Save dada

The Lumière Cinématographe arrived in India at Bombay on 7 July 1896, presented by Marius Sestier, and among the audience for these first shows was a photographer from Maharastra, H.S. Bhatvadekar (more commonly known as Save Dada). He had established a photographic studio in Bombay in 1880, and was so captivated by the Lumière show that he ordered a camera from Riley brothers of England, at a price of 21 guineas. Bhatvadekar's first film, taken in November 1899, was of a wrestling match at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay and was sent back to London for processing. While awaiting the film's return Bhatvadekar secured a projector and began touring with imported films, adding the wrestling film on its return and then his second film, showing the training of circus monkeys. He filmed local scenes and an event which has gone down as the first Indian news film, the return to India from Cambridge in December 1901 of acclaimed mathematics student R.P. Paranjype, an event with considerable resonance for both Indian and British communities. Bhatvadekar

The Indian documentary may be traced back to the 'Factual films' or Topicals as they were called, of Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatwadekar (Save Dada) who in 1899 shot a wrestling match and between two well-known wrestlers Pundalik Dada and Krishna Navi at Bombay's Hanging Gardens. A short followed this on the antics of monkeys - the first Indian 'documentaries.' In 1901 he made perhaps the first Indian newsreel of the public reception accorded to Ragunath P Paranjpye, R. P. Paranjpe was born at Murdi near Dapoli in the coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. He was educated at Maratha High, Bombay, Fergusson College, Pune and Bombay University before entering St John's College, Cambridge in 1896. He graduated B.A. as senior wrangler in 1899.[1] Paranjpe was a fellow of St John's College from 1901 to 1907, but returned to India to become a professor of mathematics at Fergusson College in 1902.[1] One of the earliest Indian documentary film makers, H. S. Bhatavdekar, made silent documentary films, Return of Wrangler Paranjpye (1902) and Delhi Durbar of Lord Curzon (1903), featuring R. P.[2][3][4][5] In 1907, R. P. became the first librarian of the Indian Mathematical Society at Fergusson College.[6] He became the college's principal, and stayed in that position for two decades, until 1926.[7] Subsequently, he consecutively became the Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University and Lucknow University.[8] Paranjpe received a British knighthood in 1942.[1] In the three years (1944–1947) preceding India's independence from the British Raj, the British government appointed him India's High Commissioner to Australia.[9] In the days of the British Raj, there was some criticism that R. P. had often appeared on the side of British authorities at a time of nationalist ferment in India. who had won a special distinction in Maths at Cambridge and in 1903 covered the great Durbar held in Delhi to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII. went on to film the 1902/3 Delhi Durbar celebrating Edward VII's coronation, before turning to exhibition, becoming manager of the Gaiety Theatre in Bombay and ending up a wealthy man. He died while cracking a joke with a friend. R. P. Paranjpe was born at Murdi near Dapoli in the coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. He was educated at Maratha High, Bombay, Fergusson College, Pune and Bombay University before entering St John's College, Cambridge in 1896. He graduated B.A. as senior wrangler in 1899.[1] Paranjpe was a fellow of St John's College from 1901 to 1907, but returned to India to become a professor of mathematics at Fergusson College in 1902.[1] One of the earliest Indian documentary film makers, H. S. Bhatavdekar, made silent documentary films, Return of Wrangler Paranjpye (1902) and Delhi Durbar of Lord Curzon (1903), featuring R. P.[2][3][4][5] In 1907, R. P. became the first librarian of the Indian Mathematical Society at Fergusson College.[6] He became the college's principal, and stayed in that position for two decades, until 1926.[7] Subsequently, he consecutively became the Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University and Lucknow University.[8] Paranjpe received a British knighthood in 1942.[1] In the three years (1944–1947) preceding India's independence from the British Raj, the British government appointed him India's High Commissioner to Australia.[9] In the days of the British Raj, there was some criticism that R. P. had often appeared on the side of British authorities at a time of nationalist ferment in India.