Raja Harishchandra: Indian cinema was born this day 106 years ago

'Raja Harishchandra': Indian cinema was born this day 106 years ago

This is where it all began. Lights, camera, action! In an era where working in cinema was taboo, one man with vision and courage made it possible. Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, a.k.a. Dadasaheb Phalke, made the first ever full-length Indian feature film 'Raja Harishchandra'. A silent movie based on the legend of King Harishchandra, recounted in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, it was released on May 3, 1913. India's romance with the big screen began, and our lives were never the same again.

A still from 'Raja Harishchandra'

1. The film had an all-male cast because no woman was available to play any of the female leads.

2. The reel was 3,700 feet long and had a runtime of 40 minutes

3. Phalke was greatly influenced by the style of painter Raja Ravi Verma in the making of this film.

4. It was first shown on May 3, 1913, at Mumbai's Coronation Cinema, Narayan Choyal, Girgaon.

5. Due to the film's massive success, Phalke had to make more prints for rural areas as well. He was established as a producer and later came to be known as 'The father of Indian cinema.'

6. His wife, Saraswati Phalke, was also actively involved behind the scenes. She single-handedly managed food for the cast and crew, which comprised over 500 people. She washed clothes and costumes, helped make posters and had a hand in production.

7. The original film was in four reels. The National Film Archive of India has only the first and last reels, though some film historians believe they belong to a 1917 remake of the film, by the same name.

Real to reel:

A still from the Marathi film 'Harishchandrachi Factory'

In 2009, a Marathi film 'Harishchandrachi Factory', directed by Paresh Mokashi, depicted the struggle Dadasaheb Phalke faced while making 'Raja Harishchandra'. The title is based on the fact that as working in cinema was looked down upon, Dadasaheb advised his artistes to tell others that they were working in the factory of a man named Harishchandra.

In September 2009, it was selected as India's official entry for the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film Category, making it the second film, after Shwaas (2004), in Marathi cinema to receive the honour.

Also read: Harishchandrachi Factory - Movie Review

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