Setu Bandhan
Period After Coronation
Together, they announce their next film, ‘Setu Bandhan’. I wanted an actress to portray Seeta in my film ‘Setu Bandhan’. I was faced with two dozen cuties. It took me an hour to make one understand the character. After I have given a long discourse, the would-be Seeta tells me, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll play the role fine. But will you give me the best zari clothes to wear?’ The poor soul did not know what hardships one has entails when sent to the forest for suffering (Rama and Seeta are complete paupers, with tree leaves and animal skins for cover.) Further, this ignorant girl says, ‘I have a sister. Shall I bring her to you? She can ride a horse, climb trees, and she swims well. She can play Hanuman’s wife.’ (In fact, Hanuman, the most devoted follower of Rama, was a bachelor all his life.) I just kept quiet and dismissed her.
On an outdoor shooting, his Vanar sena lose their way to the location.
The actors decide to walk to the location, 2 miles away.
The townspeople are not familiar with the movies, and mistake the actors for Lord Rama’s real monkey army.
The excited crowds garland the heroes and make offerings to them.
The actor playing Hanuman is a big hit.
The whole town gathers to see them off.
When they finally reach the location, Dadasaheb is very upset with the actor playing Hanuman and slaps his face.
Tears spring to the unfortunate actor’s eyes.
That night, Dada goes to meet the man and apologizes for being so harsh with him.
But Phalke, who rejoined Hindustan, Film Company 1922 was not the same old Phalke who once reigned supreme in his own, exclusive ‘Phalke’s Films’. His activities were necessarily conditioned by budgetary controls, release schedules and the like in a partnership firm. It appears from all accounts – particularly from his autobiography – that such an atmosphere was totally unsuited to Phalke’s tastes and temperament. Phalke, of course, did direct a few films for Hindustan – one of the earlier and better known being Mahananda produced in 1923. But by and large, he had adopted an attitude of resignation and was satisfied with supervising only the technical side of the studio. Many of the pictures produced by Hindustan subsequently were directed by Phalke-trained assistants. Phalke continued to work for Hindustan till 1932, when the Company was voluntarily wround-up. According to censor reports, Hindustan Film Company produced 97 features films (including Phalke’s early four films) and 26 short subject – a majority of which were produced by Phalke himself under his “Phalke Films.” The last silent pictures directed by Phalke for Hindustan viz. Setu Bandhan which was produced in partnership with one of his erstwhile financiers – Maya Shankar Bhatt – had to be synchronized later due to the advent of “Talkies” in 1931.
“I had decided to retire from the film industry after completion of Setu Bandhan”, says Phalke in Kesari 1934. “But What next? That question stared me in the face. Because I have made no savings. Such was the irony of fate that Phalke, whose pictures created box-office records and earned lakhs of rupees was now without any savings after 20 years and 97 pictures; Phalke, who had established a major industry, which provided employment to thousands of people was himself looking for a gainful employment, at the ripe old age of 62. But Phalke’s enthusiasm even at that age appears to be as fresh as when he started the film industry back in 1912. Being totally unsuited for servitude by nature, Phalke naturally wanted to start an industry, because the impression made on his mind by Tilak’s ‘Swadeshi’ movement were deep and lasting. “It is enough if I am able to stop the imports of foreign goods even in a very small way” said Phalke Kesari (1934). He had by now started the manufacture of enamel boards
