Biography of Dadasaheb Phalke

(April 30, 1870 - February 16, 1944)

Dadasaheb Phalke was born in 1870. He was a printing technician by profession. He was highly impressed and inspired after watching the foreign film 'Life of Christ' and was filled with a desire to make a film of his own.


He went to England to learn film technology and buy the necessary related material. On returning to India, he began to work as a director-cum-cameraman for the film 'Raja Harish Chandra'. He pawned his wife's jewellery for the film and cast a cook's assistant Salunke as the film's heroine as no woman was willing to face the camera due to the social stigma attached to it. The film was a hit!


In 1917, he released 'Lanka Dahan'. The film was about the episode of the Ramayana where Lord Hanumana sets Lanka ablaze. It was a stupendous success. After this film, Dadasaheb Phalke formed the Hindustan film company and made popular and hit films like 'Shri Krishna Janma' and Kaliya Mardan'. Dadasaheb Phalke died in 1944.