My story is like Dadasaheb Phalke’s: Paresh Mokashi

Harishchandrachi Factory has been nominated as India`s entry for Oscars next year. Its director shares his story with spicezee.com.

Dadasaheb Phalke- not the award, but the person after whom it is named- entered a tent to watch cinema for the first time in 1911. He was not only amazed to see moving images, but went a step ahead and thought about how Indian mythological characters would look like if they were to appear on a screen. That led him to London to acquire a camera and later produce India’s first movie- Raja Harishchandra.

It’s an inspiring tale that his successors have not cared to touch for on-screen exploration. Paresh Mokashi has changed that forever with his debut film Harishchandrachi Factory. It has been nominated as India’s official entry to the Oscars which has made the man excited like Phalke when he first saw a film camera. He tells Shashank Chouhan of Spicezee.com that his tale was much like his subject’s. Excerpts: Shashank: Much like Dadasaheb on whose life this film is based, Harishchandrachi Factory is your first film. How did it happen and did you also feel like Phalke at anytime of making it? Paresh: It is my debut and indeed I faced issues just like the subject of my film. I had to mortgage my house- of course with permission from dad- as I couldn’t find a producer. Most producers wanted to do a film on this subject in Hindi. But I wanted to remain true to Phalke’s era and life. Non-Marathi audience appreciating the film has given me lots of satisfaction. This is a film I wanted to do. Shashank: Why Phalke as a debut film? Films based on reality are either on Gandhi/Bhagat Singh or on contemporary tragedies… Paresh: We have the biggest film award in Phalke’s name but the average cinema fan doesn’t know anything about the man, who started it all in an era when it was impossible to make a film. I read his biography and was impressed that despite troubles in finance, casting, location etc, he never complained. The story of the making of India’s first film is so thrilling that it needs to be told. I made it on a smaller scale to get more freedom while showing Phalke’s life on-screen, which was an adventure. Shashank: Any plan to release it outside Maharashtra? Paresh: Well after the Oscar nomination the entire cast and crew is looking forward to a release of the film not just in Maharashtra but in as many places outside. We are looking at the metro cities to begin with for a release in December. We will release it with dubbing and sub-titles. Shashank: Are you happy with the response to the film and what did you expect? Paresh: I didn’t expect anything let alone the Oscars! It’s the second Marathi film to be nominated after Shwaas and it tells the story of how the world’s biggest cinema industry was born, so I am quite proud. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. All those who have seen the film till no have been extremely encouraging. Shashank: How badly do you want the Oscar award? Paresh: See winning is not important from here. That a film like this got nominated is a big deal. It has opened many vistas for us now as we will take the film to the world. But yes we will try our best to create a buzz. The company which promoted Taare Zameen Par and Rang De Basanti for Oscars will help us so funds will not be a problem, hopefully. Shashank: What kind of films would you like to do after Harishchandrachi Factory? Paresh: I am basically a creative person and wouldn’t like to get classified into a particular genre of films. I am inspired by Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, and Victorio De Sica. Their work is not just unconventional, but engaging. Shashank: So the stalwarts of cinema inspire you? Paresh: Yes, but I have studied Indian epics, literature etc a lot in the past decade. The Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata are enthralling pieces of work that keep surprising you. Shashank: What’s next then? There are a couple of subjects I have been thinking about but it’s too early to talk about them right now.