Kamala
In 1886, Dadasaheb was married to a girl from a ‘Marathe’ family.
1891 ... For acquiring the knowledge of new skills and for his businesses he had to constantly go on tours. He did not, therefore have a stable family life. He studied classical music at the Maulabux Music School of Baroda and later performed Kirtans too, which combined the arts of music, acting and telling a story interestingly.
Despite the acquisition of various arts, Dadasaheb did not have an easy ride making a living. He, therefore decided to become a professional photographer. Handing over the photostudio and laboratory of the Kala Bhavan to Principal Gajjar, he left for Godhra in Gujarat for doing business. It was 1895.
His business did not, however do well in Godhra. A myth had spread all around that a camera sucks up energy from a person’s body and the person dies soon afterwards. This had an adverse effect on Dadasaheb’e business, which hardly made both ends meet. To add to his cup of woes, he lost his wife in the plague of Godhra in 1900. Naturally it was a great blow to him. As he did not like to continue in Godhra, he returned to Baroda.
Excerpted from Bapu Watve’s Dada Saheb Phalke, published by the National Book Trust.
