100 Years Of Indian Cinema:The Greatest Indian Actress Ever?

She's the girl-next-door.She's the quintessential Yash Chopra heroine in chiffon saris,an unattainable apsara of breathtaking beauty.She's a vamp,a femme fatale walking in tall silhouettes.Over 100 years of Indian Cinema several beautiful and wondrously talented women have given us much to celebrate gradually letting go of the "arm-candy" tag attached to her. In an industry dominated by men, some of our women have managed to hold their own. Be it singlehandedly carrying a film to box office success or taking on jobs earlier considered a man’s job, our women are doing it all and more.According to the CNN-IBN poll Sridevi has been adjuged as the greatest actress in Indian Cinema for over a 100 years.So in this two part series,let us present some of the greatest Indian actresses to grace celluloid.Who do you think among these beauties is the greatest Indian actress of all time(based on acting ability,box-office potential,beauty,dancing skills,nationwide appeal,etc.)?

SRIDEVI:



A pan-Indian superstar,Sridevi’s career is one quite like no other.After conquering the South with films like Moondru Mudichu and Moondram Pirai beside superstars like Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan,Sri captured the hearts of Bollywood fans featuring in blockbusters like Mr India, Himmatwala and Judaai; and delivered critically acclaimed performances in Sadma and Gumraah. Such was Sridevi’s aura that directors wrote scripts woven around her character in Nagina, Chandni, Chaalbaaz and Lamhe,a phenomenon not witnessed before in male-dominated Bollywood.More so her legacy as the “First Female Superstar & Last Empress” has been cemented by the fact that after 15 years of being away from the screen,Sridevi returned last year in the critical and commercial blockbuster-English Vinglish,becoming the only Bollywood actress to make a successful comeback.

MADHURI DIXIT:



And it doesn't get any more A-list than this lady right here. Madhuri Dixit is “the actress” an all-time chimera of the quintessential Bollywood heroine. The biggest, brightiest and single-smiliest star in Bollywood's firmament, it took nine films for her to find her blockbuster stride with Tezaab, but there was no looking back after India fell head over heels for the Ding-Dong-Ding song as the lady became our biggest ever and one of the best dancers in showbiz, at par with and even outranking her leading men.As an actress, she's done it all -- from Parinda to Beta to Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! to Mrityudand to Gajagamini.


KOMREDDY SAVITRI:




Whenever a poll has been conducted to name the best actress ever in Tamil and Telugu cinema, one name has always garnered the most votes and that too by a huge margin - Savitri.Titled 'Nadigeyar Thilakam' (Great Actress)Savitri was known outside Tamil and Telugu films as 'Meena Kumari of the South.' Acting opposite stalwarts-Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesh,she proved to be an extremely versatile actress with no role beyond her, even if most of these roles capitalised on her immense talent as a tragedienne.

MADHUBALA:






Arguably the best looking woman in Bollywood history, Madhubala scorched the screen in a tragically short life, giving us much to remember her by, wistfully. She went on to star with the top leading men of her time and managed effortlessly to emerge as the talking point from the films, be it the breezy Mr & Mrs 55 or the epic Mughal-E-Azam. Her name was enough to light up a theatre-owner's proud marquee, and her oxygenating smile & eyes lead Indian magazines to refer her as 'Venus of the screen' - the definitive screen goddess, compared often to the iconic Marilyn Monroe.


MEENA KUMARI:


Tears may have been the Tragedy Queen's best weapon but it was her willingness to play some of cinema's most difficult characters – the neglected, alcoholic wife in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, a courtesan in Pakeezah that made her unforgettable. Frequently referred to as the tragedy queen, Meena Kumari was an actress we lost ironically early, dying from cirrhosis of the liver when she was just 39.Her most iconic performance, that of Chhoti Bahu in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, is one of the finest by any leading lady in any motion picture, one where the craft is so perfect that it becomes impossible to draw a line between actress and character. Sublime.


SUCHITRA SEN:


In an unforgiving industry which still looks askance at married heroines, Suchitra Sen not only forged a career but a hugely successful one at that. She was married with a daughter when she made it big in movies, and the audience couldn't get enough of her. With Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar, she formed a hit partnership in movies like Saptapadi, Sagarika and Harano Sur.She was the first Indian actress to receive an international Best Actress award for Saat Paake Bandha & also appeared in a handful of Hindi movies, memorably playing Paro opposite Dilip Kumar in Devdas.


