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“Autobio Pamphlet” (“Aatmapamphlet”), debuting in the Berlin Film Festival’s youth-focused Generation 14plus strand competition, takes on the twin tasks of telling the coming of age story of both its young protagonist and of India.

The Marathi-language film marks the directorial debut of Ashish Bende, who previously assisted on several films in India’s flourishing Marathi industry, including award-winning 1970s-set coming of age film “Shala” (2011).

The film depicts momentous occasions in the life of Ashish, a so-called “lower caste” boy from the Dalit community in 1980s and 1990s Maharashtra, who falls in love with his classmate from the so-called “upper caste” Brahmin community. The narrative is largely based on Bende’s childhood and teenage years. It follows Ashish and his friends – who are from a variety of castes and religions – as they realize the divisive nature of the caste system, and overcome the challenging socio-political changes around them through kinship and a celebration of differences.

After winning accolades in India and internationally, Paresh Mokashi, director of Harishchandrachi Factory, has now decided to enter the glamorous world of Bollywood. While he has made one of the most iconic films of Marathi cinema, Paresh this time around too, will be making a different film for Bollywood unlike its masala entertainers.

His upcoming film titled Bhaykatha Heer Ranjha Ki is a political satire that deals with the life of common people living around borders. Though the name suggests the epic tale of romance between Heer & Ranjha, the film won't be concentrating on it, instead a simple love story will just be a backdrop. The film in question essentially talks about the cruel ways people are punished by being tagged as 'terrorists' just because they trespass restricted areas around the border by mistake. In a light hearted manner, the film will also have a funny take on romance.

Sangeeta Ahir...

There is a fascinating but little-known prequel to Indian cinema that goes right back to silent films made in the 1890s

In October 1917, Hiralal Sen was sick, bankrupt and just a few days away from death when he received some cruel news. His brother's warehouse was on fire and, as it burned, Sen's career as a film-maker went up in flames. The warehouse contained the entire stock of the Royal Bioscope Company, the Sen brothers' firm, which showed and produced films in the Kolkata area in the early years of the 20th century. The blaze destroyed Sen's films, and with them much of the proof of India's early cinema history.

The centenary celebrations suggest that Indian film production began in 1913, but that is far from the truth. "The history of Indian cinema before 1913 is a fragmentary one, but it is no less interesting for that," says Luke McKernan, moving...

In its 2nd year, Cinema 100 – the annual celebration of films, organized by Whistling Woods International commenced today in Mumbai amidst high excitement and participation.

The day commenced with an engaging discussion on the ‘screenwriting panel’ between Subhash Ghai, Salim Khan and Anjum Rajabali on the perks or drawbacks and the role of screenwriters in the industry. With a brief summarization of the evolution of screenwriters in the industry and a mention of the recent Film Writers’ Movement, this rapid-fire panel discussion left the audience enthralled, who were fascinated to learn about the inner workings of the screenwriting industry. The session also entailed a discussion of the elements crucial in creating a good script.

Salim Khan shared with the audience his humble beginning in the industry. ‘The most important thing I’ve learnt is that you need to do a self-assessment. You need to know your weaknesses and finer points. Another...

During a year when Indian Cinema is celebrating 100 years since the first moving picture was made, the writers of BollySpice have decided to put together a feature series which pays tribute to this phenomenal and charismatic industry. Titled ‘Framing Movies’, this special series during the course of 2013 will chronicle and assess some of the greatest and most significant films that Hindi Cinema has ever produced during its 100 year history. They will attempt to persuade film lovers across the world why specific films deserve recognition, why you should watch them if you have never encountered them before, as well as why they deserve to be remembered for another 100 years. Whether it is Raja Harishchandra (1913), Mother India (1957) or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), these feature articles will illustrate the best of Hindi cinema. This series will Only explore Hindi cinema in the last 100 years and we acknowledge that by no means is the...

2012 turned out to be a year when a number of smaller or independent films made their way onto many Top Ten lists. But, as always, there are films that, for a number of reasons, risk being forgotten or overlooked, especially in a year where there are so many great films to choose from. Here are 13 films – 10 already released, 3 from the festival circuit – that you should have seen in 2012. It’s still not too late!

Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid (dir. Nila Madhab Panda)

It’s a massive shame that Nila Madhab Panda’s film didn’t get as much attention as his I Am Kalam, and also a shame that the film was released to DVD without English subtitles. Because Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid, like I Am Kalam, weaves an issue into a story about, and for, children and families, and the message it carries (about the value of women and...

Utv Motion Pictures has today announced the release date for Ghanchakkar as June 21, 2013.

Comic-thriller Ghanchakkar is directed by Rajkumar Gupta and stars Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan in the lead. This is the 3rd film in a row for Rajkumar Gupta and Utv after Aamirand No One Killed Jessica. The film has music by composer Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

About the movie

Ghanchakkar narrates the story of the protagonist (Emraan) who is an ex-conman named Sanju. He is laid back and has a taste for finer things in life. The problem is – he has an ambitious wife (played by Vidya) with her own notions of the world and therefore gets sucked into a ‘chakkar’ and has to suffer two thugs in the process – one with a bad ailment and one with a bad sense of humour, leading to madness, confusion and chaos and unleashing some mad cap characters in his life.

Amitabh Bachchan

The 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival will host a special section in the honour of Amitabh Bachchan. The festival will be inaugurated by Bachchan along with Shahrukh Khan.

Six of Bachchan starrer films: Saath Hindustani, Abhiman, Saudagar, Deewar, Black, and Cheeni Kum will be screened under the special section “Big Story” (Amitabh Bachchan).

The festival will run from 10th to 17th November, 2012. The eight day festival will host 170 films from 62 countries.

This year the festival will hold various special sections. Some of them are:

Centenary Tribute

This section will screen 13 films of Michelangelo Antonioni.

The Adventure (1960)

The Night (1961)

The Eclipse (1962)

The Red Desert (1964)

Identification of a Woman (1982)

People of the Po Valley (1947)

Lies of Love (1949)

Superstitions (1949)

Dustmen (1948)

Kumbha Mela (1989)

Roma 90 (1990)

Sicilia (1997)

Michelangelo Eye to Eye (2004)

200 Years Birth Anniversary Charles Dickens

Nicholas Nickleby by Douglas McGrath

The Pickwick Papers by Noel Langley

100 Years Of Indian Cinema

Raja Harishchandra by D.

Ranbir- Priyanka starrer Barfi! has been nominated as India's official entry to the Oscars in the category of 'Best Foreign Language Film'. The decision was taken at the Film Federation of India (Ffi) meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday night. Barfi! has beaten 19 other films to be named as India's official entry to the Oscars. Announcing her joy, Priyanka tweeted, "Yaaaaaay!!India's official entry to the Oscars!!! Anurag sir,Rk,Ills,ronnie,Sid n all! Wish I was in India to share this! Go team!" "We are honoured that Barfi! has been selected to represent India as its official entry to the Academy Awards 2013. Barfi! is very close to the hearts of all of us at Utv, and it gives us great satisfaction that a film we have developed and nurtured from its inception has met with so much love from audiences and critics worldwide," said Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director of Studios,...

Anurag Basu’s Barfi! has been chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars. This was announced by the Film Federation of India in Hyderabad on Saturday evening. “Barfi! has indeed been chosen as the country’s official entry this year,” Ffi secretary general Suparn Sen told Ians.

The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, tells the heartwarming tale about friendship and love between a deaf and mute boy and an autistic girl. The film has received unanimous praise from critics and public all over the world.

Managing Director of Utv, Siddharth Roy Kapur is estactic. “We are honoured that Barfi! has been selected to represent India as its official entry to the Academy Awards 2013. Barfi! is very close to the hearts of all of us at Utv, and it gives us great satisfaction that a film we have developed and nurtured from its inception has met with...

Barfi! directed by Anurag Basu has been selected as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards 2013 in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The shortlisted films comprised Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar, Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur Parts I and II, Rajan Khosa’s Gattu, Gurvinder Singh’s Anhey Ghore Da Daan, Umesh Kulkarni’s Deool and Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine among others.

Barfi! starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra released in India on September 14, 2012.

