Raja Harishchandra in the context of Scriptment


Raja Harishchandra in the context of Scriptment

⭐ Core Definition: Raja Harishchandra

Raja Harishchandra (transl. King Harishchandra) is a 1913 Indian silent film directed and produced by Dadasaheb Phalke. It is often considered the first full-length Indian feature film. Raja Harishchandra features Dattatraya Damodar Dabke, Anna Salunke, Bhalchandra Phalke and Gajanan Vasudev Sane. It is based on the legend of Harishchandra, with Dabke portraying the title character. The film, being silent, had English, Marathi, and Hindi-language intertitles.

Phalke decided to make a feature film after watching The Life of Christ (1906) at a theatre in Bombay in April 1911. In February 1912, he went to London for two weeks to learn filmmaking techniques and upon return founded Phalke Films Company. He imported the hardware required for filmmaking and exhibition from England, France, Germany, and the United States. Phalke shot a short film Ankurachi Wadh (Growth of a Pea Plant) to attract investors for his venture. He published advertisements in various newspapers calling for the cast and crew. As no women were available to play female roles, male actors performed the female roles. Phalke was in charge of scriptment, direction, production design, make-up, film editing, along with film processing. Trymbak B. Telang handled the camera. Phalke completed filming in six months and 27 days producing a film of 3,700 feet (1,100 m), about four reels.

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Raja Harishchandra in the context of Feature film

A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment theatrical program. The term feature film originally referred to the main, full-length film in a cinema program that included a short film and often a newsreel. Matinée programs, especially in the United States and Canada, in general, also included cartoons, at least one weekly serial and, typically, a second feature-length film on weekends. Feature films are also released on and produced by streaming platforms.

The first narrative feature film was the 70-minute The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906). Other early feature films include Les Misérables (1909), L'Inferno, Defence of Sevastopol, The Adventures of Pinocchio (1911), Oliver Twist (American version), Oliver Twist (British version), Richard III, From the Manger to the Cross, Cleopatra (1912), Raja Harishchandra (1913, First Indian Feature Film), Quo Vadis? (1913), Cabiria (1914) and The Birth of a Nation (1915).

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Raja Harishchandra in the context of Dadasaheb Phalke

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

Phalke’s debut film, Raja Harishchandra (1913), was the first Indian motion picture and is recognised as India's first full-length mythological feature film. The movie’s success marked the beginning of Indian cinema and inspired the growth of the film industry in the country.

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Raja Harishchandra in the context of D. D. Dabke

D. D. Dabke or Dattatraya Damodar Dabke was an actor in the first ever Indian full length silent film Raja Harishchandra, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913. He co-starred with Anna Salunke. He acted in three more movies Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra (1917), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and later became a cinematographer, as well as a director. He directed the 1924 remake of Raja Harishchandra

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Raja Harishchandra in the context of Anna Salunke

Anna Hari Salunke (c. 1897-1944), also known as A. Salunke and Annasaheb Saluke, was an Indian actor who performed female roles in very early Indian cinema and also a cinematographer. She is the first person to perform as a heroine in Indian cinema when he played the role of Queen Taramati in Dada Saheb Phalke's first full-length film, Raja Harishchandra (1913). In 1917, Salunke became the first to play a double role in Indian cinema, by playing the roles of both the hero and heroine in Lanka Dahan.

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Raja Harishchandra in the context of Trymbak B. Telang

Trymbak B. Telang was an early Indian cinematographer. He was trained in the operation of the Williamson camera. He shot for films such as Raja Harishchandra (1913), Indian first full-length feature film and Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra and Lanka Dahan (1917).

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