American curiosity about Dadasaheb Phalke

Last month, while Paresh Mokashi was in the US to check his film Harishchandrachi Factory’s prospects at the Oscars, he got a chance to screen the biopic on the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, at the Smithsonian University in Washington, followed by another screening at the University Of Southern California. “These two major screenings were followed by other smaller screenings in schools and universities. I was completely floored by the American curiosity about Dadasaheb Phalke,” says Mokashi.

Mokashi, who is happy with the response he is getting to his film, says, “The Americans had vaguely heard of the father of Indian cinema. But not many of them were familiar with our films. To my surprise, they responded to my Marathi film on Phalke without language barriers. They laughed at the right places, cried at the right places and held their peace when needed.”

But for the India release of Harishchandrachi Factory on January 22, Mokashi is gearing up for a dubbed Hindi version. He reveals, “I know the flavour of the dialogue will be lost in translation. But the important thing is to take the film to a wider audience. I’d rather have Phalke speak in Hindi than restrict his views to a Marathi-speaking audience.”

Mokashi refuses to see the Oscars as a reason to lobby. He denies having any interaction with the judges and says, “The process of selection for the nomination is done in utmost secrecy. I wasn’t supposed to meet any member of the Oscar committee or jury. I just submitted the film for their viewing and left.”

On the way back from Los Angeles, he stopped in London to submit Harishchandrachi Factory for the BAFTA (the British Academy Of Film & Television Arts) too. “Now I’ll go back only if I’m nominated for the Oscars or the BAFTA,” promises Mokashi.