Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra

Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Bengali English Truthful King Harishchandra is a 1917 silent black and white Indian film based on Hindu mythology, directed by Rustomji Dhotiwala. It was produced by J. F. Madans Elphinstone Bioscope. Credited as the first remake in Indian cinema, the film is a remake of the first Indian feature film, Raja Harishchandra 1913 and was also inspired by a Urdu language drama, Harishchandra. The film is based on the mythological story of a Hindu King Harishchandra, the 36th king of the Solar Dynasty, who donated his entire kingdom and sold himself and his family to keep the promise given to the sage Vishvamitra in the dream. It is also the first feature film made in Calcutta. The intertitles used in the film were in Bengali language as the film was a silent film. The film was released onMarch 1917 at New Tent Maidan, Calcutta.

While working as a servant for a Brahmin family, Harishchandras son gets bitten by a snake while plucking the flowers for his masters prayer, he then dies. Taramati takes his body to the cremation grounds where Harishchandra is working. She does not have sufficient money to pay to perform the rites and Harishchandra does not recognize his wife and son. He advises Taramati to sell off her Mangalsutra, a symbolism of marriage in India, to pay the amount for cremation. Having been granted the boon that only her husband can see her mangalsutra, Taramati recognizes Harishchandra and makes him aware of the happenings. Dutiful Harishchandra requests Taramati to pay the amount to finish the cremation and declines to accept mangalsutra as amount. Taramati then offers her only possession, a saree her lone dress, a part of which was used to cover the dead body of her son.Harishchandra accepts the offering but before he could start the cremation, the lord Vishnu the supreme God in Hinduism, Indra the lord of heaven in Hinduism and several Hindu deities along with the sage Vishwamitra manifests themselves and praises Harishchandra for his perseverance and steadfastness. They bring Harishchandras son back to life. They also offers the king and his wife, instant places in heaven. Harishchandra refuses it stating that he is still bound to his master, the guard at the cremation ground. The sage Vishwamitra then reveals that the guard is Yama the god of death in Hinduism and Yama allows Harishchandra to accept the offer from Vishwamitra. ........

Source: Wikipedia