- Raja Harishchandra
Infobox Film
name = Raja Harishchandra
image_size =
caption =
director =Dadasaheb Phalke
producer =Dadasaheb Phalke
for Phalke Films
writer =Dadasaheb Phalke Ranchhodbai Udayram (story)
narrator =
starring = D.D. Dabke
P.G. Sane
music =
cinematography =Trymbak B. Telang
editing =
distributor =
released = 1913
runtime =
country = flagicon|IndiaIndia
language =Silent film
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0003311"Raja Harishchandra" (राजा हरिश्चंद्र), is a 1913 silent
Indian film directed and produced byDadasaheb Phalke , and is the first full-length Indian feature film [ [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/249829/Raja-Harishchandra/overview Overview] "New York Times ".] . The film was based on the legend of KingHarishchandra , recounted inRamayana andMahabharata .Plot
The film revolves around the noble and righteous king,
Harishchandra , who first sacrifices his kingdom, followed by his wife and eventually his children to honour his promise to sageVishwamitra . Though, in the end, pleased by his high morals, the Gods are pleased and restore his former glory, and further bestow him with divine blessings.Production
Phalke was greatly influenced by the style of painter
Raja Ravi Verma in the making of this film. The film had an all-male starcast, as no woman was available for playing female lead in the film, so the men played all the roles [http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/dec/15jha.htm 10 pre-release big ones] Subhash k. Jha, "Rediff.com ".] , and was 3700 feet long, roughly 40 minutes [http://asia.msu.edu/southasia/india/culture/cinema.html The Beginning: The Silent Movie Era] Asia Studies, "University of Berkeley ".] .In 2008, 'Harishchandrachi Factory', a film based on the making of the film was announced, the title is based on the fact that, when the film was made, working in films was a taboo, so the Dada Saheb advised his artists to tell others, that they were working in the factory of one 'Harishchandra' [ [http://bignews.big927fm.com/big_news_detail.asp?nid=24564&catid=2&subcatid=2&selcity=33 Plan to showcase making of India's 1st film] bignews.big927fm.com] .
Performance
The film was first shown in public on
May 3 ,1913 [ [http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080048684 Today in History]May 3 , "NDTV ".] at Bombay'sCoronation Cinema ,Girgaum , where crowds thronged roads outside the hall , as it marked the beginning of the Indian film industry. The film was so successful that Dada Saheb had to make more print, and even shown the film in rural areas. The film was a grand success and soon establish Phalke as a producer and paved way for the Indian film industry .Extant Prints
The original film was in four reels, and
National Film Archive of India has only the first and last reels, though some film historians believe that they belong to a 1917 remake of the film, by the same name [ [http://nfaipune.nic.in/raja_harishchandra.htm Raja Harishchandra] "National Film Archive of India ".] [ [http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=features&Id=1444 Raja Harishchandra" (1913)] www.filmthreat.com.] .Cast
* D.D. Dabke - "Raja Harishchandra"
* P.G. Sane - "Taramati"
* Bhalachandra D. Phalke
* G.V. Sane - "Vishwamitra "creenshots
References
External links
*imdb title|id=0003311|title=Raja Harishchandra
* [http://www.phalkefactory.net/wiki/index.php?title=Raja_Harishchandra "Raja Harishchandra" Phalke webpage]
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