NARGIS:



The first film personality to win the Padma Shri, Nargis had quite the filmography -- from Andaz to Awaara, from Shree 420 to Chori Chori -- and hit peak with Mother India, for which she won the Best Actress prize at Czechoslovakia's celebrated Karlovy Very film festival.An actress with range, style, grace and an incredibly warm screen presence, Nargis is truly a leading lady to celebrate. Paired most often with Raj Kapoor -- to give us that iconic black and white rain-soaked frame. As if we needed a symbol for the stunner who went on to mother Bollywood and the nation.


HEMA MALINI:


Legend has it that Hema was evicted from a Tamil film early on, the director declaring that she had 'no star quality.' Hindi cinema was quick to capitalise on this oversight, and the actress proved a breath of fresh air to the industry. At a volatile time with stiff competition, Hema managed to draw audiences on her own with films like Seeta Aur Geeta. She of the whippersnapper tongue and casual grace then went on to do a Basanti, and remains -- in this age of remakes -- the most inimitable part of Sholay armed with her trademark 'nahiin'.


MADHABI MUKHERJEE:



Madhabi started acting at a young age as child artist in Premendra Mitra's Kankantala Light Railway.She then starred in the lead female role in Tapan Sinha's Tonsil,Mrinal Sen's Baishey Shravan & Ritwik Ghatak's 'Subarnarekha'. Her major role was the title role of Charu in Satyajit Ray's masterpiece Charulata. Her impact was such that Madhabi Mukherjee is still considered among the all time greats of Bengali cinema.

SHARADA:

Three time National-Award winning actress and Parliament member Sharada is one of the most acclaimed actresses of Malyali Cinema.

REKHA:

Rekha started off as a heroine opposite Dr Rajkumar in the Kannada hit, Goadalli CID 999. Her first Hindi film Saawan Bhadon was a huge success, and she found a place in Bollywood. Her transformation began with Do Anjaane opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Suddenly critics noticed a gravity to her actions, a spark in her eyes. Films like Muqaddar Ka Sikandar were superhits, and she went on to star with Bachchan frequently, most notoriously in Yash Chopra's Silsila,the confidence she got from those films helped her metamorphose into Bollywood's most enigmatic leading lady.

NUTAN:

If the Filmfare Awards mean anything -- and, lets face it, back in the day they kinda did -- the luminous Nutan could be called the most talented of our mainstream heroines.She won five richly deserved Best Actress awards -- Seema, Sujata, Bandini, Milan, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki -- and one for Best Supporting Actress (Meri Jung), and was nominated five other times. That just speaks for itself, really. Beloved for her girl-next-door persona and down-to-earth beauty, Nutan's fearlessness in playing unconventional roles cemented her status as one of India's finest actresses.

SABITRI CHATTERJEE:

One of Bengali Cinema’s enduring icons for over half a century, Sabitri Chatterjee formed a formidable pair along with superstar-Uttam Kumar; their combination becoming a favourite of the Bengali cine-goers with films like Lakh Taka,Kalyani ,Anupama , Punar Milan,Mrinal Sen’s first feature film Raat Bhore &Tapan Sinha’s second effort Upahaar (1955). and their friendship withstood strong but false rumours of marriage.


VYJANTIMALA:

Not every actress would turn down their Filmfare award for the first critical success in their career. Vyjayanthimala, the first South Indian actress to make it big in Bollywood, did just that, refusing to accept the Best Supporting Actress award for playing Chandramukhi in Bimal Roy's Devdas because she didn't think her role was a supporting one. The first dancing star, Vyjayanthimala introduced Bharatnatyam which was her forte and appeared in blockbusters like Jewel Thief, Sangam and Nagin, as well as critically acclaimed films like Naya Daur, the Pygmalion-like Kathputli, Madhumati, Sadhna and Ganga Jumna.


B.SAROJA DEVI:

Acting in 200 films for a period of more than 50 years in Kannada,Tamil,Telugu and Hindi movies-Saroja Devi worked with top actors of the time,namely-Sivagi Ganeshan, NTR, Dr.Rajendra Kumar,MGR,among others.She is referred to as "Abinaya Saraswathi" by Kannada film industry and as "Kannadathu Paingili" (meaning Kannada's Parrot) by Tamil Film Industry & one of the most successful female film stars in the history of Indian cinema and she was at her peak as the main female lead in films in the period 1958-85.


