PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Sadashiv Narayan Patankar
Sadashiv Narayan Patankar
Born	Sadashiv Narayan Patankar; early 1880s
Died	1941
Occupation(s)	Director, cinematographer, producer
Years active	1912–1926

Sadashiv Narayan Patankar (?-1941) was an Indian producer, director, and cameraman. Referred to as "one of the early pioneers of Indian Cinema",^[1] his influence is stated to be equal to that of Dadasaheb Phalke. He was one of a wide range of people who filmed the historic Delhi Durbar in 1911 held for King George V, Emperor of India. The Durbar was also filmed by Madan and Hiralal Sen, another professional photographer from Bombay.

Patankar initially teamed up with V. P. Divekar and A. P. Karandikar, with the renowned freedom fighter and Nationalist leader, Lokmanya Tilak, helping them in getting finance from Bhagwandas Chaturbhuj and Dharamdas Narayandas, two well-established financiers. Their debut production in 1912, Savitri, directed by Patankar was unsuccessful. The three formed a production company called Patankar Union in 1913. They produced The Death Of Narayanrao Peshwa also called The Murder Of Narayanrao Peshwa in 1915, which has been cited as the first historical film of Indian cinema, as well as the mythological Ram Vanvas (The Exile Of Rama) (1918).^[2]

Patankar went on to form Patankar Friends and Company with Dwarkadas Sampat who had joined them in 1917, producing and directing Kach-Devyani (1920).^[3] He also worked as an actor in films like Mahashweta Kadambari (1922), Videhi Janak (1923), and Vaman Avatar (1923), which were directed by him. In a career-span of fifteen years covering 1912-1926, he made over forty films.^[1]

According to Rajadhyaksha and Willemen, Patankar's "historicals and mythologicals were among the most professionally made films before the studio era (pre-1925)".^[4]

Career

Born in the early 1880s,^[4] he worked as "a decorator in Chitre's Coronation Cinema in Bombay".^[1] His interest in still photography led him to purchase a film camera from H. S. Bhatavdekar, a professional photographer in Bombay.^[2] One of his early works along with V.P. Divekar and A.P. Karandikar, using Bhatavdekar 's camera, was filming the famed Delhi Durbar in 1911. This was held in Delhi, India to commemorate the coronation of King George V. They also filmed the funeral of Lokmanya Tilak in 1920.^[5]

He formed a partnership with V.P. Divekar, A.P. Karandikar, Ranade and Bhatkhande to set up the production company called Patankar Union. Their initial production Savitri, a "hundred-foot-long film and produced in 1912",^[5] was a washout as the film came out blank.^[1] In 1915 they produced Murder Of Narayanrao Peshwa, which was directed by Patankar. The film is cited as one of the first historical film made in India. Patankar went on to be the cinematographer as well as the director for all his films.

Patankar's association with Dwarkadas Sampat in 1917, led to the formation of his second production company called Patankar Friends and Company from 1918 to 1920, with scripts written by Mohanlal Dave. Patankar's first film with this company, King Shriyal, was released in 1918. He made Ram Vanvas or Exile of Lord Rama (1918) in four parts, thus making it the first Indian serial. KachDevyani (1920), directed and photographed by Patankar, had a Gujarati milieu, with traditional and folk dances incorporated in the film. Instead of using male actors in female roles as was the norm, Sampat organised two girls from Calcutta to play female lead.^[3]

Sampat and Patankar separated soon by 1920, due to disagreements and Patankar started a third studio, National Film (1922), which was financed by Thakurdas Vakil and Harilal. He then set up a fourth production house called Pioneer Films with the help of Vazir Haji, who financed him.^[3]

Filmography

List of films:^[6]


Year	Title
1912	Savitri
1913	Jaimini
1913	Vyas
1915	The Death of Narayanrao Peshwa
1916	Prahlad Charitra
1917	Bhakta Pralhad
1918	Raja Shriyal
1918	Ram Vanvas a.k.a. Exile Of Rama
1919	Kabir Kamal
	Kacha Devayani
	Narasinh Avatar
1920	Katorabhar Khoon
	Sati Madalasa
	Sita Swayamvar
	Shakuntala
	Vichitra Gutika
1922	Bhakta Bodana
	Jadunath
	Kalidas
	Karna
	King Bhartrahari
	Mahashweta Kadambari
	Sati Anjani
1923	Krishna Satyabhama
	Ranakdevi
	Sati Veermati
	Shri Dnyaneshwar
	Shri Krishna Bhakta Peepaji
	Vaman Avatar
	Vanraj Chavdo
	Videhi Janak
	Durvas Shaap
	Shri Markandeya Avatar
	Guru Machhindranath
1924	Karan Ghelo
1926	Abola Rani
	Chatra Bakavali
	Dorangi Duniya
	Kacha Devayani
	Manovijaya
	Paanch Mahabhoot
	Satyavijaya

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Arif, Salim. "The Sultans of the silent era". kiagia.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b Richard Abel (2005). "Topic:Patankar Friends and Company.". Encyclopedia of Early Cinema. Taylor & Francis. pp. 502–. ISBN 978-0-415-23440-5. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c K. Moti Gokulsing; Wimal Dissanayake (17 April 2013). Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas. Routledge. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-1-136-77291-7. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen (10 July 2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Taylor & Francis. pp. 4–. ISBN 978-1-135-94325-7. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b Ashok Raj (1 November 2009). Hero Vol.1. Hay House, Inc. pp. 19–. ISBN 978-93-81398-02-9. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^ "S. N. Patankar (Katorabhar Khoon)". indiancine.ma. Retrieved 28 October 2016.