Day to Recall the Golden Era of Indian Films…

01 Jun 2019 13:28:10

New Delhi, June 1: The morning of 1st June 2019 was a dramatic one. ‘Prabhat’ – the name itself suggests ‘Morning’ or ‘Birth or Beginning of Something’. On this day 90 years back, was born a company which created a golden era of Indian films – Prabhat Films Company!


 
In 1920s in a corner of Maharashtara, there were some ignited souls like Vishnupanta Damle, S. Fateh Lal, V. Shantaram who were crazy for entering into film making business. At that time Baburao Painter’s Maharashtra Film Company was in full swing producing silent films. Due to some clashes, Damle, Fateh Lal, Shantaram and Keshav Rao Dhaibar left the company and after taking finance of Rs. 15000 from their close friend Sitaram Kulkarni, established Prabhat Films Company on June 1, 1929 in Kolhapur.

Most of the Indians Must be knowing the film ‘Ayodhyecha Raja’ (King of Ayodhya) – the first talkie film produced by Prabhat Films in 1932 after making six silent films. The film was produced first in Marathi with the name ‘Ayodhyecha Raja’ and later it was made in Hindi under name ‘Ayodhya ka Raja.’ The decade of 1930s was actually the golden era for Prabhat Films as it produced some landmark films like ‘Sairandhri’ (1933), ‘Amrit Manthan’ (1934), Sant Tukaram (1936), Duniya Na Mane (1937), Manoos (1939), Shejari (1941) that achieved a place in hearts of Indians.

 

The creativity, content, themes and quality of the films was winning the hearts of audience. Prabhat films were mainly centered around Indian Culture, mythology and social status prevalent at that time hence the films were enjoyable to commonest of the common Indian. Sant Tukaram, made by V. Damle and S. Fateh Lal and having Vishnupant Pagnis as the lead, was not only a big hit but won an award at the 5th Venice International Film Festival in 1937. Sant Dnyaneshwar in 1940 was the first Indian film screened in the USA. Kunku proved to be one of the finest social films in India.


 

Musicians like Govindrao Tembe, Dinkar patil, Keshavrao Bhole, Master Krishnarao, Vasant Desai took the films to new heights with their sweet and heart-melting compositions. Audience was impressed by the outstanding performance of the actors like Keshavrao Date, Shahu Modak and actresses like Durga Khote, Shanta Apte, Vasanti, Jayashri Kamulkar, Shanta Hublikar. Film direction by Bhalji Pendharkar, Master Vinayak, V. Shantaram was leaving no chance to criticize.


 

However, the company which had once become the king of films didn’t get long life. After V. Shantaram split away in 1942 and Damle fell ill, company encountered hard time. Ram Shastri was the company’s last film produced in 1944. It was a biographical film tracing the career of an intrepid judge during the Peshwa regime of Maratha Empire. It too, was a ‘too good’ film which got windfall audience response. The film received the Best Film Award by Bengal Film Journalist Associan. However the internal clashes finally ended up in the dissolution of the company in 1953.


 
 
Prabhat Film Company produced total 45 films in Marathi and Hindi. Films produced by Prabhat have been classics of all times and are always looked upon as a distinguished part of India’s cinema heritage.
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