Harishchandrachi Factory

Prakash Mokashi's 'Harishchandrachi Factory' is a breath of fresh air. Of late, when the Indian film industry has mostly been churning one stale product after another with minimal positive quality, Mokashi gives the viewer this Marathi gem. Now this isn't your traditional biopic that starts from birth and ends in death. Nor is it the depressive kind. 'Harishchandrachi Factory' is a movie that is both funny and poignant. It tells how India's first film director made the first Indian movie and this is done with heart and humour.

The film starts off with Phalke skipping his job to work as a magician as he finds his passion in entertaining people. On impulse, he and his son decide to go to the theatre and they watch a short silent film about the 'Passion of Christ'. Phalke is moved by the experience and he keeps returning to the theatre. He decides to make a movie. The man just about makes enough to support his family, but his passion, determination and support of his family, especially his wife, allows him to pursue his destiny.

Mokashi has chosen a unique way of storytelling that has barely been done with biopics. His humour is both satirical, situational, witty and even understated at times. At the same time he does not derail from the focus of the film and its characters. The characters are very real. Phalke may appear larger then life but at the same time he is the common man who lives his life with hope and a little sugar. His wife is far from the caricature wife who nags about her husband's risky attempts. She supports him all the way and does not hesitate to sell off their furniture to make her husband's dream come true. The comedic sequences work excellently. They had me laughing out loud.

Nandu Madhav passionately plays who is today known as the father of Indian cinema. His spirited performance along with Vishawai Deshpande's natural portrayal as Mrs. Phalke are a delight to watch. The supporting cast do a commendable job too.

'Harishchandrachi Factory' is a beautiful little film. The execution is first rate. The cinematography, score, editing and lighting are superb. Mokashi's charming gem is one of a kind and I am sure to revisit this just to feel this film-viewing experience once again.

"Harishchandrachi Factory" is Indian Cinema's official entry into the Academy Awards and the million-dollar question is - does it justify? Yep, you bet! Maybe not soul-stirring, not a tear-jerker either, sans social message and not even magnum-opus.... yet "Harishchandrachi Factory" lingers in your head like a sweet aroma.

Biopics generally tend to have a format which demonstrate the hardships and struggle of an individuals to realise the dream. It is exactly here "Harishchandrachi Factory" truly standouts by adopting an untrodden path. It depicts Mr. Phalke's journey of creating the first celluloid on Indian Cinema without getting over-bearing, in the light-hearted way possible ensuring the essence is not lost. I am sure the truth is far from it and should not discount the pains Mr. Phalke underwent to plant the seeds of germination for Indian Cinema.

Performances are spot-on, especially Nandhu Madhav who portrays Mr. Phalke. Nicely complimenting him is Vibhwari Deshpande as Mrs. Phalke to extent the audience would feel that marriages are indeed made in heaven. If Mr. Phalke is depicted as an eccentric genius, his better-half is no less crazy.

There are a few emotional moments in the movie like for instance when Phalke loses his eye-sight or when his son falls ill but what is commendable is that either its depicted humorously or the narrative moves on to the next part. The screenplay and editing should be complimented. Of course, the writer/ director truly deserves standing ovation for choosing Dadasaheb Phalke as his subject. And last but not the least UTV for backing this deserving project.

Let me not comment on the chances of "Harishchandrachi Factory" garnering statuettes at Academy awards, however I am confident that you will google and read about Dadasaheb Phalke after watching this movie.

Last year marked the hundredth year of the Indian film industry. In these hundred years, Indian films, emerging from the Bollywood and is several sister (regional/local) "woods", have taken the masses as well as the classes on several memorable and entertaining journeys into the dreamworld. In his debut feature, writer-director, Paresh Mokashi traces the roots, nay, seeds of this thriving industry and presents the making of the very first Indian film.

Harishchandrachi Factory is the story how Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, the pioneer regarded as the Father of Indian Cinema, happened to get this idea of making movies and how he toiled to realise this dream of making of the very first Indian full length, Black & White, silent, feature film - Raja Harishchandra.

