Father of Indian cinema,Dadasaheb Phalke family in distress

[DesiBaba]

Father of Indian cinema,Dadasaheb Phalke family in distress

The family of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, is penniless.

His only surviving daughter, Vrinda Pusalkar (81), has Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer, and is dying at her Mahim home. Her husband, Shrikrishna (86) is bed-ridden.

The only earning member in the family is Pusalkar’s daughter-in-law, Mridul, who earns a paltry salary of Rs 5,000; her husband Chandrashekar (54) has been forced to quit his job to look after the couple.

The cost of looking after the Pusalkars is Rs 14,000 per month.

Ironically, the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award given each year during the National Film Awards, gets a cash award of Rs 2 lakh, apart from a trophy and citation.

Says Chandrashekar, “It’s been very difficult to run the house. I can’t take up a job because there has to be someone at home all the time. The medical expenses are phenomenal and will only increase.”

“We’ve been managing somehow thanks to Sunil Dutt’s care and concern,” he adds. In 2002, Dutt, got the state government (then CM Sushil Kumar Shinde) to give the family Rs 10,000 every month.

“The only other people who’ve bothered about us are Yash Chopra, Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan,” says Chandrashekar.

Said Chopra, “When I got this award in 2001, I gave the Rs 2 lakh to Dadasaheb’s ailing daughter.”

Chandrashekar says that the Cine Artiste Welfare Trust (CAWT), which used to help them with a contribution of Rs 2,500 per month, has stopped doing so.

“Mom can’t speak any more, and has to be handled like a baby. I have to stay at home all day and look after her,” said Chandrashekar. The family have employed two nurses to look after the couple.

He said that despite Phalke’s name being bandied about, the family never received any invitations for the award functions instituted in his name.

Phalke died in 1944, leaving behind seven sons and two daughters. Of the nine, only Vrinda is alive.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an annual award given by the Indian government for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/august/115858.htm

[Budmaas]

Shame to Bollyowood film association-State government & blind Indian ministry.

[echarcha]

Originally Posted by Budmaas

Shame to Bollyowood film association-State government & blind Indian ministry.

I agree with you Budmass.. This is very sad.

[Ravi]

I disagree DB. It's not like Plalke did any volunteer work for movie industry. His
was a total commercial venture. Phalke made good movies and made some
money, though never really prospering. But why do we expect government or
bollywood to continue to support his children/grand children?

[DesiBaba]

Originally Posted by Ravi

I disagree DB. It's not like Plalke did any volunteer work for movie industry. His
was a total commercial venture. Phalke made good movies and made some
money, though never really prospering. But why do we expect government or
bollywood to continue to support his children/grand children?

well i think Bollywood owes it to Dadasaheb since he was the man who made the first Indian movie and started it all..and Bollywood can certainly afford to help the only ones left in his family (especially since they are suffering from life threatening diseases)..

[Napolean]

Originally Posted by DesiBaba

well i think Bollywood owes it to Dadasaheb since he was the man who made the first Indian movie and started it all..and Bollywood can certainly afford to help the only ones left in his family (especially since they are suffering from life threatening diseases)..

That's correct...
Bollywood owes its very existence to Dadasaheb...

[dawizard]

oh he made harishchandra?? that was quite a few ages ago.....i am sure he got his fame thereafter.....if it was him in distress I would understand but his future generations have their own responsibilities of getting a career, making a living, not just depending on their ancestral popularity.....sad condition but more than half of India is in quite a sad state, not all are relatives of famous and legendary people....

[Dilliwala]

Originally Posted by dawizard

oh he made harishchandra?? that was quite a few ages ago.....i am sure he got his fame thereafter.....if it was him in distress I would understand but his future generations have their own responsibilities of getting a career, making a living, not just depending on their ancestral popularity.....sad condition but more than half of India is in quite a sad state, not all are relatives of famous and legendary people....

I fully agree with you. Why???? why should his family even expect anything from anywhere. First of all Dada Saheb never did philantropy...and even if he did...why shouldn't be his family be independently earning and supporting themselves...

These are mere tactics of whipping up emotional frenzy...

By the same exaple....we should keep supporting the descendents of all those who initiated something new in world....Like some guy who gave world Pizza.... expecting support for all of his future generations because he gave pizza to world and Pizza industry owes its existence to Him..


I am kinda sounding weird ...somehow not able to collect my thougts coherently but I am against this kind of emotional blackmailing

[viking]

Originally Posted by Ravi

I disagree DB. It's not like Plalke did any volunteer work for movie industry. His
was a total commercial venture. Phalke made good movies and made some
money, though never really prospering. But why do we expect government or
bollywood to continue to support his children/grand children?

If unemployed thugs come into Mumbai in herds and build shanties and when bulldozed get free appts from the govt. Why not DadaSaheb.

These encroachers also have the cheek to demand separation of Mumbai from Maharashtra.Dadasaheb is the son of Maharashtrian soil.

When there is a hooch tragedy where many good for nothing drunkards die drinking arrack govt. pays them compensation. Then why not help a person's family who pioneered the film industry in India.

[dawizard]

Maharashtrian Soil? Did you mean Indian soil? Well problem with that is, it'll create liability for supporting families of every single celebrity who pioneered one thing or another for the rest of their generations and then their blood relatives will come up claiming their rights as well....supporting Dadasaheb is okay but his future generations are no responsibility to be kept being awarded for their great anscestral background. We'll have all freedom fighters families coming out from nowhere etc etc. Point it's not justified.

[Cooldude]

It shouldn't be the onus or obligation on the government to support the offspring of Dadasaheb Phalke.

However in the sports fraternity, we do see sportspersons supporting the offsprings of their dear departed colleagues or veteran sportspersons as a goodwill gesture.

Bollywood surely has big stars who have moolah & they can spare some for the offspring of a veteran here.

[viking]

Originally Posted by Cooldude

It shouldn't be the onus or obligation on the government to support the offspring of Dadasaheb Phalke.

However in the sports fraternity, we do see sportspersons supporting the offsprings of their dear departed colleagues or veteran sportspersons as a goodwill gesture.

Bollywood surely has big stars who have moolah & they can spare some for the offspring of a veteran here.

Sunil Dutt had helped the family as MP. Also if Nehru's clan can get to rule the country then I guess it's a small amount that Dadasaheb's clan is asking.

[chando]

Originally Posted by viking

Sunil Dutt had helped the family as MP. Also if Nehru's clan can get to rule the country then I guess it's a small amount that Dadasaheb's clan is asking.

Viking, i guess you should send some money to Phalke's family. Just to show ur solidarity to the family, also ask SS to collect hafta and give to the family.

There are 100's and thousands of freedom fighters and thier families who are in poverty. What about them.

People go into poverty all the time. You cannot blam anyone for it.

[swami]

And this is what happens to the family members on whose name the award is given http://www.echarcha.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45570

[sgars]

Originally Posted by viking

Sunil Dutt had helped the family as MP. Also if Nehru's clan can get to rule the country then I guess it's a small amount that Dadasaheb's clan is asking.

This is what happens if you dont use your influence to push your offspring like Nehru or for that matter Sunil Dutt. Or the offspring needs to use the name like the sons of Shastri did.

Anyone knows about the whereabouts of descendants of Rajendra Prasad? or Sardar Patel?

Had Dadasaheb Phalke planned and pushed his children into film industry like Prithviraj Kapoor, we might have seen a Phalke dynasty too.

Sunil Dutt went RIP shortly after this news. Yash Chopra also went RIP (2012?). Checked on the lady and she went RIP in 2007.
The grandkids want a Bharat Ratna for him. Now that would be 73 years after he died.