In the dim glow of Bombay’s America-India Picture Palace on Christmas 1910, ‘The Life of Christ’ unfolded, captivating hundreds. But Dhundiraj Govind Phalke saw destiny. Watching Christ animate the screen, he pondered: ‘Why not revive our Ramayana and Mahabharata?’ Thus began a saga that defined Indian film.
Phalke entered the world April 30, 1870, in Tryambakeshwar, Nashik. From a pious Brahmin lineage, his inventive spirit clashed with norms. Declaring his film ambitions, he endured scorn—’English illusion!’ To educate, he documented a pea plant’s growth meticulously, crafting India’s debut time-lapse reel that grew magically on projection.
Procuring equipment demanded heroism. London-sourced cameras required funds Saraswatibai provided by mortgaging her jewels amid familial derision. Phalke’s 1912 return with the Williamson kit laid Indian cinema’s cornerstone.
‘Raja Harishchandra’s’ production hit snags: no actress dared the queen’s role in puritanical 1913. Desperate searches failed until cook Anna Salunke, with feminine poise, donned the sari—pioneering cinema’s first male heroine.
The Phalke home morphed into a production powerhouse. Wife Saraswatibai’s contributions were Herculean: catering for large crews, developing reels with toxic mixes, enduring sun-baked reflections. She embodied the first woman in Indian film tech.
May 3, 1913’s premiere at Coronation Cinema stirred devotion; spectators knelt to celluloid suffering. Blockbusters ‘Mohini Bhasmasur’ and ‘Lanka Dahan’ enthroned Phalke, halls resounding with ‘Jai Shri Ram.’
Sound cinema’s 1931 arrival via ‘Alam Ara’ eclipsed silents. Phalke’s nuance-laden visuals couldn’t compete. ‘Gangavataran’ floundered.
Exiled to Nashik in penury and sickness, Phalke breathed his last on February 16, 1944, at 73. The 1969 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, launched for his centenary, immortalizes the architect of Bollywood’s genesis.