While Dadasaheb Phalke’s contributions to Indian cinema are revered today, the story of how he made India’s first feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913), nearly went untold on the big screen. According to his grandson Chandrashekhar Srikrishna Pusalkar, despite years of research by writers Hindukush Bharadwaj and his son Avishkar, the project initially struggled to find backers.“They had approached many producers earlier, but nobody was willing to take it on. The producers felt the story didn’t have the masala of a mainstream entertainer,” Pusalkar told Mid-day.It was filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani who eventually saw value in the story and felt it was essential to honour the man often referred to as the ‘Father of Indian cinema’. “Mr Hirani said it was our duty to make a film on the man who put Indian cinema on the world map, and because of him, we have rozi-roti,” Pusalkar shared, adding that the acclaimed director was clear that this wasn’t about profit but legacy.Set against the independence era, with Aamir Khan in the leadThe biopic, which will be headlined by Aamir Khan, is set against the backdrop of India’s independence movement and will trace how Phalke transitioned from being a curious onlooker to a pioneering filmmaker. Shooting for the film is expected to begin in January 2026.The script will chronicle not just Phalke’s filmmaking journey but also his childhood in Trimbak near Nashik and the pivotal moment when he saw The Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ. “He thought, why shouldn’t our culture, gods, and goddesses be shown? That’s how Raja Harishchandra happened,” said Pusalkar.Equally significant is the role of Saraswatibai Phalke, his second wife, in the story. “My grandmother gave him her jewellery to help him go to London. She would sit in on the film’s editing and help him with reflectors on outdoor shoots,” he recalled.Pusalkar expressed his joy over Aamir Khan taking on the titular role. “He does everything with dedication and passion, and he will play Dadasaheb Phalke with the same sincerity. I’m sure he will do justice to my grandfather’s role.”
The origin of ‘Phalke’—a name rooted in serviceInterestingly, the surname ‘Phalke’ was not the family’s original name. “Our family’s surname is Bhatt,” revealed Pusalkar. “My grandfather’s ancestors used to supply cut banana leaves to the Peshwa kings for serving food, and that process was called making ‘phalke’ in Marathi. That led to the name.”While SS Rajamouli and Jr NTR have also announced a film on Phalke, the Aamir-Hirani collaboration has already stirred major buzz as one of the most anticipated biopics in the making.
