Dadasaheb Phalke (Father Of Indian Cinema) - Biography, Achievements, Best Movies, Struggle, Success.

Profile Summary

Table of Content

• Biography   

• Education

• Career - Struggle - Success

• Popular Movies Of Dadasaheb Phalke

• Career Timeline

• Achievements 

• 10 Interesting Facts About Dadasaheb Phalke 

Biography 

Dadasaheb Phalke is widely considered as the father of Indian film. He was born Dhundiraj Govind Phalke on April 30, 1870, in Trimbak, Maharashtra, India. He was a pioneering film director, producer, and screenwriter who helped create the groundwork for the Indian film industry

Phalke began his artistic career at the J.J. School of Art in Mumbai and the Kala Bhavan in Baroda. Before discovering his interest for cinema, he worked as a photographer, painter, draughtsman, and printer. Phalke wanted to enter the realm of filmmaking after being inspired by the French film The Life of Christ (1906).

Raja Harishchandra, India's first full-length feature film, was directed and produced by Phalke in 1913, marking the commencement of Indian filmmaking. The silent film, based on the narrative of Indian mythology's mythical king Harishchandra, was a commercial success and paved the way for Phalke's illustrious career in filmmaking.

Phalke directed and produced around 95 films and 26 short films during his career, including important works like as Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra (1917), and Gangavataran (1937). He also formed the Phalke Film Company, which was influential in the early years of Indian cinema.

Phalke was a visionary who pioneered many advances in Indian filmmaking, including special effects, animation, and outdoor filming. He also founded a film studio in Nasik, which assisted in the training of future filmmakers and technicians, so contributing to the expansion of the Indian film industry.

Despite various obstacles, such as financial troubles, competition from foreign films, and the introduction of sound in cinema, Phalke persevered and continued to make films until his retirement in 1937. That same year, his last film, Gangavataran, was released.

Dadasaheb Phalke died on February 16, 1944, yet his groundbreaking work and legacy continue to inspire generations of Indian filmmakers. In 1969, the Government of India established the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to honour his enormous contribution to Indian cinema. The coveted award is the greatest honour in Indian film and is given to an individual each year for their remarkable contribution to the industry's growth and development.

Education

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, finished primary school in Trimbakeshwar and matriculated in Bombay. He enrolled in the Sir J.J. School of Art in Bombay in 1885, where he followed a variety of interests such as photography, lithography, architecture, and amateur dramatics. During his tenure at the institution, he even learned magic.

In 1886, Phalke travelled with his elder brother to Baroda. He temporarily worked as a painter, stage designer, and photographer. While working at famed painter Ravi Varma's lithography press, Phalke was heavily impressed by a series of Varma's paintings of Hindu gods.This impact was visible in Phalke's later mythological films, in which he played a variety of gods and goddesses.

Phalke and a colleague founded Phalke's Art Printing and Engraving Works in 1908, but the company failed owing to disagreements. When he saw the silent picture The Life of Christ (1910), it marked a watershed moment in his career. Phalke was deeply impressed by the film and felt compelled to convey Indian culture to the moving picture screen. In 1912, he travelled to London to learn the trade from British pioneer filmmaker Cecil Hepworth.

Phalke produced India's first silent film, Raja Harishchandra, based on Hindu mythology, in 1913. The picture, which he wrote, produced, directed, and distributed, was a major success and a watershed moment in Indian cinema. 

Family

Dadasaheb Phalke, born Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, was born on April 30, 1870, in Trimbak, Bombay Presidency, into a Marathi-speaking Chitpavan Brahmin family. His father, Govind Sadashiv Phalke, also known as Dajishastri, was a Sanskrit scholar and worked as a Hindu priest conducting religious ceremonies, while his mother, Dwarkabai, was a housewife. The couple had seven children, including three sons and four daughters.

Phalke's eldest brother, Shivrampant, worked in Baroda and briefly served as the Dewan (Chief Administrator) of the princely state of Jawhar before passing away in 1921 at the age of 63. His second brother, Raghunathrao, also worked as a priest and died at a young age of 21. In 1886, Phalke accompanied his elder brother, Shivrampant, to Baroda, where he married a girl from the Marathe family. Later, in 1902, Phalke remarried to Girija Karandikar, niece of the proprietor of Kirloskar Natak Mandali. Girija was renamed as Saraswati after their marriage.

