Father of Indian Cinema’s 148th birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke

Dadasaheb Phalke’s 148th birth anniversary was marked on Monday by the Google Doodle. Paying homage to one of Indian cinema’s most iconic producer-director-screenwriters, the doodle depicts Phalke involved in various stages of the filmmaking process.

Dadasaheb Phalke, who was born as Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, is credited to take Indian film making to new heights, and is often revered as the “father of Indian cinema”.

The son of a scholar, he developed a keen interest in the arts at an early age, and studied photography, lithography, architecture, engineering, and even magic at various stages of his life. After stints as a painter, draftsman, theatrical set designer, and lithographer, he chanced upon Alice Guy’s silent film, The Life of Christ.

In 1913, India’s first silent film and now known as the country’s first full-length feature, Raja Harishchandra was Phalke’s debut film. Phalke’s magic touch with special effects and mythology made it a huge hit, and it was followed by a dozen more. Since then, Phalke made a total of 95 movies and 27 short films in his career spanning 19 years until 1937.

Some of his most noted works include Mohini Bhasmasur, Satyavan Savitri, Lanka Dahan, Shri Krishna Janma and Kaliya Mardan.

In 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for lifetime contribution to cinema, was instituted in the honour of this visionary filmmaker by the Government of India. The award is the highest official recognition for film personalities in the country, and is often regarded to be the most prestigious in Indian cinema.

Monday’s doodle by artist Aleesha Nandhra attempts to pay homage to Phalke almost 150 years after his birth in Trimbak in present-day Maharashtra.

Updated Date: Apr 30, 2018 08:14 AM

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