1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello, Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: where we flipped through the book of history and bring 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: you a new page every day. Today is May third, nineteen. 5 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: The day was made third nineteen. The film Raja harish Chandra, 6 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: directed by Dadasa paul was released theatrically at the Coronation 7 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Cinematograph and Variety Hall in Mumbai, then called Bombay in India. 8 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: The silent film, which is based on the legend of 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: the Indian king parish Chandra, is considered by many to 10 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: be the first full length Indian feature film. Whether it 11 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: can rightfully claim that title is debated, but it stands 12 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: that the film was a box office success that encouraged 13 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: a proliferation of Indian productions. When paul Ka was a teenager, 14 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: he joined the third j J School of Art, studying photography, architecture, 15 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: lithography and other art forms. He went on to work 16 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: as a painter, set designer and a photographer. In the 17 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: early nineteen hundreds, he and a partner started a printing 18 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: press that was successful, but difficulties between partners led paul 19 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: K to cut ties with the business. But in April 20 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,479 Speaker 1: of nineteen eleven, he went to see the silent film 21 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: The Life of Christ by director Alice gui Blache at 22 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: a theater in Mumbai. That was the spark that ignited 23 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: his interest in creating a film. He began watching more 24 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: movies and studying film. In nineteen twelve, Paul k went 25 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: to London to learn filmmaking from British filmmaker Cecil Heathworth. 26 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,919 Speaker 1: He bought a Williamson camera, ordered film and a perfect 27 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: later and went back to India after only a couple 28 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: of weeks in London. When he arrived in India, he 29 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: founded paul Ka Films Company. The initial capital he got 30 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: for the company came from a loan he took out 31 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: against his insurance policy. His family and friends staffed the company, 32 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: and his wife took on management and technical roles. That 33 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: same year, Paul Kay began the work of writing Rajaharish 34 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: Chandra and casting the film. He did the direction of production, 35 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: design and editing while Trent bought the too long operated 36 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: the camera. Filming took nearly seven months and the film 37 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: was about four reels long. It was first screen in 38 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: April nineteen thirteen to a special audience at the Olympia 39 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: Theater in Mumbai. Weeks later, on May third, nineteen thirteen, 40 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: Rajaharish Chandra had a theatrical release. The film was shown 41 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: as part of a program including Irene del mar In 42 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: a duet in the It's Number, a comedy sketch by 43 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 1: the McClements, Alexandro The Wonderful Foot Juggler, and Tip Top Comics. 44 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: It had an all male cast, since working in film 45 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: was not considered completely acceptable work for women at the time. 46 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: Raja Harsh Tanja ran for twenty three days and had 47 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: a rerun soon after. As Paulk promoted the film and 48 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: news of it spread, it proved a success. Paul K 49 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: went on to produce and direct more films like Lanka 50 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: Dihan and Shri Krishna Gena. In nineteen eighteen, paul K 51 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: Films Company folded and paul Ka established the Hindu Stand 52 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: Cinema Films Company with several partners. But as the film 53 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: industry got bigger and talkies became more popular, Paulk's work 54 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: faded from the limelight. He retired from the film industry 55 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: in the nineteen thirties, and he died in nineteen forty four. 56 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: Paulk is now considered the father of Indian cinema, but 57 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: many people say that the silent film Shri Punda Leak, 58 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: directed by Dadasaheb Tornay, deserves recognition as the first Indian film. 59 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: The forty five minute film was released on May eighth, 60 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: nineteen twelve at the Coordination Cinematograph. Many people do not 61 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: consider Shri Punda eligible for the title because of a 62 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: few technicalities. First, the film was a recording of a 63 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: popular Murati play using a single fixed camera. Second, the 64 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: cameraman who filmed the play was British. Third, the film 65 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: was processed in London, so the negatives of the film 66 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: real stayed in the UK and Tornay could only get 67 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: the positives to India. This reasoning for not giving Tornay 68 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: recognition is controversial. Tornay sons have even filed a public 69 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: interest litigation to claim Tornay is a pioneer of Indian cinema, 70 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: to get negatives of the film from the UK and 71 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: to recognize Shri Punda Leak as the first Indian film, 72 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: but the government of India is still considers Rajah Harsh 73 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: Chandra the first. In nineteen sixty nine, the Indian government 74 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: created the data sah Polk Award, which is awarded annually 75 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: to recognize artists contributions to Indian cinema. I'm Eve Jeffko 76 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 77 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. And if you like to follow 78 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: us on social media, you can find us at T 79 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: D i h C Podcast on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 80 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening and I hope you come back 81 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: tomorrow for more delicious morsels of history. For more podcasts 82 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: for my Heart Radio, vis the I Heart Radio app, 83 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,559 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.