Bhasmasoor-Mohinee
Within a month or so of my return from abroad, I made some 100-200 foot films for the satisfaction of my friend.
These films were produced with the help of my wife and children only.
However, I badly required further money for employing paid actors.
A moneylender gave me the money against proper security when he was convinced of my success after seeing those films on the screen.
I advertised and brought together my disciples and other employees.
I trained them well, and brought ‘Raja Harischandra’ to the screen within only 6 months.
I got amazing returns on just one print of this film. There was demand for a dozen prints.
But I feared that the income from one film may be short-lived, like the Swadeshi movement, and thought it would not be proper to judge the income on a permanent basis.
With these thoughts, I made the second film, ‘Mohini Bhasmasur’.
I suspended the work for 3 or 4 monsoon months, and shifted my studio from Bombay to Nasik on 3rd October 1913.
This place was convenient from many points of view.
There I made ‘Mohini Bhasmasur’.
This also brought me fortune, like my first film, and encouraged me further.
I brought my third film, ‘Savitri Satyavan’, before the world. This film added to the success and income from the first two films.
I used the incoming flow for equipping the studio.
Kamalabai was the first woman to appear on the Indian screen in Mohini Bhasmasur. Years later she remembers the experience in Kamal Swarup's documentary film 'Phalke's Children' Kamala bai remembers mohini bhasmasur