SHABANA AZMI:

Some actresses stun right from the word go. Shabana Azmi made her debut in Shyam Benegal's Ankur, playing a married villager who falls in love with a college student. Immediately the film industry realised that here was a performer of extraordinary talent, and heralded her arrival with the Indian New Wave, arthouse directors clamouring around her as chubby producers might do A-listers.She also holds the record for most number of National Awards – five- and was, with Smita Patil, a leader in the New Wave of Indian cinema.


SMITA PATIL:

Despite a relatively short career – just over a decade – Smita Patil was a leading light of parallel cinema, starring in acclaimed New Wave movies such as Manthan, Bhumika, Mirch Masala and Bazaar. Cinema's radicals might have found an actress to celebrate with Shabana Azmi, but the more striking side of the coin was Patil, a compellingly intelligent presence that stood for both empowerment and sensitivity.Winning the Best Actress National Award twice, for Bhumika and Chakra sadly the actress passed away far too young, at the age of 31.


DEVIKA RANI:

Indian Cinema’s First Lady,Rabindranath Tagore's great-grandniece was not one to follow convention. Co-founder of the Bombay Talkies studio with husband Himanshu Rai, Devika Rani blazed a trail with Achhut Kanya (1936), in which she played the taboo role of an untouchable girl. A four-minute long kissing scene with Himanshu Rai in Karma (1933) – still the longest – shocked orthodox Indian society.


WAHEEDA REHMAN:

After being pecked by lung infection,Bharat Natyam and a dose of Telugu cinema it all began when Guru Dutt handpicked Waheeda to play a vamp. The film was Raj Khosla's CID, and nobody, but nobody, had ever seen a femme as fatale as Rehman, an ethereally luscious angel with eyes sparkling wickedly.She went from strength to strength, acting increasingly better and with an irresistible screen charm. Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Chaudhvi Ka Chand, Guide, Neel Kamal... Waheedaji was pure poetry.


SHOBHANA:

Niece to the legendary Travancore Sisters - Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini it was only natural that Shobana followed in their footsteps starting her training in Bharatanatyam at a very early age. But what was outstanding is her enduring brilliance which has been dazzling film goers for than a decade Shobhana,as she was catapulted to the dizzy heights of stardom when she paired opposite Mammootty in one of the all time hits Kanamarayathu.She went on to win the National Award for Best Actress twice-for Manichitrathazhu (1993)& Mitr,My Friend(2001)becoming the only actress to do so in two different languages.


JAYA BHADURI:

One of the finest Hindi film actresses of her time, particularly known for reinforcing a naturalistic style of acting in both mainstream and "middle-of-the-road" cinema,Jaya Bhaduri started her career with two Bengali short films & Satyajit Ray’s “Mahanagar” at the age of 15.The success of Guddi aided by her petite looks, created the girl-next-door image for her, which she was often associated with through the rest of her career though she also starred in glamourous roles in Jawani Diwani, Anamika.Mostly recognised for roles credited with epitomising middle-class sensibility films of "middle-cinema" directors like Gulzar, Basu Chatterjee and indeed Hrishikesh Mukherjee.


KAJOL:

Making her debut in 1992 with Bekhudi, Kajol always had a disarming grin, but the potential didn't reach fruition until we saw her in Baazigar. Paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan, the energy levels went visibly higher, the chemistry crackled. Audiences were smitten even before 1995, when came Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Kajol was the woman of the decade, filling in a considerably empty number-one slot on the heroine's list and making the throne her own. She abdicated for 5 years, but her return, even in 2006’s abysmal Fanaa, was enough to wow audiences again.


RANI MUKHERJEE:

The odds were stacked against her. Rani's 1996 Bollywood debut, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, was a washout. Her cousin Kajol was the industry's top actress. And her much-awaited big feature with Aamir Khan wasn't looking to hit screens anytime soon. Rani bit her lip and bided her time. Then came Ghulam, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with Shah Rukh Khan.Rani slogged her way with grit and immense drive, working doggedly at the mediocre parts she seemed to be attracting. The films might not have gained ground, but a high-intensity, extremely natural actress was waiting to burst out making Rani Mukerji one of the finest actresses to rule that number one roost.


