Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, or Dadasaheb Phalke as he was called, saw the film ‘Life Of Christ’ when it was screened in Mumbai in 1910. Since then it was his greatest desire to make films based on Indian mythology. His dream was fulfilled after months of hard work when he made his first film Raja Harishchandra. It was a silent film and was released in 1913. It laid the foundation of the Indian film industry, which is now the biggest in the world.
The government honoured him by naming India’s highest national award for films after him, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. It is given each year to the person whose lifetime contribution to the world of cinema has been remarkable. Dadasaheb Phalke is called the “Father of Indian Cinema”.