“We are honoured that Barfi! has been selected to represent India as its official entry to the Academy Awards 2013. Barfi! is very close to the hearts of all of us at Utv, and it gives us great satisfaction that a film we have developed and nurtured from its inception has met with so much love from audiences and critics worldwide. An added...

Whistling Woods International is hosting a 3 day film-festival from June 1 to celebrate 100 years of Indian Cinema. Entry to this festival is free.

Ar Rahman will inaugurate the festival and choreographer Saroj Khan will conduct a workshop on the inaugural day of the festival.

Film critic Khalid Mohammed will conduct a workshop on Film Appreciation. Film Critic Rajiv Masand, R Balki (Director: Paa) along with Habib Faisal (Director: Ishaqzaade) will share their knowledge in a Panel Discussion on June 3.

There will be free workshops in: Acting, Dance, Direction, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Animation, 3D technology and commerce of cinema.

Some of the films to be screened at this event are: Raja Harishchandra, Harishchandrachi Factory, 36 Chowringee Lane, Amar Akbar Anthony, Awaara, Bandit Queen, Charulata, Fearless: The Hunterwali Story, Guide, Mother India, The Artist among others.

Schedule on: www.whistlingwoods.net To register call: 022-30916000/ 09960943999/ 09920320496 or Email at register.cinema100@whistlingwoods.net...

PVR Cinemas has come up with a new initiative called PVR Rare Film Club where an evening show on Thursdays will be devoted to screening of ‘alternative’ films. The inaugural PVR Rare Film Club screening will be Oscar nominated—Harishchandrachi Factory in Ahemdabad and Chennai on November 3, 2011.

The screenings will begin in Delhi and Ncr at PVR Anupam Saket and PVR Ambience Mall from November 10. PVR Rare Film Club will next come to Mumbai in December.

Though it is called a Film Club, there is no formal membership for these screenings. Tickets will be available at normal rates at PVR Box-office or at www.pvrcinemas.com.

PVR Rare Film Club will not have any DVD screenings. It aims to bring rare films to the audiences as part of its plans for programming of alternative films.

“We are closely working with all the major studios like Paramount, Warner, Sony, Disney, Utv...

Naya Cinema Festival will be held in Mumbai from July 15-31, 2011. Organized by Taj Enlighten Film Society, the festival will screen first or second films of directors who have made “path-breaking” cinema in India.

Gandu, directed by Kaushik Mukherjee will be the opening film of the festival. Two of Mani Kaul’s films will be screened at the festival as a homage to the filmmaker who died last week.

The other films to screen at the festival are Udaan, Do Dooni Chaar, Inshallah Football, Mirch Masala, Main Zinda Hoon, John and Jane, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Shor in the City, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Dil Chahta Hai, Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door, Ocean of an Old Man, Black Friday, Girni (short film), Vihir, Harishchandrachi Factory and 36 Chowrighee Lane.

Festival Passes are available for Rs 500. For passes, registration can be done at http://enlighten.co.in/frm​Registration.

Utv World Movies will telecast Harishchandrachi Factory on 20 February, 2011 at 9pm.Harishchandrachi Factory is a 2009 Marathi film, directed by Paresh Mokashi, depicting the struggle of Dadasaheb Phalke in making India's first feature film, Raja Harishchandra in 1913.Phalke had abandoned a well established printing business after a quarrel with his business partner. He gave his word to the worried partner that he would never enter into the printing business again as competition. Phalke got instantly unemployed and workless. The family was struggling to ...

This August, The Taj Enlighten Film Society will screen films made by five great directors. The films being showcased are Nine, The Aviator, Harishchandrachi Factory, Chaplin and Jaquot De Nantes. Nine: It is a musical romantic film by Rob Marshall based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film, 8½. The film is unapologetically brash and sexy in depicting the Italian director’s life in a dazzling way. The Aviator: Here, Martin Scorsese depicts the life of an industrialist, philanthropist and director called Howard Hughes. Harishchandrachi Factory: A little gem of a film by Paresh Mokashi, it depicts the life of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father ...