AISHWARYA RAI:

She's set tongues wagging at Cannes, shared screen space with Ben Kingsley ,draped a sari over Oprah Winfrey & done dinner with Clint Eastwood and Harvey Weinstein. Opinions are undeniably divided over her histrionic abilities, but Ms Rai is the face of Bollywood, making unprecedented headway toward Western shores.From her well-received debut in Mani Ratnam's Iruvar back in 1997, 10 years on she has just silenced critics with a strong performance in the filmmaker's Guru while offscreen there’s no doubt as to who makes the most consistent newsprint even 3 years after abdicating.Nope,this one’s iconic all right.
So who do you think is the greatest Indian actress of all time?

100 years of Indian cinema: When every reel counts

 

On this day, 100 years ago, Indian cinema's first full length feature, Raja Harishchandra was released. The silent film, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, marked the beginning of the nation's longstanding affair with cinema. And a 100 years later, filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur decided to tell the world the story of a man who was never a filmmaker but made films his entire life. His documentary feature, Celluloid Man, celebrates PK Nair, the founder of National Film Archive of India — a man Indian cinema owes more than it has ever acknowledged.

f all the questions one can ask a man like PK Nair, the one that topped our list was why did he not leave behind a professional heir. Did he forget, in his obsession, to appoint someone who could carry forth the legacy of what he’s done for Indian cinema? His answer of course was simpler than we had expected.

“No one was interested. I could not find anyone who would want to get into preservation of cinema. Everyone wanted to be a filmmaker,” he explains. That response cannot be enough. It cannot be that in a country obsessed with cinema, or so we are led to believe, there is not one person who would fit into his shoes. But PK Nair’s shoes are way too large for anyone to fill that easily.

Cut to a conversation with filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, whose documentary feature, Celluloid Man, releases today. His film, based on the life and works of PK Nair, founder of the National Film Archive of India, brings to light facts that most of us won’t want to acknowledge very comfortably. Not caring much about our artistic heritage is one of those facts. He doesn’t really tell you that, but his disdain that old Indian cinema has suffered serious neglect over the years becomes quite evident as you talk to him. We’re assuming a bit of the PK Nair angst has rubbed off on him.

“Eleven months! That’s how long it took me to convince the NFAI in Pune to let their founder in through the gates. Would you believe it? He’s not allowed in. They don’t let him in!” exclaims Dungarpur. Dare we ask why? “Because he’s the only one who knows how to do it right. You should see the NFAI now. Its deplorable condition is heartbreaking.

Bureaucracy has seeped into everything,” he adds.

In an effort to make the conversation slightly upbeat, we ask Dungarpur about his experience with PK Nair and that story is far more cheerful than what the walls of NFAI currently resemble. “Everyone who’s ever studied at FTII Pune knows about PK Nair. His passion for cinema is incomparable. He’d come to the college  with cans and show us films. If you want to test him, give him a scene from an old film and he’ll tell you precisely which can the scene is from. He is brilliant.

And he’d always be taking notes; we were constantly in awe of him. I didn’t know him very well at that time but his charisma made a deep impact on me. And because I am extremely passionate about film restoration and preservation, I decided to track PK Nair down and do a film with him. He was of course not very keen that a film be made on him but eventually conceded,” says Dungarpur.

The same afternoon, PK Nair, over the phone, tells us about being the Celluloid Man and how much has changed since he retired in 1991. Was it hard, to walk into what was literally his home for many years and see it the way it is today? “I really don’t know what to say. We have a very poor record of interest in the heritage of our cinema.

You should see how the reels are maintained now. It’s imperative to store the film cans at three or four degree centigrade but they are kept at 13 or 14degree centigrade. And the authorities lie about the temperature. This way, nothing will stay for long. We have a rich history of cinema and yet, not enough people seem to care. So many good films have been lost over the years,” he says.

The man, who would watch at least one film every day, can’t keep up his habit anymore. “I might see a film once a week now. It’s not like the old days,” he says, adding, “filmmaking today is not what it used to be. Today, it’s business. Earlier it used to mean so much more.”

Coming back to the subject of preservation, the 80-year-old archivist tells us that there are so many other jobs available these days that the one of an archivist is not lucrative. “The NFAI are still under the government. To get the job of an archivist, one has to go through a long winding process and it might go to someone who doesn’t know how to actually work the reels. What we need is a proper grant from the government and zero interference so that the association can hire only those who are passionate about film preservation and know exactly how it’s done. It’s a highly technical job and precision is important,” adds Nair.

