930s when the talkies emerged.

The Father Of Indian Cinema gave us our first feature film in 1913 on May 3, a day then Bombay can never forget. It was produced, directed and co-screen-written by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, whom we today respectfully call Dadasaheb Phalke. Phalke, in fact, spent his personal savings to make the film.

The film, Raja Harishchandra belonged to the silent genre of movies, ran for about 40 minutes, and was made by an entirely Indian cast and crew.

It was based on the mythological story of a king who was so righteous and honest that he sacrificed his kingdom, wife, and son to keep a promise to Rishi Vishwamitra. God eventually, impressed with his nobility and integrity, blessed him with divinity and returned what he had taken from him.

Although Raja Harishchandra takes the credit of being the first Indian film, Dadasaheb Torne's film Shree Pundalik was released on 18 May 1912 in Bombay, one year before Raja Harishchandra. However, Shree Pundalik was a recording of a play with a fixed camera and the film's production was done in London, plus it had a British camera person. This certainly takes away the 'Indian' tag from Shree Pundalik.

'Raja Harishchandra', some interesting facts about this first Indian film:

* Raja Harishchandra, the first Indian feature film, was only four reels long. The run-time was around 40 minutes and the production took seven months and 21 days to complete

* It was released on April 21 in 1913. It was first screened at the Olympia Theatre, Grant Road in Mumbai where press representatives and other famous guests were invited to watch. Later, it had a public release at the Coronation Cinema

* The film was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, who is dubbed as the Father of Indian Cinema

* Dadasaheb Phalke set up a studio at Dadar Main Road in Mumbai. He created the sets for the film inspired by Raja Ravi Verma's paintings of Hindu mythology

* The film depicts the story of the noble and righteous king Harishchandra, who sacrifices his kingdom, his wife and eventually his children to honour his promise to sage Vishwamitra. However, in the end, pleased by his high morals, the Gods return his glory and bestow him with blessings

* Marathi theatre actor Dattatraya Damodar Dabke played the character of Raja Harishchandra

* Phalke searched for a female actor to play Harishchandra's wife Queen Taramati. The conservative society of British India barred women from performing in theatre or films. He approached nautch girls but it yielded no result

* The role of queen Taramati in the film was played by a man. When Phalke was unable to find women to act in films, he decided to cast a man for the role of queen Taramati. He chooses Annasaheb Salunke, a delicate-postured cook at a restaurant, to play the role. Salunke agreed. He later went on to become a celebrated actor in female roles and a cinematographer

ദാദാസാഹിബ് ഫാൽക്കെ 

ഇന്ത്യന്‍ ചലച്ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ പിതാവ് എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്ന ദാദസാഹിബ് ഫാല്‍ക്കെ എന്ന ധുന്ദിരാജ് ഗോവിന്ദ് ഫാല്‍ക്കെ 1870 ഏപ്രില്‍ 30ന് മഹാരാഷ്ട്രയിലെ നാസിക്കില്‍ ഒരു പുരോഹിത കുടുംബത്തിലാണ് ജനിച്ചത്. ജെ.ജെ. സ്‌കൂള്‍ ഒഫ് ആര്‍ട്‌സിലും ബറോഡയിലെ കലാഭവനിലും പഠിച്ചു. പിന്നീട് ആര്‍ക്കിടെക്ചറും അഭ്യസിച്ചു. പെയിന്റിങ്ങിലും നാടകാഭിനയത്തിലും മാജിക്കിലും അദ്ദേഹത്തിന് താല്‍പര്യമുണ്ടായിരു.

1913ല്‍ ഇറങ്ങിയ ‘രാജാ ഹരിശ്ചന്ദ്ര’ എന്ന ചിത്രമാണ് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ കന്നിസംരംഭം. ഇന്ത്യയിലെ ആദ്യ മുഴുനീള ഫീച്ചര്‍ ചലച്ചിത്രമായി ഇതിനെ കണക്കാക്കുന്നു. തുടര്‍ന്ന് ഭസ്മാസുരമോഹിനി, ഗംഗാവതാരം, സാവിത്രി, ലങ്കാദഹന്‍, ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണജന്മ, സേതുബന്ധനം തുടങ്ങി നൂറോളം ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍. ഇന്ത്യയിലെ ആദ്യത്തെ ഫിലിം സ്റ്റുഡിയോയും അദ്ദേഹം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. 1944 ഫെബ്രുവരി 16ന് അദ്ദേഹം അന്തരിച്ചു.

1969ല്‍ ഭാരതസര്‍ക്കാര്‍ ദാദാസാഹിബ് ഫാല്‍ക്കെയെ ആദരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് തുടങ്ങിയ പുരസ്‌കാരമാണ് ദാദാസാഹിബ് ഫാല്‍ക്കെ പുരസ്‌കാരം. ഭാരതീയ ചലച്ചിത്രത്തിന് നല്‍കപ്പെടുന്ന ആജീവനാന്ത സംഭാവനയ്ക്കാണ് ഈ അവാര്‍ഡ് നല്‍കുന്നത്.

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