The 10th edition of Imagineindia Film Festival will take place in Madrid from 17th to 31st May - 2011. Entries have been invited for the festival. Imagineindia 2011 will present more than 90 films. It will pay homages to Stanley Donnen, Geraldine Chaplin, Rolf De Heer, Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

Imagineindia Barcelona 2010 will take place at Casa Asia in Barcelona in September. The films that will be screened in the festival are Firaaq by Nandita Das (Winner of 3 Imagineindia Awards in Madrid), Aamir by Rajkumar Gupta, Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Ane Ki Barish by Deepti Naval, Gulaal by Anurag Kashyap, Harishchandrachi Factory by Paresh Mokashi, Supermen Of Malegaon by Faiza Ahmed Khan, Kharij by Mrinal Sen, Teen Kanya by Satyajit Ray, Ajantrik by Ritwik Ghatak, Little Zizou by Sooni Taraporevala, Khamosh Pani by Sabiha Sumar.

The Taj Enlighten Film Society will organize a film festival ‘The Directors Biography’ in the month of August. Five biographies of great directors will be screened over the month as part of the festival. The films are Nine, The Aviator, Harishchandrachi Factory, Chaplin and Jaquot De Nantes.The first film Nine is a musical romantic film by Rob Marshall which itself is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½. In a way, the film is a reinterpretation of Fellini’s inner worlddrawing from the original 1963 masterpiece.

In Aviator, director Martin Scorsese depicts the life of an industrialist, philanthropist and above all a great director called Howard Hughes. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.Harishchandrachi Factory by Paresh Mokashi depicts the life of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema. Chaplin is Richard Attenborough’s homage to the great legend Charlie Chaplin in 1992 while Jaquot De Nantes is a documentary on...

There's much secret consternation and annoyance among prominent filmmakers in Bollywood over the selection of Prakash Jha's two films Raajneeti and Gangaajal as the opening and closing films of the brand new Indian Film Festival in Ireland. Other filmmakers whose works have been selected include Jahnu Barua (Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara), Nagesh Kukunoor (Dor), Navdeep Singh (Manorana Six Under), J P Dutta (Umrao Jaan), Paresh Mokashi (Harishchandrachi Factory), Nikhil Advani (Kal Ho Na Ho), Balki (Paa), Vishal Bhardwaj (The Blue Umbrella). Most of the above have confirmed that they would not be attending the Bollywood festival in Dublin. And one of them on condition of anonymity expressed surprise and dismay at the prominence given to Jha's cinema. "I agree he has made hard-hitting political films. But you can't call Gangaajal or Raajneeti representative of Indian cinema. Their politics makes them very culture-specific works." However, Prakash Jha basking in...

Even before it opened, the first Indian Film Festival in Ireland has been mired in controversy over the opening and closing films, both of which are made by Prakash Jha, who is known for his hard-hitting cinematic offerings.

Jha's latest work "Raajneeti" and "Gangaajal," his most acclaimed work to date, will be screened on the opening and closing days of the film festival, which began Friday.

This has caused much annoyance among prominent filmmakers whose films will be shown between the opening and closing days.

Filmmakers such as Jahnu Barua ("Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara"), Nagesh Kukunoor ("Dor"), Navdeep Singh ("Manorama Six Feet Under"), J. P. Dutta ("Umrao Jaan"), Paresh Mokashi ("Harishchandrachi Factory"), Nikhil Advani ("Kal Ho Na Ho"), Balki ("Paa") and Vishal Bhardwaj ("The Blue Umbrella") will also be representing Indian cinema in Dublin.

Even before it opened, the first Indian Film Festival in Ireland has been mired in controversy over the opening and closing films, both of which are made by Prakash Jha, who is known for his hard-hitting cinematic offerings.

Jha's latest work "Raajneeti" and "Gangaajal," his most acclaimed work to date, will be screened on the opening and closing days of the film festival, which began Friday.

This has caused much annoyance among prominent filmmakers whose films will be shown between the opening and closing days.

Filmmakers such as Jahnu Barua ("Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara"), Nagesh Kukunoor ("Dor"), Navdeep Singh ("Manorama Six Feet Under"), J. P. Dutta ("Umrao Jaan"), Paresh Mokashi ("Harishchandrachi Factory"), Nikhil Advani ("Kal Ho Na Ho"), Balki ("Paa") and Vishal Bhardwaj ("The Blue Umbrella") will also be representing Indian cinema in Dublin.

