A Marathi film that chronicles the making of India's first feature-length movie in 1913 has been chosen as the country's entry for the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language film category. “Harishchandrachi Factory” depicts the hardships endured by Dadasaheb Phalke, known as the father of Indian cinema, while making “Raja Harishchandra”. A jury nominated by the Film Federation of India (FFI) and headed by veteran actress Asha Parekh chose the small-budget film on Sunday over Bollywood hits like “New York” and “Fashion”, FFI secretary Suparn Sen said. “Harishchandrachi Factory” had a limited release in Indian cinemas in December but director Paresh Mokashi said the film may now be released worldwide. “When I read about the making of the film and the kind of hardships Phalke had to go through to make the film, I couldn't resist the idea of turning the story into a film,” Mokashi said. “Phalke's name is only known to Indians through some awards and history lessons, but the story of India's feature film and the revolution it led to is a story worth telling,” he said.
