Kannadigas Who received Dada Saheb Phalke Award
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke
Date of Birth: 30 April 1870, Trymbak, Maharashtra, India
Date of Death: 16 February 1944, Nasik, Maharashtra, India
Brief Biography
Dadasaaheb Phalke was born in 1870 in Trymbakeshwar in
Nasik. He was born to a Sanskrit scholar, he studied at J.J. college of Art in
Bombay and at Kala Bhavan, Baroda. He then studied architecture and became
landscape painter of academic nature studies. He worked in a photographic
studio and at Ratlam learned three-colour block making and ceramics.
He then
worked as a portrait photographer, stage make-up man, assistant to a German
illusionist and as a magician! He was offered backing to start an Art Printing
Press and his backers to acquaint him with the latest printing process arranged
for him to go to Germany provided that he remain with the company. But by the
time Phalke returned he knew that a printing career would not satisfy him. He
raised loan from his friend and pledging his life insurance, Phalke went to
England in 1912 to purchase the necessary equipment and acquaint himself with
the technical aspects of filmmaking.
When he returned from London he launched
Raja Harishchandra about an honest king who for the sake of his principles
sacrifices his kingdom and family before the gods impressed with his honesty
restore him to his former glory and this movie was released in 1913. Later he
produced Mohini Bhasmasur (1913),Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917),
Shri Krishna Janam (1918) and Kaliya Madan (1919). Due to changing tastes of
movies and extreme commercialised atmosphere in film world, Phalke retired.
Later in 1937 he produced Gangavataram (1937), but he had lost his magic. He
died in Nasik, a forgotten man. But today he is considered as a pioneer of
Indian cinema and a prestigious Indian film industry award is named after him.