June 25, 2010: There’s much secret consternation and annoyance among prominent filmmakers in Bollywood over the selection of Prakash Jha’s two films Raajneeti and Gangaajal as the opening and closing films of the brand new ‘Indian Film Festival’ in Ireland .

Other filmmakers whose works have been selected include Jahnu Barua(Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara), Nagesh Kukunoor(Dor), Navdeep Singh(Manorana Six Under), J P Dutta(Umrao Jaan), Paresh Mokashi(Harishchandrachi Factory) , Nikhil Advani(Kal Ho Na Ho), Balki(Paa) and Vishal Bhardwaj(The Blue Umbrella).

Most of the.

Paresh Mokashi, Writer, Director of the Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory or The Factory Of Harishchandra, India's entry to the Oscars, while on a visit to Digital Academy - The Film School, surprised the students when he said that he had never assisted any Film maker before he started making this film and also revealed that the first time that he ever visited a Film set was for this debut film of his. He had been part of Marathi theatre for a long time as an actor, writer and...

Laxmikant Shetgaonkar’s The Man Beyond The Bridge (Paltadacho Munis) won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the 8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Dilip Mehta’s Cooking With Stella receiving an Honorable Mention in the category.

Nishta Jain’s At My Doorstep was named winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary and Deepa Bhatia’s Nero’S Guests received Honorable Mention. Ritesh Batra’s Gareeb Nawaz’S Taxi won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film with Anjoo Khosla’s Wahid’S Mobile Bookstore receiving an Honorable Mention.

Audience Choice Awards went to Paresh Mokashi’s Harishchandrachi Factory for Narrative, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam’s The Sun Behind The Clouds: Tibet’S Struggle For Freedom for Documentary and Terrie Samundra’s Kunjo for the Short Film category.

Paresh Mokashi may have been India’s lone torchbearer at the Oscars this year for Harishchandrachi Factory, but the filmmaker himself considers it as a most unlikely thing to happen.“I had never thought about an Oscar nomination while filming,” says Mokashi. Neither does he expect “to be in the league some of the most extraordinary” gentlemen — Mokashi is currently being showcased in the Utv World Movies’ ‘50 Movies To See Before You Die’ series. “Oh, I’ve seen the likes [Akira] Kurosawa here,” he says. “It’s an honour.” Though he is currently working on two projects, Mokashi doesn’t prefer current Hindi films ...

The ninth edition of the Imagineindia film festival will run from May 18 to 29 in Madrid, Spain. 77 films from 18 countries will be screened at 10 venues out of which 41 films are from India, 21 Asian and 15 international.

The three major sections at the festival will be: Indian Section, Asian Section and International Section.

Gulal  by Anurag Kashyap , Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Ane Ki Barish by Deepti Naval, Kutty Shrank  by Shaji Karun, Little Zizou by Sooni Taraporevala, Khargosh  by  Paresh Kamdar, Aadmi Ki Aurat Aur Anya Kahaniya  by Amit Dutta, My name is Khan by Karan Johar, Harishchandrachi Factory by Paresh Mokashi will compete in the Indian section of the festival.

The Indian section will also offer retrospectives of Kumar Shahani, Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray.                

 ...

Two of the most critically acclaimed Bollywood films of 2009—'3 Idiots' and 'Kaminey'—will be featured at the 8th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) in April.

The festival, which showcases Indian-related films from around the world, runs from April 20 to April 25 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. This year, the festival will screen 33 films from 5 countries, including 4 world premieres and 7 U.S. premieres.

"This is a true celebration of the art and business of Indian film and culture as well as an opportunity to connect with the game changers and emerging filmmakers of Indian-themed content," said Christina Marouda, Iffla's executive director.

'3 Idiots,' a coming-of-age comedy directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and starring Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi, is the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, collecting more than $80 million worldwide, including a decent take from the U.S.

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has announced the 2010 line-up of films for its 8th annual festival, which runs April 20-April 25 at ArcLight Hollywood. The six-day festival will showcase 33 films from 5 countries, including 4 world premieres and 7 Us premieres.