Phalke's family played a significant role in his career, as they supported him throughout his journey in the film industry. His wife, Saraswatibai, and children helped him in various aspects of filmmaking, from perforating and developing films to assisting with the production process.

Career - Struggle - Success

Early years

In 1893,Principal of Kala Bhavan Gajjar granted Phalke permission to utilise the Kala Bhavan's photo studio and laboratory, where he began his business as Shri Phalke's Engraving and Photo Printing. Despite his expertise in a variety of skills, he did not have a stable home life and struggled to make a living. As a result, he decided to become a professional photographer in 1895 and relocated to Godhra for business. The prominent Desai family, for whom he also shot their family photo albums, gave him free studio space to launch his still photo studio. He opted to relocate after losing his wife and a child in the 1900 plague epidemic.Phalke returned to Baroda and established a photographic studio. It didn't work well because of the urban legend that the camera drains the energy from a person's body, causing them to die. He encountered similar opposition from the Prince of Baroda, who refused to take photographs on the grounds that it might shorten his life. Despite the fact that the Prince was eventually persuaded by Phalke, who went on to advocate the merits of photography in his court, it did not improve Phalke's company. He began a business painting stage curtains for theatrical organisations. This provided him with some basic instruction in theatre production as well as a few tiny roles in the shows.

A German magician on tour in Baroda at the time taught Phalke magic techniques. This enabled him to employ trick photography in his movies. At the end of 1901, Phalke began holding public magic performances under the professional name of Professor Kelpha, with the letters of his last name reversed. He began working as a photographer and draughtsman for the Archaeological Survey of India in 1903. However, dissatisfied with his position, Phalke quit in 1906 and founded the Phalke Engraving and Printing Works in Lonavla with R. G. Bhandarkar as a partner.

The press primarily produced photo-litho transfers for painter Raja Ravi Varma's Ravi Verma Press. Later, it began work on halftone block making and printing, as well as tri-color printing. With the expansion of the firm, the press was relocated to Dadar, Bombay. Purushottam Mavji later replaced Bhandarkar as a partner, and the press was renamed Laxmi Art Printing Works in 1908. In 1909, Phalke travelled to Germany to purchase the requisite colour printing technology. Despite the fact that the printing firm grew at an exponential rate, the partners had growing disagreements on how to run the press. Soon after, Phalke opted to end the partnership without receiving any monetary compensation.

Early Phase and London tour

After leaving Laxmi Art Printing Works, Phalke had numerous proposals from other financiers to start another printing press, but he declined all of them. On 14 April 1911, Phalke went to see the film Amazing Animals at the America India Picture Palace in Girgaon, Bombay, with his elder son Bhalchandra. Bhalchandra, surprised to see animals on the TV, told his mother, Saraswatibai, about his encounter earlier that day. Nobody believed them, so Phalke took his family to see the movie the next day. Because it was Easter, the theatre instead showed The Life of Christ (1906) by French filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché, a film about Jesus. While witnessing Jesus on the screen, Phalke imagined Hindu deities Rama and Krishna and decided to enter the moving pictures company.

For the next year, Phalke began collecting numerous film-related materials from Europe, such as catalogues, books, and film-making equipment. He purchased a small film camera and reels and began exhibiting films at night by shining a candlelight through a lens and projecting the images on the wall. He was sleep deprived since he watched films for four to five hours every evening. This put strain on his eyes, and he acquired cataracts in both of them as a result. He continued to work despite being advised to rest and eventually lost his sight. Dr. Prabhakar, an ophthalmologist, treated Phalke with three or four sets of spectacles, which helped him regain his vision. Phalke wanted to fly to London to learn about filming techniques, but he couldn't afford the trip. He got a sum of ten thousand dollars by mortgaging his insurance policies worth twelve thousand dollars with the assistance of Yashwantrao Nadkarni and Abasaheb Chitnis. He boarded a ship bound for London on February 1, 1912.

