2016-04-21 Thu

“Raja Harishchandra”, first Indian film premiered on 21st April in 1913 in the Olympia Theatres, Grant Road in Bombay (now Mumbai).

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dada Saheb Phalke, was the director, script writer, and producer of this silent film. He later came to be known as the "Father of Indian Cinema".

‘Raja Harishchandra’ was the first full-length feature film based on the legend of Raja Harishchandra. It was a silent film with intertitles in Marathi, English and Hindi. The Indian film culture and industry which went on to become one of the most popular and largest film producers in the world started off with this silent film of Dada Saheb Phalke.

The film marked a historic benchmark in the film industry in India. India Post in 1989 issued a 60 Paise commemorative stamp celebrating 75 years of Indian cinema. The stamp depicts a scene from the film “RAJA HARISHCHANDRA“.

Also a 20 paise commemorative stamp honours the Father of Indian Cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke.