Dadasaheb Phalke

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke a.k.a. Dadasaheb Phalke is the father of Indian cinema. He wrote, directed and produced more than 120 commercial films. He directed “Raja Harishchandra” in 1913. The film was a silent film and told the story of a righteous king, Harishchandra, who appears in post-vedic literature.He began his career as a photographer but left the business after the bubonic plague broke out and killed his wife and child. He turne to film and made his first film “Raja Harischandra”. He formed a film company called “Hindustan Films”. Dadasaheb went to an art school and was a very trained artist and skilled craftsman. He was very devoted to his films and achieved at movie effects. All his films had similar cuts and trimming in the frame. The “Dadasaheb Phalke award” is the highest state honor conferred on indian filmmakers.  The Indian Government instituted it in his honor in 1969.