Dadasaheb Phalke death anniversary: Anand Pandit pays tribute to the pioneer of Indian cinema

Cinema is considered the biggest mode of entertainment in India. It was all possible because of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke aka Dadasaheb Phalke who gave birth to cinema in India after he made Raja Harishchandra way back in 1913 by battling various odds. Today happens to be the 79th death anniversary of Phalke. To mark the occasion, producer Anand Pandit recalls him and pays tribute to his contribution. “The Indian film industry owes its inception to Dadasaheb Phalke as he was the pioneer who invented the cinematic language that we now use to tell our stories,” said Pandit in a statement. “He showed filmmakers how to  bring their dreams to life on celluloid by making India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra  in 1913 and laid the foundation of the industry that we are so proud of today.” Touching upon Phalke’s journey and his later films, Pandit added, “It could not have been easy but Dadasaheb had an insatiable desire to expand his horizons. He started a printing press, went to London to study cinema, was a tireless learner and went on to make India’s first silent film. He has 95 movies and 27 short films to his credit in a short span of 19 years at a time when we had limited technological resources! His mythological movies like Mohini Bhasmasur, Satyavan Savitri, Lanka Dahan, Shri Krishna Janma, and Kaliya Mardan were technically sound and sheer marvels of storytelling. Cinema has come a long way from the 1930s but nothing matches the perfectionism and beauty of Dadasaheb’s works.” Pandit added that Phalke was involved in every aspect of filmmaking and was not limited to writing and directing alone. “He was an art student and had a vast knowledge of architecture which helped him create backdrops for his movies. Apart from directing, producing, scripting, and acting, he was even involved in the technical aspects of movie-making. He handled photography, processed films, and even helped in designing costumes.” Pandit claimed that he ensures that he learns from Phalke’s journey and teachings. “As a producer, I always look upon him and try to imbibe his never-to-say-die attitude,” he said. “I am hugely inspired by his determination, vision, and courage. It was his undying passion that never made him worry about failures or rejections. As we all know, cinema is an industry of uncertainties, but holding on to steadfast values like these can lead us to success.” Just over a decade ago, filmmaker Paresh Mokashi came up with a Marathi biopic on Phalke titled Harishchandrachi Factory. The film traced Phalke’s unusual and funny journey while making his first film Raja Harishchandra. The film saw Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande play Phalke and his wife Saraswati. The movie was India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2009. Also Read: Ram Gopal Varma says The Kashmir Files “brutally killed Dadasaheb Phalke’s old Bollywood to give birth to Vivek Agnihotri’s Bollywood”

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