Father Figure of Films

 The Indian phillum spectator is a unique entity full of admiration that borders on devotion. We have hence temples built wherein the presiding deity is an actor! Look at the craze for "Thalaiva" Rajnikanth, for instance. "Mind it", this is not a South Indian trait. The North is no better either. Bhaijan ki Eid released film is an obsession for many. Actors with simply horrid mannerisms are superstars hereabouts!

Such crazy fans, to slightly misquote that famous Amitabh dialogue,  unho ne "nam bhi nahi suna hoga" of the "bap" of all these tinsel stars, who in a way released their careers. Yes, we are talking of the father figure of Indian films, Dadasaheb Phalke.

He is indeed a person who makes Maharashtra proud. Wednesday (April 30) was his hundred and fifty-fifth birth anniversary. Hardly anyone, who wait for hours on the "budday" of their favourite phillum star, would have known him, forget commemorate his memory.

His contribution is tremendous. Single handedly he initiated the film industry in India in an era when the raw stock itself  was quite rare. Most importantly, this one man army excelled at every possible and centrally important department of that composite art called film making. He was a producer, director, script writer, cinematographer, art director, editor, costume designer, make up man, areas which make a film genuinely memorable.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, this  hugely talented man experimented with every creative facet of film making to make a phenomenal number of films, ninety-five feature films and twenty six short films. This alumnus of the J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai and the M.S. University, Baroda  made the first animated film in India! Unlike most of his feature films which were mythologicals, this animated film helped a minor non-issue come alive as it dealt with the 'fun way of match boxes' !

If the biopic "Harischandrachi Factory" is any proof, this genius with a very pleasant personality full of genuine bonhomie included his better half, his wife, as a partner in the creative process in those days! No wonder, the greatest lifetime achievement award in the film world in India is named after him. While WAVES is making waves in the Jio Centre in Bombay, as the Bollywood would call Mumbai, huge respects to-n-for the illustrious father figure of films in India!

Pratima@Some people are not only born great, their achievements make them greater still as they thrust greatness on areas unknown till then. Shakespeare would love this take on his great quote, I believe most humbly.