PK Nair is credited to have collected and archived about 12,000 films in his entire career with the NFAI. Of these, 8,000 films are Indian. It is because of him that two of the four reels of Raja Harishchandra could be saved. Nair is also responsible for saving nine of India’s silent films, out of a count of 1,700. Today, as he lives a quiet and retired life, not far from the NFAI (possibly to keep an eye on his ‘child’), he explains that things are slowly being done by few filmmakers to save some of India’s artistic heritage. “Better late than never, isn’t it?” he ends.

Shahrukh Khan's studio to do VFX for Mary Kom ?

Priyanka Chopra who is all set and training for her role as Mary Kom in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's biopic, may not sport Northeastern features like the female boxing champion. Apparently, the makers are worried that the use of prosthetics may not work well as there is a danger of it coming off during the boxing scenes.

Thus, there is a plan to go for visual effects where technicians will work on giving her the Northeastern features in the post-production VFX stage. The interesting fact is that it may be Shahrukh Khan's VFX studio who will be doing this for Priyanka though nothing is officially announced yet.

Priyanka is trying hard to get the perfect body for this biopic as she trains under Sameer Johal. Apparently, the makers have even got Rob Miller to train Priyanka in the ring sequences.

Carnatic violinist-composer Lalgudi G Jayaraman passes away in Chennai

Carnatic great Lalgudi Jayaraman, whose artistry made him part of a legendary trinity of violinists, passed away in Chennai on Monday evening following cardiac arrest. He was 82. A purist whose work spanned six decades, Jayaraman's legions of fans, disciples and collaborators included violinist Yehudi Menuhin and vocalists M Balamuralikrishna and Bombay Jayashri. 

Along with T N Krishnan and the late M S Gopalakrishnan, he made up a triumvirate of celebrated string instrumentalists from southern India. "We were contemporaries. It is a tragic loss to me personally and to the music world. His contribution to Carnatic music is immeasurable, especially his style and technique. There is no substitute for him," said Krishnan. 

Born in Lalgudi in Trichy in 1930 and trained by his father, the late V R Gopala Iyer, Jayaraman's quick grasp and artistry made him a sought-after accompanist to maestros such as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G N Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, K V Narayanaswamy, Maharajapuram Santhanam and D K Jayaraman. Measured depth and melody characterized his body of work. 

Jayaraman created a unique style which came to be known as the 'Lalgudi bani', a style that seemed to make the violin sing. In his hands, the violin evoked the 'gayaki style' of musical expression, which closely follows the pitch and variations of the human voice. Jayaraman was also well-known for his dance compositions. 

A much feted artist, Jayaraman was the recipient of the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. In 2006, he received the National Film Award for best music direction for the Tamil film 'Sringaram'. He also travelled extensively for performances, and was made an honorary citizen of Maryland in the US. Ohio declared April 2 as Lalgudi Day. Admirers included Yehudi Menuhin, who presented Jayaraman with a splendid Italian violin in 1965. 

Overlooked by Chennai's premier cultural institute Music Academy for its Sangita Kalanidhi award in his prime, Jayaraman stopped performing there. The Academy made up by honouring him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, the first in its almost 100-year history, in 2008. 

Jayaraman stayed away from the stage after he had a stroke in 2006, but he remained a teacher,composer, and a keen connoisseur. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship in 2010. He was ailing since December last year. He died at 6.50pm on Monday. He is survived by his wife and son Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and daughter GJR Vijayalakshmi, both violinists.

Courtesy:TOI

99 years later, Raja Harishchandra (1913) goes 3D

In India, cinema isn't just a passion. It is frenzical. We have perhaps inherited this acute addiction from the man who started it all, 99 years ago - the Father of Indian Cinema Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (1870-1944). Dadasaheb Phalke as we better know him as, held the first show of Raja Harishchandra what is widely considered to be the first Indian feature film at Bombay's Olympia Picture Palace on April 21, 1913. The commercial screenings started 12 days later, on May 3, 1913 at Coronation and Variety Hall, Sandhurst Road, Girgaum, Bombay.

Most of us have seen only fleeting glimpses of this bud, that gradually grew to the mammoth movie industry that we have in India today. That Raja Harishchandra (the actual film title spells it as Raja Harischandra, minus the 'h' following the 's') should be one of the first films on the India Public Domain Movie Project collection was a foregone conclusion.

