Dadasaheb Phalke

Dadasaheb Phalke
Phalke seated on a chair with a small roll of film in his hands
Born
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke

(1870-04-30)30 April 1870
Died16 February 1944(1944-02-16) (aged 73)
Nashik, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Film director
  • Producer
  • Screenwriter
  • Editor
  • Art director
  • Costume designer
  • Make-up artist
Years active1912–1944
Spouses
  • Kathilakam Bai
    (m. 1885; died 1900)
  • Saraswatibai Phalke
    (m. 1902⁠–⁠1944)

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Pronunciation: [d̪ʱuɳɖiɾaːd͡ʒ pʰaːɭke]), popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944), was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as "the Father of Indian cinema".[1]

His debut film, Raja Harishchandra, was the first Indian movie released in 1913, and is now known as India's first full-length feature film. He made 94 feature-length films and 27 short films in his career, spanning 19 years, until 1937, including his most noted works: Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919). In his honor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted as highest honorary award under the National Film Awards by the Government of India.

  1. ^ Vilanilam, J. V. (2005). Mass Communication in India: A Sociological Perspective. New Delhi: Sage Publications. p. 128. ISBN 81-7829-515-6.