SAIFF 09: HARISHCHANDRACHI FACTORY Review

(Once again, thanks goes to Dustin Chang for the review)

Harishchandrachi Factory, a first feature from Marathi theater director Pareshi Mokathi is immensely crowd-pleasing. It tells the story of the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke (Nandu Madhav), a Groucho Marx-esque, part-time magician and photographer who had everlasting enthusiasm for 'moving pictures'.

With the help of his very understanding superwife/collaborator (beautiful Vibhawary Deshapande) and two hyperactive children, Phalke embarks on a journey of making the first Indian moving picture based on the classic literature, Raja Harishchandra. Always short on money and food but never short on energy and tenacity, Phalke learns the tools of the trade by hanging around a picture projectionist and reading books, then boldly going over to London and walking into a film studio.

The year is 1911. Even though India was under the British colonial rule, Harishchandrachi Factory is never overtly political. It doesn't have to be: it shows how the Indian film industry  - which employees more than three million - had originated from a personable, apolitical, yet dignified, Indian man. Mokathi applies the same philosophical approach as his subject in filmmaking- it is for entertaining a mass audience. The film is always upbeat and light-hearted. It's about common people. Phalke with his winning personality, was able to make the first silent Indian feature film with the help of some nice people (British and Indian alike) he met along the way. There are loads of laughs, from Phalke running around looking for an actress who'd play Taramati, the beautiful wife of Harishchandra (in those days, being in film was a lower profession than being a prostitute), him rummaging into the Britsh film office unannounced, demanding that they teach him the know-how, to the ups and downs of the actual production.

As a biographical film and film about the love of cinema, Harishchandrachi Factory hits high marks on both counts. Phalke comes across as a pragmatic rather than passionate filmmaker but it doesn't really matter. Along with Madhav who plays Phalke the dreamer with great ease, all the actors are just pitch perfect in their roles. The film's good humor and warmth are infectious. Hopefully its selection as India's entry for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars will land the film a wide distribution, because the film needs to be seen and appreciated.