Dasaheb Phalke, byname of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (born April 30, 1870,

Trimbak, British India [now in Maharashtra, India]—diedFebruary 16,

1944, Nashik, Maharashtra) motion picture director who is considered the
father of the Indian cinema. Phalke was credited with making India’s first
indigenous feature film and spawning the burgeoning Indian film industry
today chiefly known through Bollywood productions.

As a child, Phalke displayed great interest in the creative arts. Determined to

pursue his dreams, he joined the Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay (now
Mumbai), in 1885. While there he pursued a variety of interests,
includingphotography, lithography, architecture, and amateur dramatics, and
he became adept even at magic. He briefly worked as a painter, a theatrical
set designer, and a photographer. While working at the lithography press of
celebrated painter Ravi Varma, Phalke was significantly influenced by a series
of Varma’s paintings of the Hindu gods, an impression that was evident in
Phalke’s own portrayal of various gods and goddesses in the mythological
films he later made.

In 1908 Phalke and a partner established Phalke’s Art Printing and Engraving
Works, but the business failed because of differences between them. It was
Phalke’s chance viewing of the silent film The Life of Christ (1910) that
marked a turning point in his career. Deeply moved by the film, Phalke saw it
as his mission to bring all that was Indian to the moving picture screen. He
went to London in 1912 to learn the craft from British pioneer filmmaker Cecil
Hepworth. In 1913 he released India’s first silent film, Raja Harishchandra, a
work based on Hindu mythology. The film, scripted, produced, directed, and
distributed by Phalke, was a huge success and an important milestone in
Indian cinematic history. Likewise important, he introduced a female actor in
the leading role in his film Bhasmasur Mohini (1913) at a time when
professional acting was taboo for women.

Phalke, with the help of several partners, established the Hindustan Film
Company in 1917 and went on to produce several films. A talented film
technician, Phalke experimented with a variety of special effects. His
employment of mythological themes and trick photography delighted his
audience. Among his other successful films were Lanka dahan (1917), Shri
Krishna janma (1918), Sairandari (1920), and Shakuntala (1920).

With the introduction of sound in cinema and the expansion of the film
industry, Phalke’s work lost popularity. He left filmmaking in the 1930s and
died lonely, embittered, and sick.