In London, Phalke noticed a Bioscope Cine-Weekly sign near Piccadilly Circus. He was a weekly subscriber in India. He introduced himself to its editor, Mr. Cabourn, and explained the reason for his visit. Based on his disastrous attempts in England, Cabourn cautioned Phalke against shooting films in India, suggesting that the Indian climate might not be ideal as well. However, he was impressed by Phalke's determination and introduced him to Walton Studios' film director, producer, and screenwriter Cecil Hepworth. Hepworth invited Phalke to visit all of the studio's departments and see how they worked, as well as watch a filmmaking demonstration. He bought a Williamson camera for fifty pounds and ordered Kodak raw film and a perforator on the recommendation of Cabourn and Hepworth. Phalke spent two months in London before returning to India on April 1, 1912. He established the Phalke Films Company on the same day.

Film debut with Raja Harishchandra

After returning from London, Phalke began looking for a large space to shoot the films. Soon after, the family relocated from Ismail Building on Charni Road to Mathura Bhavan Bungalow on Dadar Road. He built a tiny glass room in the bungalow's compound, as well as a dark room and processing arrangements. Imported filming equipment arrived in Bombay in May 1912, and Phalke set it up in four days using a sketch provided. He also showed his family how to perforate and develop film. Phalke recorded the boys and girls in the local area to test the operation of the camera and projector, with satisfactory results.Phalke intended to develop a short film to demonstrate filmmaking processes and attract financiers for the feature picture. He put some peas in a pot and a camera in front of it. He shot one frame a day for over a month, generating a clip of the seed growing, sprouting, and turning into a climber in just over one minute. The short video, Ankurachi Wadh (Growth of a Pea Plant), featured selected persons. Yashwantrao Nadkarni and Narayanrao Devhare, among others, offered Phalke a loan.

Phalke wanted to make a film based on Harishchandra stories and developed the script for it. He placed adverts in numerous publications, including Induprakash, seeking the actors and crew for the film. Because no women were available to play female leads, male performers took on the roles. Dattatraya Damodar Dabke played King Harishchandra, while Anna Salunke played Queen Taramati. Rohidas, son of Harishchandra and Taramati, was cast as Phalke's elder son Bhalchandra. Trymbak B. Telang handled the camera, while Phalke was in charge of the narrative, direction, production design, make-up, editing, and film processing. The filming took six months and 27 days to finish, yielding a 3,700-foot film with four reels.

The picture premiered on April 21, 1913, at the Olympia Theatre in Bombay, and was released theatrically on May 3, 1913, at the Coronation Cinema in Girgaon, Bombay. It was a commercial success, and it helped to establish the country's film industry. The film is frequently regarded as the first full-length Indian feature film, however historians argue that Dadasaheb Torne's silent film Shree Pundalik, released on May 18, 1912, was the first Indian film. Raja Harischandra is recognised by the Indian government as the first Indian feature film.

After Raja Harishchandra's triumph, Phalke migrated to Nashik. He chose the epic love story of Nala, ruler of the Nishadha Kingdom, and Damayanti, princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom, for his second film. Despite finishing pre-production, filming could not begin, so he began work on Mohini Bhasmasur, a legendary story about Mohini, the feminine avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, and Bhasmasura, an asura (devil). At the same period, the Chittakarshak Natak Company, a travelling theatre company, paid a visit to Nashik. Raghunathrao Gokhle, the company's owner, agreed to let two of their actresses appear in the film. Durgabai Kamat played Parvati, and her daughter Kamlabai Gokhale played Mohini, making them the first women to act in Indian cinema. The film was 3,264 feet (995 metres) long and premiered on January 2, 1914, at the Olympia Theatre in Bombay. A short comedy film, Pithache Panje (Paws of Flour), was released as a side attraction alongside the film Based on the stories of Satyavan and Savitri, Phalke filmed his third film Satyavan Savitri. The film was 3,680 feet (1,120 metres) long and premiered on June 6, 1914. Both films, like Raja Harishchandra, were commercially successful.

Success with Lanka Dahan

Phalke was able to settle all of his obligations because of the success of three films. The film copies were in high demand from various theatre operators across the country. Given the overwhelming reception to the pictures, he decided to purchase electrical equipment for roughly 30,000 and travelled for London on August 1, 1914, carrying his three films with him. Mr. Kepburn of Bioscope Cine-Weekly, who had assisted Phalke during his initial visit to London, arranged for several film screenings in London. The technical qualities of the flicks were complimented. Several producers, including Walton Studios' Cecil Hepworth, asked Phalke to make films in England. Hepworth made Phalke an offer to produce Indian films in England, bringing cast and crew from India whose expenses for travel, accommodation, and boarding, as well as salary, would be covered by Hepworth. Phalke was promised a monthly salary of 300 pounds as well as a share of the earnings of 20%. Phalke turned down the offer and informed Hepworth that he would continue to make films in India. In addition, Warner Brothers offered to buy 200 film copies, to which Phalke accepted. However, before the official agreements could be signed, Phalke was forced to return to India due to reports of his studio's deteriorating health.

