90th Anniversary Of Prabhat Film Company

 Jyothi Venkatesh

In the Indian film industry the‘Prabhat Era’ is engraved in golden letters. Parvatibai Damle installed the Holy Kalash on the 1^st of June 1929. Damlemama, S. Fatelal, V. Shantaram and Dhaibar learnt their lessons on film making under Baburao and Anandrao Painter at the ‘Maharashtra Film Company’. These four left Maharashtra Film Company. Each one was possessed with the idea of starting one’s own film company. Sitarampant Kulkarni of the well known Sarafi Pedhi in Kolhapur was an old friend of Damlemama. He had full faith in Damlemama.Sitarampant gave the initial capital to Damlemama.V. Shantaramand Dhaibar joinedDamlemama-Fatelal and Prabhat was established on 1^stof June 1929, at Mangalwar Peth, Kolhapur. Today Prabhat completes ninety years.

In three years, from 1929 to1932 Prabhat produced six silent movies. In 1932, ‘Ayodhyecha Raja’the first talkie was produced. Till date this oldest talkie is preserved in very good condition.In the year1934 Prabhat was relocated to Prabhat Nagar, Pune. The construction was completed under watchful eyes of Damlemama. In those days Prabhat was known as the largest studio in Asia.

From 1932 to1934 Prabhat produced six talking films. Prabhat became famous in the film world and among the cine-goers. In 1933 Prabhat produced ‘Sairandri’ the first colour film in India. Today, in 2019 the Film and Television Institute stands grandly in the Prabhat Complex. Whenever we meet students at this institute, they are always overwhelmed. They speak with great pride and respect about the film ‘Sant Tukaram’. With what thoughts did Damlemama build this studio? A hundred pranams.

From 1934 to 1957 was Prabhat s period in Pune. During that period 26 movies were produced, of which 9 films created history. These movies were taken note of by the international film fraternity.

In the year 1957 Prabhat shut down. From 1957 to1959 S. H. Kelkar ran the studio. Later, in the year 1961 the Government of India bought the studio and established the ‘Film and Television Institute. It was Damlemama’s dream that at Prabhat training should be provided in film making. It did not happen at Prabhat, but ‘F.T.I.I.’ stands there, proudly, in the complex that he built.

In 1957 after Prabhat shut down, the rights of all the movies were also sold. This invaluable treasure of vintage films is slowly vanishing. This history of Indian films too is getting hazy. There was a time when the question arose, how does one watch these world famous movies of Prabhat? Luckily in 1969 there were some excellent opportunities. My father Anantrao Damle bought the rights of all the movies of Prabhat. Then these movies were screened in the villages for weeks together. Movie lovers got back their heritage. Once again the Prabhat era commenced. With changing times we brought out these movies in the form of videos and DVD’s. Digitization of rare photographs, documents and movies are being done today by us, the Damle family.

My mother, Arunatai Damle, for many years has been giving public performances based on Prabhat film songs, which have been enjoyed by the people. ‘Marathi Chitrapat- Sangeetachi Vatchal’ a study written by Arunatai has won a national award.

Two documentaries produced by Damle family have also won national awards. In the year 2004, on the 75^th anniversary of Prabhat we produced the documentary ‘It’s Prabhat. In the year 2012 we produced the documentary ‘Vishnupant Damle’. While carrying forward the legacy of Prabhat, these three awards should be specially mentioned.

Very recently, a new venture Prabhat Studios has been started to edit documentaries. Prabhat had made 15 documentaries and short films. Out of these, we have made DVDs of a few short films. There was a time when many artistes and technicians in the industrysought a chance to work at Prabhat so that they could learn something new. Those at Prabhat had from time to time chosen wisely from among the common men and transformed them into great artistes. In a way it was a gift by Prabhat to the world of cinema. Dev Anand made his debut in the year 1946 with the film ‘Hum Ek Hai’, which was a Prabhat production.

5 or 6 years ago we had been to ‘Madagascar’. To see a special animal ‘Lemur’ we went to a sanctuary. There a shooting was going on to make a 3D film on lemur. For 3 days they would not permit anybody in. We were quite upset. Then my wife told one of the lady officers there that we had come all the way from India to see the Lemur. She told them that I was Anil Damle and that I belonged to the Damle family of Prabhat Studios, that my grandfather had directed the films ‘Sant Tukaram’ and ‘Sant Dnyaneshwar’, hearing that the lady (Patroshia Right) stood up. Very respectfully she said that in the Film making course in California, Sant Tukaram was the first movie that was screened. You are from that Damle family, saying that she sent one of her colleague with us and permitted us to visit the sanctuary. The Prabhat magic still holds. And it will remain so because the Prabhat art is timeless!

The greatness and magic of Prabhat was so strong that in many villages and towns cinema theatres named Prabhat came into existence. Even today many Marathi film music programs start with Prabhat’s ‘lakh lakh chanderi’.

Glorious 90 years History of Prabhat:

1. 1930-‘Bajar Battu’ First Indian movie with child artistes in main roles.
2. 1932 -First Marathi talkie ‘Ayodhyecha Raja’.
3. 1933 –Prabhat’s ‘Jalti Nishani’ released in Africa.

          -Produced India’s first colour film ‘Sairandri’.

-M.F. Hussain paints for the booklet on the movie ‘SInhagad'

4. 1935 –Amrutmanthan at Venice Film Festival.

-          Bal Gandharva plays the role of Sant Eknath.

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5. 1936    - Produced by Prabhat, directed by Damle-Fatelal ‘Sant Tukaram’ is declared as one of the three best films in the world. The first Indian movie to receive an international honour.

   - First time a movie ‘Amarjyot’ has life at sea as backdrop.

  -‘Sant Tukaram’ sets new records. It ran for a record57 weeks.

6. 1937 - In the movie ‘Kunku’ a song is recorded without music. First experiment in India.

7. 1938 –‘Duniya na mane’ screened at Venice International Film Festival.  Wins ‘Gohar gold medal’.
8. 1939 – For the film ’Manoos’ multi-language songs recorded. Again a first’
9. 1941 – ‘Sant Dnyaneshwar’ released in America. First Indian movie to be released in America.
10. 1942 – V. Shantaram leaves Prabhat.
11. 1945 – Damlemama dies aged53.
12. 1946 – Dev Anand makes his debut with Prabhat’s ‘Hum ek hai’.
13. 1957 –S.H.Kelkar buys the Prabhat company.
14. 1959 – Kelkar sells the company to the Government of India.
15. 1961 – F.T.I.I. established.
16. 1969 Anantrao Damle buys the rights of all the movies of ‘Prabhat’ from Shri Mudaliar. 12-14 years after the studio ceased to exist, most of the movies had vanished. After that Prabhat movies were screened in villages. Once again the Prabhat era began.

 With changing times we brought out these movies in the form of videos and DVD’s. Digitization of rare photographs, documents and movies are being done today by us, the Damle family. My mother, Arunatai Damle, for many years has been giving public performances based on Prabhat film songs, which have been enjoyed by the people. ‘Marathi Chitrapat- Sangeetachi Vatchal’ a study written by Arunatai has won a national award.

Two documentaries produced by Damle family have also won national awards. In the year 2005, ‘It’s Prabhat. In the year 2012 we produced the documentary ‘Vishnupant Damle’. Recently with Navprabhat we are editing the short films.

17. 1972 – With the opening ceremony, the movie telecast was the 1940 Prabhat’s Sant Dnyaneshwar’.

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