“This is a true celebration of the art and business of Indian film and culture as well as an opportunity to connect with the game changers and emerging filmmakers of Indian themed content,’ said Christina Marouda, Iffla’s Executive Director. “As filmmakers of Indian descent forge new relationships in Hollywood, we invite moviegoers and industry professionals to experience our unique and wide ranging program which includes thought-provoking dramas, engaging documentaries, along with a touch of light hearted fare and a taste of Bollywood.”

Kicking off the festival is the Los Angeles premiere and directorial debut of Dilip Mehta‘s Cooking With Stella, starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, and Don McKellar.

Harishchandrachi Factory is a film about India's first feature film Raja Harishchandra and the road director Dadasaheb Phalke took to get it made. Produced by Utv Motion Pictures, Paprika Media and Mayasabha, the film stars the likes of Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande, Mohit Gokhale and is directed by Paresh Mokashi.

Watch the video below to get a glimpse of what this film is about.

With a budget of Rs 4 crore, Harishchandrachi Factory is the most expensive Marathi film ever made. Keeping this in mind, director Paresh Mokashi knew that it would take a while for his movie to recover its investment.“It’s not a Shah Rukh Khan film releasing with 300 prints that it could be expected to break even in three days. We’re almost through the second week and still not in the profit bracket. But I’m not worried. The way the film has fared, both critically and commercially, has come as a pleasant shock to me,” exults Mokashi.Siddharth ...

Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory, India's official entry for the upcoming Oscars, has been voted out in the Foreign Language Film category but director Paresh Mokashi is “taking it in good spirit”. “I'm not at all disappointed. I've taken it as any other competition result. Getting selected on the first hand is in itself is a big achievement for us,” Mokashi told Ians on phone from Mumbai. “Being selected among 20 other languages as an Indian film was a huge thing for us. You have to accept any competition's result and we've taken it in good spirit. It's part of the ...

Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory, India's official entry for the Oscars, has been voted out in the Foreign Language Film category. Harishchandrachi Factory is Mumbai-based theatre actor-director Paresh Mokashi's debut film that is on the making of Raja Harishchandra, India's first full length feature film made in 1913 by the pioneer of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke. Nine films have been selected for the next round of voting for the 82nd Academy Awards, said a press statement. 65 films had originally qualified in the category. The final list will be announced on February 2, while the award ceremony will take ...

New Delhi, Jan 21 (Ians) Marathi film ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, India’s official entry for the upcoming Oscars, has been voted out in the Foreign Language Film category but director Paresh Mokashi is ‘taking it in good spirit’.

‘I’m not at all disappointed. I’ve taken it as any other competition result. Getting selected on the first hand is in itself is a big achievement for us,’ Mokashi told Ians on phone from Mumbai.

‘Being.

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Ians) A special screening of Marathi film ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, India’s official entry to the Oscars, was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Saturday evening.

The film, that will hit theatres Jan 29, was screened at the President’s Estate auditorium in the presence of President Pratibha Patil and its director Paresh Mokashi. The lead cast of the movie, including Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande, and noted theatre and film actor Mohan Agashe were present at the screening.

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Not only has the film Harishchandrachi Factory won numerous awards at prestigious film festivals, it is also India's selection for the Academy Awards. The film is about India's first feature film Raja Harishchandra and the road director Dadasaheb Phalke took to get it made. Starring Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande, Mohit Gokhale and directed by Paresh Mokashi the film is set to release on January 29th.

Here is a look at not only the synopsis, but also the theatrical trailer as well.

Dadasaheb Phalke had abandoned a well established printing business after a quarrel with his business partner. He gave his word to the worried partner that he would never enter into the printing business again as competition! Phalke got instantly unemployed and workless. The family was struggling to survive.

One day he accidentally stumbled across a tent theatre that was screening a silent motion picture. He was awestruck with the film.

