Request for befitting recognition of Phalke: Grandsons

The grandchildren of Dadasaheb Phalke have sought a befitting recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema by posthumously conferring on him the Bharat Ratna. The two grandsons have made this humble request on the occasion of Phalke’s 143rd birth anniversary that is being observed today, 30 April. They even went on to add that even their grandmother Saraswati, who was India’s first film technician, should also be accorded a similar honour. “When Dadasaheb Phalke was all alone, she stood by him like a rock. Saraswati managed her family of nine children, held white bed sheets for hours in the blazing sun as a light reflector, mixed film developing chemicals, perforated the raw film sheets at night in the light of a candle cooked food for the entire film unit comprising 60-70 people and generally was his Woman Friday,” said one of the grandsons in praise of his grandmother. The grandsons feel that the time is ripe to honour the man who is called the ‘Father of Indian Cinema’ and to whose credit goes the laying of the foundations for what is now among the biggest film industries in the world.