When Phalke returned to India, he saw that the country's financial situation had deteriorated as a result of the ongoing World War I. His backer had stopped supplying funds and requested that the studio be closed. He sought Yashwantrao Nadkarni and Abasaheb Chitnis for a loan to transport the equipment purchased in London back to India. They proposed paying half the money on a short-term basis. With the ongoing World War, Phalke was also confronted with a scarcity of raw films and chose to make a few short films. He received a loan on the studio's security and began working on Raja Shreeyal. Though filming began, it was unable to be completed due to a variety of factors. To raise funds for his next film, Phalke addressed leaders of the Swadeshi movement but was unsuccessful. He also placed advertisements in newspapers and distributed handbills, pleading for assistance and promising payback with interest. Only three people responded to the advertisement, however. One of them wrote a letter to the leaders of the Indian Home Rule movement, requesting that Phalke join the cause before any loan could be granted. Indian nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak attempted to assist Phalke through the Paisa Fund Glass Works but was unsuccessful. In 1916, Phalke went on a capital-raising tour. His films were shown in the princely realms of Aundh, Gwalior, Indore, Jamkhandi, and Miraj. As payment for his shows, the King of Aundh paid 1,000, and the Princess of Indore provided loans of 5,000 and 1,500.

The negative film of Raja Harishchandra was lost during the relocation from Bombay to Nashik, so Phalke filmed it again with almost the same script, cast, and all other things and released it as Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra, a 2,944 feet (897 m) long film that was screened on 3 April 1917 at Aryan Cinema, Poona. He also produced the documentary How Movies Are Made to show the filmmaking process to funders, but it was ineffective. In May 1917, Phalke was called to the Bombay Provincial Congress Parishad session in Nashik, where Lokmanya Tilak made an appeal to aid him and also visited his studio at the request of G. S. Khaparde.

Tilak's petition had the desired effect, and Phalke was able to raise enough funds to begin production on a new film, Lanka Dahan. The film was around three reels long and 3,000 feet (910 m) long, depicting the incident of the burning of Lanka in the Ramayana. It was first shown on September 17, 1917, at the Aryan Cinema in Poona. Anna Salunke played both the masculine and female roles of Rama and his wife Sita. As a result, he is recognised for performing the first dual part in Indian cinema. The picture was shown at the West End Cinema in Bombay from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. the next morning and grossed $32,000 in 10 days. According to Amrit Gangar, a cinema historian, the monies collected at the ticket counters were delivered in gunny bags on bullock carts. The film was a commercial success, and the profits allowed Phalke to pay off all of his debts.

Hindustan Cinema Films Ltd.

Following the success of Lanka Dahan, Phalke was approached for cooperation by a number of industrialists. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Ratanji Tata, and Sheth Manmohandas Ramji raised the funds and approached Phalke about converting the Phalke Films Company into a limited corporation worth $300,000. Along with the additional investment of $150,000, it was decided that Phalke would have 100,000 shares in the planned company and 75% of the earnings, with the remainder dispersed among other stockholders. However, the scheme could not be finalised due to one of the partnership deed's stipulations. Phalke also turned down a $100,000 offer from actress Fatma Begum. Among all the proposals received, Phalke chose the proposal of five textile businessmen from Bombay: Waman Shreedhar Apte, Laxman Balwant Phatak, Mayashankar Bhatt, Madhavji Jesingh, and Gokuldas Damodar. The Phalke Films Company was renamed the Hindustan Cinema Films Company on January 1, 1918, with Apte as managing partner, Phalke as working partner, and others as finance partners.

