Writer, director and theatre personality Paresh Mokashi's Harishchandrachi Factory might be out of the Oscar race, but the film is an absolute delight to watch, all thanks to the storytelling technique used.
Mokashi could've easily succumbed to making a documentary style biopic based on Dadasaheb (Dhundiraj) Phalke's life, a man credited with being the father of Indian cinema. Instead, the director goes in for ample doses of subtle humour used at the right moments to make the film amusing for the audience – much in the same way a story is narrated to a wide-eyed child. And none of it is fiction, as all incidents have been taken from the stalwart's life.
Harishchandrachi Factory begins with showing the early life of Phalke (played by Nandu Madhav). He's shut down his printing press, and becomes a local magician to earn a living. It is after one such magic show in a chawl, when the soon-to-be filmmaker chances upon a film screening in town – a place mostly frequented by the white.
Phalke watches the proceedings inside in wonder with his young son – what he later addresses as "a play on screen" or "moving images". Having been an art and architecture student and run a photo studio once, (shut down due to some funny rumours) Phalke has a decent understanding of the art and craft of images.
Curious to learn the new "moving" form, he takes big risks, selling off his valuables to watch more movies and buy books on the subject. And soon, he takes the biggest risk and embarks on a journey to London, to meet up with filmmakers and learn the craft.
Once in London, Phalke endears all and lands a job assisting pioneering filmmaker Cecil Hepworth. The learning process of the budding Indian filmmaker is shown in a fast-forward way, making it interesting and funny rather than just boring documentation of events.
Phalke returns home with a Williamson camera and lots of ideas in his head. After his first experiment, he zeroes in on the story of Raja Harishchandra for his first commercial feature.
(Buzz18)
No comments:
Post a Comment