Collecting Memories

“Gathering information related to the Indian film industry is a Herculean task and it cannot be completed without the participation of people. Be it old films or memorable photographs,we have had an overwhelming response from the people across the country. Till today we have collected over 5000 famous titles from eminent people as well as film enthusiasts,and many more are yet to be received are many more to come,” smiles Vijay Jadhav,director,NFAI.

Prabhakar Pendharkar,son of legendary filmmaker Bhalji Pendharkar,has donated countless photographs of his father to the NFAI and narrating one of the memories of his father,Pendharkar says,“In 1932,my father,made a film called Shyaamsundar,which was the first movie that celebrated a silver jubilee in Mumbai. Unfortunately there are no records of the prints of the movie. The only memories left are the photographs and they mean more than anything else in the world to me. My father created history and I am ensuring that the legacy is carried forward by conserving the remnants.”

Creator of the film- Sant Tukaram- Vishnupant Damle’s grandson,Anil Damle has given the films of the Prabhat era to the NFAI to preserve it. But Damle has much more to talk about the films than mere reels. “Sant Tukaram is one of the first films I am attached to. Even today,when I watch it at home,I do not feel like leaving the TV. The movie,which was produced in the 1930’s even today,is favourite among the youth and still has that charisma to charm the youth,” says Damle who himself has recently finished shooting a wildlife documentary with the help of a few students from the Film and Television Institute.

And if archives meant only history,here is an out-of-the-box donor. Bhagyashree Desai who has given the film- Hota asa kadhi kadhi,that she produced six months ago,says,“I want my film to be preserved as a lot of hard work has gone into it and would not like it to be lost in transit.”