Since Phalke made the best of the technology available to him at his time, I thought it would be a tribute to the innovator in him to convert the film in 3D 99 years after its release. Using YouTube's 3D conversion technology you can also watch Raja Harishchandra in 3D. In the video embedded below, click on the settings (gear) icon and the 3D link will appear from there choose greyscale and also the type of 3D glasses you own to watch how India's first feature looks in a 3D avatar (Don't expect a Avatar though).

Here are 11 minutes and 19 seconds of what is left of the landmark film (India's film archival history is not something that we can be very proud of).

What you see above is only the first reel of the film and I will try to get access to the remainder. This video has been extracted and edited from a 1967 documentary DG Phalke, The First Indian Film Director 1870-1944 produced by the Indian National Film Archive.

There is some confusion whether this film, preserved in the National Film Archives of India, is the actual 1913 film or a 1917 remake of the film.

"Raja Harishchandra. A performance with 57,000 photographs. A picture two miles long. All for only three annas."

This is how Phalke, Indian cinema's first marketing wizard promoted his creation. Phalke had to make his soundless cinema with higher ticket prices appeal to an audience who were hooked to stage plays, then the reigning form of entertainment.

Raja Harishchandra wasn't the first Indian film, it was the first indigenously produced feature length film and Phalke's story of making the film is as interesting as a movie plot. Harishchandrachi Factory, the 2009 Marathi film on Dadasaheb Phalke that centres on the making of the movie is a must watch. Had the film not been a biopic, it could have also passed as a well-made subtle comedy. This UTV produced Paresh Mokashi directed movie was also India's official nomination to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film. My suggestion is that you view Raja Harishchandra before you sit down to watchHarishchandrachi Factory. When you see the same scenes recreated almost a century later on a film canvas that's much wider, the impact is that much greater.

Phalke is often compared to the French film pioneer Georges Melies, both considered the medium as an art form and also had expertise in magic tricks and that knowledge they made use of for special effects in their films.

"Raja Harishchandra. A powerfully instructive subject from the Indian mythology. First film of Indian manufacture. Specially prepared at enormous cost. Original scenes from the sacred city of Benaras. Sure to appeal all Hindu patrons," read a pamphlet promoting the film).

The entire show, apart from the movie included other forms of non-film entertainment as well. Raja Harishchandra was also exhibited in London in 1914.

The story for the movie was from the great epic Mahabharata and espouses the belief that truth always triumphs. Harishchandra was a legendary pious king of Ayodhya who sacrificed his kingdom, wife and child for the sake of truth.Harishchandrachi Factory tells us that this story was a favourite with Phalke's sons and his eldest son Bhalachandra Phalke also played Rohitashwa, Harishchandra's son in the movie. Another important reason why this story was chosen for the film was that Harishchandra was a popular theme in the Marathi and Urdu theatre of the day. The story again found itself in another first-of-its-kind movie, the first Marathi talkie, V Shantaram's Ayodhyecha Raja (1932), which was also released in Hindi, making it the first Indian film to be released in two languages.

Raja Harishchandra was shot in a bunglow (apart from other outdoor locations) called Mathura Bhawan (owned by one Mathuradas Makanji) located on a street in Dadar, Bombay that is now rightly named Dada Saheb Phalke Road.

The acting was in traditional Indian folk theatre style, the influence of which and Parsi Theatre were to remain on Indian acting for decades. In the absence of sound (that was to make an appearance in Indian cinema 18 years later with Alam Ara), there were title inserts between shots explaining the plot. In Raja Harishchandra (and most of the films of the silent era) these title plates were in two languages - English, the language of the elite and Hindi (or other Indian language) - the language that the masses understood.

The Phalkes were also perhaps the first Indian film family. His entire family, including him, his wife Saraswati Phalke, eight children (five sons and three daughters) were all involved in the filmmaking process, with Saraswati handling some of the technical process including developing the film. His daughter, Mandakini Phalke, was in fact one of the first female actresses on the Indian screen at a time when acting in films was a much derided profession.

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke was to follow the initial success of Raja Harishchandra with other landmark films such as Lanka Dahan (1917). A prolific filmmaker, Phalke went on to make over a hundred films but died in poverty.

Of the original 3700 feet of the original film (that took 6 months and 27 days to put together) only some fragments could be preserved by the National Film Archive of India, Pune which includes portions of the first and the last reel of the film.

If a mere thousand words aren't sufficient to quench your thirst for Phalke info, head to phalkefactory.net is a (albeit unorganised) treasure trove of information on the Father of Indian Cinema.

Courtesy: soumyadip Choudhurys Blog IBN Live