India's official entry to the next Oscars is Paresh Mokashi's Harishchandrachi Factory, a work in Marathi. Happily, this is one of the better films that India made this year. For decades, the nation of a billion-plus people and 1200-odd movies a year has been callously sending up for possible Oscar nomination B and C grade stuff. The Mumbai-based Film Federation of India, in charge of selection, has been largely Hindi centric, overlooking cinema from other regions. Since 1956 -- the year the Academy started presenting Oscars for foreign language pictures -- only three Indian movies, Mother India ...

Can you believe it? Marathi film, Harishchandrachi Factory, India’s current nomination for Oscar Awards, 2010, would have been produced under Shahrukh Khan’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment. But then fate had other plans!

Reveals an insider, “Paresh Mokashi, the director of Harishchandrachi Factory’s director, had approached Juhi Chawla hoping a backing for his debut project. Doing the needful, Juhi forwarded this project to her ex-partner, Shahrukh Khan’s company, Red Chillies.

Can you believe it? India’s current nomination for Oscars 2010, the Marathi film, Harishchandrachi Factory would have been produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment. But then fate had other plans!

Reveals an insider source, “Paresh Mokashi, Harishchandrachi Factory’s director, had approached Juhi Chawla hoping a backing for his debut project. Doing the needful, Juhi forwarded this project to her ex-partner, Shah Rukh Khan’s company, Red Chillies.

The 2009 Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory, the debut film from veteran theatre director Paresh Mokashi ( and for which he has won a number of awards) was selected in September 2009 as India's entry in the Foreign Language Film category for the 82nd Academy Awards. The film is slated for an India-wide release on January 22, 2010. Promotion for the film has already begun: the film's website has been live for a while now, and there's also a Facebook fan page for the film. Recently Utv Motion Pictures (the film's distributor) sent out a different teaser trailer than the one found on the official site, one showing snippets of scenes from India’s first feature film, Raja Harishchandra(1913). Directed by D.G. (aka Dadasaheb) Phalke, (the father of Indian cinema), Raja Harishchandra was a silent film based on the legend of King Harishchandra (found in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata).

Mokashi's film emphasizes the...

Last month, while Paresh Mokashi was in the Us to check out his film’s ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ prospect at the Oscars, he got a chance to screen the quirky bio-pic on the father of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke at the Smithsonian University in Washington University on November 7, followed by another screening at the University Of Southern California on November 8.

“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.”

Unlike Mahatma Gandhi who was a global household name when Richard Attenborough’s film came along, Dadasaheb Phalke was relatively unknown to the Americans until this film.

Says.

If you asked me what films I'd like to see in the final 5 tally, I would love to see the Academy embrace non-mainstream items such as the Romanian pic from Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective) and Bong Joon-ho's Mother (South Korea)... - Finally. With a disqualification here and there, the official list of countries competing for a nomination and then Oscar gold have been submitted and now its time to make some prognostications as to who among 65 will make the final five, or final three, since Sony Pictures Classics have a slam dunk in Palme d'or winner Haneke's The White Ribbon and Jacques Audiard's A Prophet - a "second place" winner at Cannes. If you asked me what films I'd like to see in the final 5 tally, I would love to see the Academy embrace non-mainstream items such as the Romanian pic from Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective) and...

The October 1st deadline for all countries wanting into the Academy Award's foreign-language film category has come and gone, but you wouldn't know it since no official list of films submitted has been published. - The October 1st deadline for all countries wanting into the Academy Award's foreign-language film category has come and gone, but you wouldn't know it since no official list of films submitted has been published. You could go tooth and nail on the web and film trades and you'd come up with nada, nothing, zero and zilch – and that goes for the official site. The Lemon of the Week goes to the Oscars for not publishing an official list, which sounds like a trivial complaint, but how difficult can it be for them to collect the titles, include the last minute additions and proudly issue a press release listing all participating nations/first round of nomination hopefuls.

‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, India’s official entry to Oscar Awards this year, is doing the rounds of various film festivals and has also been critically appreciated.

The Marathi film, which is directed by theatre-veteran Paresh Mokashi depicts the struggle of Dadasaheb Phalke in making India’s first feature film ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913. A film, that narrates the birth of Indian cinema and the beginning of one of the world’s biggest film industry.

But as we get to know the making of ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, we find out that the film was tough to make even in these times, as director Paresh Mokashi had to run from pillar to post to get this film financed.