Shri Krishna Janma, the premiere film for the newly created business, starred Phalke's six-year-old daughter Mandakini as Krishna. The film was 5,500 feet (1,700 m) long, with six reels, and premiered on August 24, 1918, at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay. It was a commercial success, grossing $300,000. Phalke's second film, Kaliya Mardan, featured Krishna's killing of a deadly serpent, Kaliya. The picture premiered on May 3, 1919, at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay. It was economically successful for 10 months and was around 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long, with six reels.

Phalke fell victim to the new technology of sound film as times changed. The man who had given birth to the Indian cinema business became obsolete as he struggled to keep up with the talkies. Setubandhan, his final silent film, was released in 1932 and afterward dubbed. Before retiring to Nashik, where he died on February 16, 1944, he made his final film, Gangavataran (1937), which was the sole talking movie directed by Phalke.

Popular Movies of Dadasaheb Phalke 

Raja Harishchandra

Dadasaheb Phalke directed and produced Raja Harishchandra  in 1913. It is often regarded as the first full-length Indian feature film. Raja Harishchandra is based on the mythology of Harishchandra and stars Dattatraya Damodar Dabke, Anna Salunke, Bhalchandra Phalke, and Gajanan Vasudev Sane, with Dabke playing the titular character. Because the film was silent, it had intertitles in English, Marathi, and Hindi.

After seeing The Life of Christ (1906) at a Bombay theatre in April 1911, Phalke resolved to make a feature film. In February 1912, he travelled to London for two weeks to acquire filming techniques, after which he established the Phalke Films Company. He brought filmmaking and exhibition apparatus from England, France, Germany, and the United States. To recruit investors for his endeavour, Phalke shot the short film Ankurachi Wadh (Growth of a Pea Plant). He placed adverts in numerous publications seeking cast and crew. Male actors played female roles since no women were available to play them. Phalke oversaw scripting, direction, production design, make-up, film editing, and film processing. Trymbak B. Telang was in charge of the camera. Phalke finished filming in six months and 27 days, resulting in a 3,700-foot (1,100-meter) film with four reels.

The picture premiered on April 21, 1913, at the Olympia Theatre in Bombay, and was released theatrically on May 3, 1913, at the Coronation Cinematograph and Variety Hall in Girgaon. It was a commercial success, and it helped to establish the country's film industry. Only the opening and last reels of the film have been preserved at the National Film Archive of India. Some cinema historians believe they are from a 1917 adaptation of Phalke's Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra.

Raja Harishchandra's status as the first full-length Indian feature film has been contested. Some believe Dadasaheb Torne's silent film Shree Pundalik, released on May 18, 1912, to be the first Indian film. The Government of India, on the other hand, considers Raja Harishchandra to be the first Indian feature film.

Mohini Bhasmasur

Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, is a famous Indian mythological film. It is both India's and Phalke's second full-length feature film, and it features the first female actor in an Indian film. Kamlabai Gokhale and Durgabai Kamat feature in the film.

The film's premise is based on the Hindu legendary story of Mohini and Bhasmasur, a demon. Shiva bestows upon Bhasmasur the ability to transform someone into ashes simply by touching their head. The demon, however, chooses to put this power to the test on Shiva himself, leading Shiva to run in terror. As a result of these happenings, Vishnu changes as the enchantress Mohini and seduces Bhasmasur. The demon asks Mohini to marry him, and she agrees, but only if Bhasmasur dances with her. During the dance, Mohini rests her palm on her head, and Bhasmasur imitates her, causing his own demise.

Mohini was played by Marathi stage actress Kamlabai Gokhale, and Parvati was played by her mother, Durgabai Kamat. At the time, Kamlabai was just 13 years old. This casting choice was revolutionary because women in the performing arts were frequently equated to prostitutes, and male actors continued to play female characters in film for years.

Mohini Bhasmasur, produced and directed by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, often known as Dadasaheb Phalke, was the silent film era's second feature film on a Hindu mythical theme. Raja Harishchandra, Phalke's debut picture, was released in 1913 and is regarded as the father of Indian cinema. In November 1913, Mohini Bhasmasur was shown for the first time, and a one-minute short comedy picture, Pithache Panje (Dough Claws), was presented as a side attraction with the film.

