Dadasaheb Torne

Dadasaheb Torne made movies in India.

He made the first big movie there. It was called Shree Pundalik. This film came out in 1912.

He worked hard to make his films. He even learned how to fix tools. He used a heavy camera to film plays.

He helped the movie world grow. He brought new tools from far away. He even helped start companies to sell movies.

Many people learned to make movies from him. He was a very important leader. Do you like to watch movies?

Dadasaheb Torne was a pioneer of Indian cinema.

He is often called the "Father of Indian cinema." In 1912, he made the first Indian feature film. It was called Shree Pundalik. This movie was about 22 minutes long. Torne used a very heavy camera to film it. Back then, there was no way to edit films. He had to film a whole play in one go.

Torne helped the movie world grow in many ways. He imported cameras and film from other countries. He also started companies to sell movies. This helped many other filmmakers start their own work. He even helped bring "talkies," or movies with sound, to India.

He started his own company called Saraswati Cinetone. His movie Sham Sundar became very famous. It helped many new actors and artists start their careers. Torne made many different movies in Hindi and Marathi. He was a director, a producer, and a sound expert. He spent his life making movies possible in India.

Dadasaheb Torne was a pioneer who helped start the movie industry in India.

He is often called the "Father of Indian cinema." In 1912, he made the very first Indian feature film. This movie was named Shree Pundalik. It was about 22 minutes long. This was a huge step for storytelling in India. Torne worked hard to make this dream a reality.

Making movies in the early days was a difficult job. Torne used a very heavy camera on a fixed platform. This meant he could only film from one angle. There was no way to edit or use close-up shots back then. The film was actually a recording of a play. Torne even learned how to join film parts together. This helped create the job of a film editor.

Torne's journey began in a small village called Malwan.

He was born there on April 13, 1890. After his father died, he and his mother lived in poverty. He left school early to find work in Mumbai. He learned how to fix electrical tools at a company. Later, he became very interested in theater and foreign films. This passion led him to make his own movies.

Torne did many important things for the film world. He and a friend named Mr. Chitre imported cameras from abroad.

He also started a company to distribute movies to different places. He helped bring "talkies," which are movies with sound, to India. He even advised Ardeshir Irani on making the first talkie, Alam Ara. Torne made about 17 different movies in his career. These films were in languages like Hindi and Marathi.

His work helped many other famous artists find their way.

He started a company called Saraswati Cinetone in Pune. His movie Sham Sundar was a very famous success. It helped new actors and music directors start their jobs. Torne was a director, a producer, and a sound expert. He spent his whole life helping the movie industry grow. Even though many of his films were lost, his impact remains.

Dadasaheb Torne was a pioneering figure in the history of Indian cinema. He is widely recognized for producing and directing the first Indian feature film, titled *Shree Pundalik*. This milestone occurred in 1912, predating the work of Dhundiraj Govind "Dadasaheb" Phalke. While Phalke is often called the father of Indian cinema, Torne holds a unique place in history. He achieved this feat by importing raw film and a movie camera from abroad. His film, *Shree Pundalik*, ran for approximately 1,500 feet, which is about 22 minutes of footage.

This film was released on May 18, 1912, at the Coronation movie theater in Mumbai. Its success was noted in *The Times of India*, which even claimed half of Mumbai's Hindu population had seen it.

Early filmmaking required immense technical skill and physical labor. During Torne's first production, the camera was a heavy opto-mechanical-electrical instrument. It sat on a fixed platform, which meant the director could only record from one angle. There were no close-up shots or advanced editing techniques available at that time. The film was essentially a recording of a stage play in film-mode. After viewing the initial footage, Torne realized the performance needed improvement. He decided to record the scenes in parts and join them together later. This innovation helped establish the essential role of the film editor in the industry.

Torne's professional life was marked by constant adaptation and business leadership. He was the first Indian to establish movie distribution offices and a distribution company. After working in Karachi, he eventually returned to Mumbai to start the "Movie Camera Company." This business became a vital resource for other filmmakers because it imported necessary instruments like cameras and film. Later, around 1929, he formed a joint venture called "Famous Pictures" with Baburao Pai. This company became a massive success, generating crores of rupees during the era of silent movies and talkies.

As technology changed, Torne focused on the transition from silent films to "talkies," or movies with sound. He recognized the growing popularity of sound technology and acted with foresight. He purchased the agency for Talkie-Machinery and learned to operate it with the help of Americans. Torne also acted as a mentor to other industry leaders. He advised Ardeshir Irani to start the Imperial Film Company and the Jyoti Studio. He further advised Irani to form the Sagar Film Company. These connections helped shape the infrastructure of the entire Indian film industry.

Torne's influence was directly responsible for the release of *Alam Ara* in 1931. This was India's first talkie, and it premiered at the Majestic Cinema Theater on March 14. The film received an overwhelming response from the public. Following this success, Torne supplied essential machinery to several other major studios, such as Prabhat, Ranajit, and Wadia. This supply of equipment helped signal the end of the silent film era. His ability to provide the tools for production allowed the talkie revolution to spread rapidly across the country.

In Pune, Torne established his own production house called Saraswati Cinetone. This company produced *Sham Sundar*, which was the first "Silver Jubilee" movie in Indian cinema history. This legendary production served as a starting point for many famous professionals. It introduced actors Shahu Modak and Shanta Apte, as well as music director Baapurao Ketkar. Torne's company also produced *Aout Ghatakecha Raja*, which featured the first double role in an Indian film. He was also known for his mastery of trick photography and optical effects in films like *Bhakta Pralhaad*.

Throughout his career, Torne directed or produced approximately 17 to 20 different film projects. These included titles such as *Sindabad the Sailor*, *Savitri*, and *Navardev*. His work spanned multiple languages, including Hindi and Marathi. He even produced a documentary titled *Akshar-Olakh* as a social commitment. Despite his vast contributions, much of his legacy was lost. Many of his original films and their sole copies were destroyed by fire. Additionally, he suffered a significant personal loss in 1947 when a colleague stole his expensive equipment. Torne passed away in his home, "Chandrika," on January 19, 1960. His life remains a testament to the beginnings of a global cinematic powerhouse.