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Marathi movie “Harishchandrachi Factory” aka Harishchandra’s Factory, Mumbai-based theatre actor-director Paresh Mokashi’s debut movie, has been selected as India’s official entry to this year’s Oscars in the Foreign Film Category. The two-hour-long film depicts the struggle of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, to make ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913, India’s first feature film. “Harischandrachi Factory” beat off competition from 15 films including Bollywood movies like “New York” and “Delhi 6″ to get selected for the honour.

The nomination of the Marathi film was announced by The Film Federation of India (FFI) and the jury was headed by noted actress Asha Parekh.

“We have to submit the prints to the Oscar Academy by October one. The film was completed in December last year. We plan a grand release all over Maharashtra and rest of the country in Marathi and Hindi with English sub-titles by this year-end. The film is totally based on facts. It is the first ever attempt to bring the making of the first feature film made in India on celluloid,” Paresh Mokashi said.

“Harishchandrachi Factory” is the second Marathi film after “Shwaas” in 2004 to be selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars.

Awards List

* Pune International Film Festival 2009
Best Director – Paresh Mokashi

* 18th Aravindan Puraskaram 2009 (Chalachitra Film Society, Pune)
Best Debutant Director – Paresh Mokashi

* V. Shantaram Award 2009
Best Costume

* Balasaheb Sarpotdar Award 2009
Best Film

* Signs 2009 – Late Jahn Abraham National Award,Kerala
Best Film

* Chalachita Film Society’s G. Arawindan National Award, Kerala
Best Debutant Filmmaker

* Gollapudi Srinivas National Award, Chennai
Best Debutant Filmmaker

* 46th Maharashtra State Film Awards
Best Film – Harishchandrachi Factory
Best Director – Paresh Mokashi
Best Art Direction – Nitin Chandrakant Desai

Harishchandrachi Factory Story

One day he accidentally stumbled across a tent theatre that was screening a silent motion picture. He was awestruck with the film. The idea of film making stuck him. Along with his hardworking wife and two enthusiastic kids by his side, He ventured into a field unknown to contemporary India. Making of India’s first feature film, ‘Raja Harishchandra’ was an amazing adventure. The Phalke family encountered mostly funny but also a few grave situations during their journey of film making.

They were a team of crazy yet lovable people that helped in winning over patrons and eventually money. Together, not only did they deliver the first Indian film, but they had ensured it to become the first super hit film too! In 1914, Phalke refused offer from his english friends to make film in London. His reason for the refusal was – “I must keep making film in India, so that it gets established as an industry at home.” The rest is History