The story begins in 1911 where, after the failure of his printing business, Phalke is playing a magician/jester performing in his Mumbai chawl to make ends meet. When he happens to visit a tent theatre playing a movie - The Life of Christ, his imagination and curiosity are instantly kindled and he introduces his family to this magical experience of moving images, besides making multiple trips himself to understand the science behind that magic. His curiosity grows into an obstinate obsession as he follows his dream unflinchingly despite a brief bout of failing eyesight, he sets out to London to learn and understand this new age medium such that he could present the stories of the Indian mythology through it. On his return to India after learning the requisite skills and acquiring a motion picture camera, he embarks on his pioneering mission to make India's very first feature length silent movie - Raja Harishchandra. The rest of the movie narrates the eventful journey and the many hurdles that he faces on his ambitious mission.

Presenting a biopic as a feature film is a challenging task as the director has to strike a fine balance in presenting the facts within a matrix of an engaging drama (as in the case of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag which found critical acclaim and commercial success). A singular focus on factual content would reduce the film to a drab documentary while too much focus on the drama could result in a clouded, less-than perfect image of the individual. Debutante writer-director Paresh Mokashi rises to this daunting challenge by helming this meta-movie with a very nimble hand and suffuses it with healthy doses of delectable humour. Mokashi shuns melodrama and mines humour in the most unlikely situations - be it Phalke's problems in funding his venture resulting in his selling domestic assets or his search for a heroine among prostitutes (since no family woman was ready to work before camera).

He hits the bull's eye with his casting of his leads as well as the supporting cast. Nandhu Madhav nails the part of Phalke with oodles of charm, curiosity and a single-minded obsession to realise his dreams despite the multiple challenges of cynicism, superstitions and paucity of funds. Vibhavari Deshpande playing Saraswati Phalke shares a genial chemistry with him and is a perfect foil as the loving wife and pillar of strength enabling her husband to emerge as the pioneer.

The movie also boasts of solid technical team which includes Nitin Desai whose art design recreates the authentic feel of a bygone era while the score from Anand Modak conjures a rustic charm that permeates the entire movie, beginning with the opening credits. The cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary is remarkable too as he has striven to capture most of the movie in the style of stationary camera position which was prevalent in the infancy of cinema.

Overall, Harishchandrachi Factory presents a very Indian story rich with its period feel, ethnic ethos, in a simple, feel-good narrative that is engaging and universally appealing. Harishchandrachi Factory was selected as India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009 and has also received several National and Regional awards.

I was one of the lucky persons to catch this movie in sept 09, well in advance of its release, in International Film Festval Nagpur, and even more delighted when it was selected for the Academy awards. Once again Marathi cinema has one more feather on its cap for this extraordinary piece of art. Its more of a tribute to Late Dadasaheb Phalke and a token of appreciation for initiating a movement that went on to create the second largest movie industry in the world. The movie begins with a simple scenario of a unemployed man who gets inspired from a British motion picture theater( in a tent). The movie showcases very truly how people used to look up to cinema in earlier days, paying ticket to watch blurry b&w moving images without audio. Not only it was difficult to think of making something like a motion picture but rather impossible as there were no sources to explore the possibility of such a thing. The approach of Dadasaheb Phalke towards making a motion picture and that too beginning from less than a scratch has been beautifully shown to the finest detail. What the catchy part of the movie is that you are taken into a pleasant trance mood right from the initial scene, maybe because of the humor tinge given to the film in almost every scene. Every scene, even the emotional ones does have a funny element of character attached to it to keep you laughing all the way. It must be the first drama film to have a tinge of humor attached to go for Oscars. Or maybe its selected at the first place as the film is based on the life of Father of Indian Cinema. But it doesn't take away any credit by the makers of this film for creating a masterpiece. Hope its in the top five at the academy awards and hope it wins it too.

The film is about the first motion picture for the Indian movie industry. Being the biggest movie industry now with an annual release of over 1000 films, India has the profitable movie industry across the nation. The credit goes to Dr. Phalke who started it over 100 years before. The history of making the first movie is portrayed in this film.

A good background on the country's struggle to freedom is also dealt (with reference to Tilakji). The best thing I loved about this film is the reflection on the long-lost culture of India (something like women not looking at other men and having their heads covered with their Saree when someone enters the house). Contrary, these days young women are half-naked even in churches. I found no negatives in this movie except there ain't any sad/tragic moments in any part of the movie. No wonder the movie was awarded. A good and must watch with the family on a weekend.