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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s...

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s Secretariat at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replied to Sarda on forwarding his complaint to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action. It further stated that action taken in the matter must be conveyed directly to Sarda. “It’s a pleasant surprise indeed that the President has taken serious note of the issue of insults to the National Flag at night-clubs, pubs, lounges, sports bars and other places all over the country. The blatant mishandling of the National Flag also violates the specially laid-down provisions of the Flag Code of India,” said Sarda. He pointed out that the Tricolor is a sacred symbol and not a ‘commercial prop’ for entertainment purposes to be used by artists without disregard for the rules. “There are multiple videos, reels or photos available on social media… It's painful to view how the National Flag is being grossly misused, disrespected and even displayed at late nights or early morning hours, flouting the rules,” Sarda said. The more worrisome aspect is that such transgressions are occurring openly, repeatedly and apparently without any apprehensions for the potential consequences. This indicates serious lapses in the enforcement and supervision, but such unchecked abuse could portend dangerous signals that national symbols can be ‘trivialized and traded for profits’. He urged the President to direct the issue of stringent written guidelines with circular to all such private or commercial outlets on mandatory compliance with the Flag Code of India, conduct special awareness drives, surprise checks on such venues and regular inspections to curb the misuse of the Tricolour. Flag Code of India, 2002 Perturbed over the “perceptible lack of awareness” not only among the masses but also governmental agencies with regard to the laws, practices and conventions for displaying the National Flag as per the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the centre had brought out the detailed 25-page Flag Code of India, 2002. The Flag Code of India has minute guidelines on the display of the Tricolour, the happy occasions when it flies high, or the sad times when it is at half-mast, the privileged dignitaries who are entitled to display it on their vehicles, etc. Certain violations attract hefty fines and/or imprisonment till three years.

Aamir-Hirani set for first-ever biopic on Dadasaheb Phalke

Mumbai: Almost 81 years after his passing, the first-ever biopic of the Father of Indian Cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke – revered as ‘Dadasaheb Phalke’ – will soon start rolling and is scheduled for a 2026 release.


The film shall be directed by Rajkumar Hirani with mega-star Aamir Khan slated to play the role of the humble and multi-faceted personality, who created history in India as the producer-director of the first feature film, “Raja Harishchandra”, 115 years ago.


His grandson, Chandrashekhar Pusalkar-Phalke said that the film has been written by Hindukush Bharadwaj and his son Aviskhar Bharadwaj after painstaking efforts spanning four years, deep-diving into Dadasaheb Phalke’s life and his mind.


“The Bharadwajs have put their heart-and-soul into the venture. We had multiple sittings and I disclosed to them many yet-unknown facets of Dadasaheb, as told to me by his daughter (my mother), Vrinda Pusalkar-Phalke, over the years. I was told that when Hirani heard about it, he readily agreed for the venture,” Pusalkar-Phalke told ‘The Perfect Voice’.


Hindukush Bharadwaj said that along with his son, the duo virtually moved mountains to understand the legendary film-maker, went to public-private libraries to hunt for materials on his life, pored over media-reports of that era, books in various languages, speaking to octogenarians linked with Bollywood, etc.


“We worked on the old cameras of that era to comprehend how Dadasaheb must have functioned, doing everything for the first time with limited resources, we tried out the trick photography as he did manually, retracing every possible aspect of his film-making life. Then, we discussed everything threadbare with Pusalkar-Phalke and other descendants to authenticate each point,” an excited Bharadwaj told The Perfect Voice.


The senior Bharadwaj said that when Aamir Khan heard the story, he had tears in his eyes and he declared that there was no way he could miss working on this historical biopic.


Set against the backdrop of India’s Independence Movement when the life of the young Dhundiraj starts from scratch, growing as an ordinary artist, fighting all odds and then went to found and bequeath the world’s largest indigenous film industry to the country.


Bharadwaj and Pusalkar-Phalke said that the pre-production works are on, with a Hollywood studio creating AI-based designs for the period-feel of the film, and the actual shooting will commence in October 2025 with a planned 2026 in theatres.


“This is no longer a commercial venture. Hirani, along with Abhijat Joshi and ourselves treat it as a ‘tribute’ to the great soul Dadasaheb Phalke who left an indelible mark on Indian history,” said Bharadwaj.


“Given the efforts, the involvement of stalwarts in every department, we are optimistic that the proposed film will make it to the Oscars,” smiled Pusalkar-Phalke, who unveiled the official website (www.dpiam.org.in) as ‘Dadasaheb Phalke International Awareness Mission’ in Feb. 2025.


The legend called Dadasaheb Phalke

Born in Trimbakeshwar (Nashik), Dadasaheb Phalke (April 30, 1870-Feb. 16, 1944) – with original surname of ‘Bhat’ – was educated in Mumbai’s Sir J. J. School of Arts and Kala Bhavan in Baroda (now, in Gujarat).


Barely in his early-forties, he created history with India’s first full-length film, “Raja Harishchandra” (released May 3, 1913), made after great personal sacrifices.


Interestingly his ancestors, the Bhats, supplied cut banana leaves to the Peshwas, and the vocation was traditionally known as ‘Phalke’, hence that occupational surname stuck, and later became historical.


As the country, then under British rule, remained in awe of the maiden silent film, Dadasaheb Phalke made two more films, “Mohini Bhasmasur” (1913) and “Satyavan Savitri” (1914).


He shot into limelight with the first-ever blockbuster hit film of India, “Lanka Dahan” (1917), in which he also introduced the fascinating concept of a ‘double-role character’.


Chandrashekhar and his wife Mrudula remember how their grandpa unfailingly credited his doting wife, Saraswati Phalke for his success in film-making - that has now mushroomed into a gigantic entertainment industry that ranks among the biggest money-spinners for the national economy.


“He made a total of 75 films, of which only one was a talkie, ‘Gangavataran’ in 1937. Many of his films became very popular, plus he was a visionary, a trendsetter in several aspects of film-making which inspired future generations,” said the Pusalkar couple.


Pusalkar-Phalke describes his Grandpa as “accidental film-maker” who had equally mastered other arts drawing, painting, photography, theatre, model-making, printing and learnt magic from the American wizard Carl Hertz (1859-1924) – but his passion for films made him immortal.


“We have been appealing to confer ‘Bharat Ratna’ on Dadasaheb Phalke, but there is no response from successive governments. We shall keep trying…” said the Pusalkar couple.

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