The Marathi film Shree Pundalik was released on May 18, 1912, which was almost a year before Dadasaheb Phalke released his full-length film, Raja Harishchandra. The silent film was directed by Ram Chandra Gopal Torne also known as Dadasaheb Torne who materialised into the very first Indian feature film made, although the film negatives about 1,500 feet and was 22 minutes long and was sent to London for processing. It was based on a Marathi Play by Ramrao Kirtikar. While the negative processing of the film was done overseas, the positives were released at Coronation Cinematograph, Girgaum.
Unfortunately, a lot of things about the film are unknown apart from the fact that it was based on the life of the Hindu saint Pudalik. A report about the film in Pune Times claimed that there is confusion over the history of Pundalik and nobody really has a clear argument to present. It is said that Dadasaheb Torne took help from a man who went by the name Johnson who recorded the play.
However, there is no solid evidence in favour of Torne. The film was written by Ramrao Kirtikar and was staged on Grant Road in Mumbai and was earlier recorded non-stop and from a fixed platform.
Torne was quite unsatisfied after seeing the recording of Shree Pundalik and decided to shoot the play in parts and join them later which may be called the beginning of film editing in India.
Many film fanatics argue that Shree Pundalik does not deserve the honour of being called the first Indian film because it was a photographic recording of a popular Marathi play, the cameraman was a British national and the film was processed in London. Many people also claim that Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra is more deserving for being the first Indian film as it was the motion silent film truly made in India.
While the debates continue, Shree Pundalik is still widely recognised as India’s first feature film.
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