And here is where the actress par excellence.

New Delhi, Dec 2 (Ians) Utv Motion Pictures plans to release Marathi film “Harishchandrachi Factory”, India’s official entry for the Oscars, Jan 22 next year.

“Indian audiences will get to watch the film on January 22 and we are confident its appeal will reach across all audiences irrespective of language,” Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of Utv Motion Pictures, said in a statement Wednesday.

Co-produced by Paprika Media and Mayasabha Production, the Dadasaheb Phalke biopic is the directorial debut of Paresh Mokashi. Starring Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande in the lead, “Harishchandrachi Factory” is also competing at the Golden Globes and the British Academy (BAFTA) awards.

“We.

After winning the hearts of audiences abroad at various film festivals across the globe, Harishchandrachi Factory is set for its All-India release. Utv Motion Pictures has scheduled the release of this much-loved film on 22nd January, 2010 across India. Harishchandrachi Factory is India's official entry for the 82nd Academy Awards and has been co-produced by Paprika Media and Mayasabha Production. Harishchandrachi Factory is Paresh Mokashi's directorial debut and stars extremel...

Harishchandrachi Factory, India's official entry to the 82nd Academy Awards, is a fictionalized account of legendary Dadasaheb Phalke's life. It also marks Paresh Mokashi's transition from Marathi theatre to Marathi cinema. Dadasaheb Phalke's Rajah Harishchandra set a milestone in Indian film industry by making the country's first full length film and marked the country's entry into the world of motion picture. Paresh Mokashi's Harishchandrachi Factory is a look at the man and filmmaker. Mokashi has been associated with Marathi theatre for over the past 20 years, his work experimental, yet vivid and humourous....

From Albania to Vietnam, 65 countries are hoping that their film entries will get picked to fill one of the five slots for Best Foreign Language Film for the 82nd annual Academy Awards.

Five slots, 65 countries, the competition is fierce! Our friends from Variety gave us this list, is your country of choice one of the 65 hopefuls?

I'm happy that my home country, the Philippines, has a fighting chance with the dramedy "Ded na si Lolo" ("Grandpa is Dead"). Take a look at the complete list.

Albania

Alive!

(Artan Minarolli)

Synopsis: A carefree Albanian student gets drawn into an ancient blood feud when he returns home for a funeral, only to find himself a wanted man.

Awards: Belgrade Film Festival B2B development grant

Sales: Wildart Film

Argentina

El secreto de sus ojos

(Juan Jose Campanella)

Synopsis: An ambitious, complex work that combines two generation-spanning love stories, a noirish thriller, some...

Utv's co-production, Harishchandrachi Factory is now India's official entry for the 82nd Academy Awards. The film has been co-produced with Paprika Media and Mayasabha Production. Utv has recently kicked off its campaign for the Academy Awards, which will include a targeted and aggressive media burst and extensive screenings in Los Angeles in October and November.Harishchandrachi Factory, written and directed by Paresh Mokashi, is an account of the incredible journey undertaken by Dadasaheb Phalke to make India's very first motion ...

Director Paresh Mokashi has seen his application for a Us visa turned down by a consulate in Mumbai. Mokashi, who intended to visit Los Angeles to promote his directorial debut Harishchandrachi Factory, was denied a visa because he did not have the appropriate paperwork. He told The Times of India: "I don't really blame them. I didn't have a face that was instantly recognisable. They didn't know who I was and I had no papers to prove I had made a film that had been sent to the Oscars. "This was my (more)...

The Us Consulate in Mumbai has troubled director Paresh Mokashi. The director, whose film Harishchandrachi Factory, was chosen as India’s entry to the Oscars, is unable to get a Us visa as the Consulate is unaware of his credentials and identity.

Mokashi is supposed to be in Los Angeles from November 2 to promote his film but he is still waiting for a visa. He states the reason this is happening is because he is not very famous and also because he did not have any documents to prove that he made a film which was sent to the Oscars. The only documents that prove this are with Utv.

Since he has never been to the Us, he had no idea as to how things work. However, Utv has stepped in to submit the required documents.

Mokashi.