About Dadasaheb Phalke Award:
- It is India's highest award in the field of cinema.
- It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema".
- The award prize consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a shawl.
- The award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema, who is popularly known as and often regarded as "the father of Indian cinema".
- It was first presented in 1969. The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema.
Who was Dhundiraj Govind ‘Dadasaheb’ Phalke?
- He was born in 1870 at Trimbak in Maharashtra.
- He studied engineering and sculpture and developed an interest in motion pictures after watching the 1906 silent film The Life of Christ.
- Before venturing into films, Phalke worked as a photographer, owned a printing press, and had even worked with the famed painter Raja Ravi Varma.
- In 1913, Phalke wrote, produced, and directed India’s first feature film, the silent Raja Harishchandra. A commercial success, it propelled Phalke to make 95 more films and 26 short films in the next 19 years.