Lanka Dahan

Lanka Dahan is a 1917 Indian silent film directed by Dadasaheb Phalke. Phalke also wrote the film based on an episode of the Hindu epic Ramayana, credited to Valmiki. The film was Phalke's second feature film after the 1913 Raja Harishchandra, which was the first Indian full-length feature film. Phalke also directed various short films in between. Anna Salunke, who had previously played the role of Rani Taramati in Phalke's Raja Harishchandra, played two roles in this film. As women were prohibited from taking part in commercial performing arts, men also played the female characters. Salunke played the male character of Rama as well as the female character of his wife Sita. He is thus credited with playing the first double role in Indian cinema. As the film was based on a Hindu mythological theme, it was well received by the audiences. When the film was screened in Mumbai (then Bombay), viewers used to take their shoes off when Rama, the Hindu god, appeared on screen. Trick photography and special effects used in the film delighted the audiences. The film was well received by the masses, with long queues at Majestic cinema in Bombay where people would fight for tickets and toss coins at the ticket counter because the film was mostly housefull

Gangavataran 

The 1937 Indian movie Gangavataran was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, regarded as the father of Indian cinema. It was Phalke's final film as a director and the first sound movie. For Kolhapur Movietone, Phalke directed Gangavataran at the age of 67.

The storyline of the movie is drawn from the Puranas, a category of significant Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist holy literature. To display mythological miracles and fantastical scenarios credited to Babaraya Phalke, son of Dadasaheb, Gangavataran utilised special effects. The characters played by Chitnis and Suresh Pardesi in the movie were the Hindu deity Shiva and the celestial philosopher Narada from the Vaisnava faith.

A mythical movie that failed at the box office was Gangavataran. At the period, directors like V. Shantaram and others were producing films with social reform as a central theme. At a time when big-budget Hindi films were thriving and characterised by rural romances, understandable dialogue, appealing melodies, folk dances, and dramas of misunderstanding, Phalke referred to Gangavataran as his last desperate attempt to helm a movie. The public's recollection of the original Hindi cinema industry pioneers was gradually evaporating.

Rajaram III, the Maharaja of Kolhapur, commissioned Phalke to make a sound movie for his production firm Kolhapur Cinetone in December 1934. Phalke denied the invitation, but the Maharaja extended it once more. As compensation for composing the story and script and for covering his monthly expenditures, he was given 1,500 for accepting the invitation. Narayan Hari Apte, a novelist, assisted Phalke in developing the dialogue and script. The film's music was composed by Vishwanath Jadhav, and the lyrics were written by Phalke. The two-year production of the movie Gangavataran cost 250,000. The Royal Opera House in Bombay had its premiere on August 6, 1937. The only sound movie Phalke directed was Gangavataran. 

Career Timeline

Achievement 

• In 1969, the Government of India established the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in his honour for his lifelong contributions to cinema. The honour is one of the highest government recognitions for film personalities in the nation and one of the most coveted honours in Indian cinema. In remembrance of him, India Post issued a stamp in 1971 that included his portrait. In 2001, the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy in Mumbai instituted a lifetime achievement honorary award for Indian cinema.

• Harishchandrachi Factory, directed by theatre legend Paresh Mokashi and depicting Dadasaheb Phalke's struggle in making Raja Harishchandra in 1913, was released in Marathi in 2009. It was also chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.

• Google honoured the Indian producer on April 30, 2018, the 148th anniversary of his birth. The Google Doodle was shown in Canada, India, Australia, and New Zealand, among other places.

10 Interesting Facts About Dadasaheb Phalke 

1. Dadasaheb Phalke was the eldest of six siblings and was raised in a conservative Brahmin family.

2. Phalke introduced several technical innovations in Indian cinema, including the use of close-ups, fade-ins, and fade-outs.

3. Phalke was a multi-talented artist who was skilled in painting, sculpture, and music.

4. Phalke was inspired to make films after watching the silent film, The Life of Christ, in 1910.

5. Phalke sold all his assets and traveled to England to learn filmmaking and cinematography.

6. Phalke's wife, Saraswati Phalke, played a key role in his filmmaking career and acted in several of his films.

7. Phalke was also a social reformer and used his films to highlight social issues like child marriage and the caste system.

8. Phalke was a perfectionist and often directed, produced, wrote, and edited his films.

9. In 2001, a biopic titled Raja Harishchandra was made on Phalke's life and career.

10. Phalke started his career as a photographer and even worked as a draftsman at the Archeological Survey of India.