‘Sonu aka Mandakini Phalke’

 
About the column: This series presents short articles and photo-essays on the industrial aspects of cinema produced from Bombay aka Bollywood. Stories of the making of Bollywood, stars, publicity mechanisms, fan cultures, gossips, costumes, music usage, playback systems, singers, composers, as well as writings by the players and so on. The film industry, however, will be seen through the pointed glasses of women, intricately linking all the narratives of one ‘Miss Cinemawali’ or the other.

Let us begin the stories of Miss Cinemawali with Mandakini Phalke, who was the actor of the celebrated Dhundiraj Govind Phalke films, especially Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919). While the pioneering role of Dada Saheb Phalke, as he was affectionately called, as well as his inventiveness, and his love for the magic of moving images are much celebrated (also cinematically inscribed by D. G. Phalke himself), one may wonder who really was Mandakini Phalke?


Perhaps, one may enquire naively and wonder, ‘was she important’? Well, indeed, she was. She was one of the first Indian ‘stars’, whose persona seemingly functioned beyond the plot of the film- that is, even within the wondrous and magical Kaliya Mardan, which is a retelling of the mythical stories of young Krishna.[i] The opening sequence of Kaliya Mardan for instance, is an outstanding example of the ways in which her popularity may have worked. While Kamal Swaroop (2007) describes this sequence as an exercise in acting, it is apparent that the shots in the beginning use Mandakini Phalke’s charming presence, as she directly and demonstratively addresses the audience, and thereby creates a moment of powerful alienation as well as extra-diegetic spaces, which provoke the following deliberations. [ii]

Kamal Swaroop (2007) in his innovative work on Phalke retells Mandakini Phalke’s stories.[iii] “I did roles in two of Dadasaheb’s films, Shri Krishna Janma and Kaliya Mardan. In Kaliya Mardan, he gave me the central role of Krishna…” says the ‘girl’ who once played roles of the mischievous God. “I was only six or seven years old,” continues Mandakini Phalke. “Yet Dadasaheb said that only my maternal uncle should do my makeup, no one else. He did not like it if I mixed too much with the boys. He lovingly called me Sonu.” Truly, it was not quite simple to be a female actor at the turn of the last century, and many such stories of struggle drift in the public domain. However, we shall deal with that later, in other chapters. Now, let us return to her story; thus, as Mandakini Phalke recalls,

Before actually acting in films, he taught me how to show emotions like anger, love, joy, fear etc. and made me act accordingly. He would do it himself for me to see. At the time of actual shooting, he would do the acting and I would imitate him. When he said, ‘‘Go on,’’ the camera would start and I would act out the scene. When he said ‘‘Stop,’’ the camera and my acting would stop. However I was not allowed to enter the studio at other times. After I got married at the age of fourteen, my association with the studio became less and less, ….

Consequently, she had a brief career of seven years, from the age of seven to fourteen. Nevertheless, D.G.Phalke’s groundbreaking projects are deeply linked with the exuberant presence, gestures, and the overall performance of little Sonu.

fig 2

D.G. Phalke, presenting himself as the ‘Pioneer Cine-Artist of the East’

fig 3

Presenting his daughter, who is already the ‘star’ of Shri Krishna Janma.

fig 4.

Miss Mandakini Phalke.

fig 5

Before the film is offered to the audience.

fig 6

The fantastic dissolve: From Mandakini Phalke to Krishna

fig 7

Mandakini Phalke performing as Krishna.

fig 8

Mandakini Phalke performing as Krishna.

fig 9

And, many expressions of the little girl/Krishna.

fig 10

Many expressions of the little girl/Krishna.

fig 12

Many expressions of the little girl/Krishna.

fig 11

Many expressions of the little girl/Krishna.

fig 13

Many expressions of the little girl/Krishna.

fig 14

Many expressions of the little girl/Krishna

fig 15

Many expressions of the little girl/Krishna

fig 16

Eventually, the film begins.

In the significant documentary Celluloid Man (2012), by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, which is on the archiving and P.K. Nair (the legendary archivist and the ex-head of the National Film Archive of India, Pune), Nair narrates how he found Phalkes’s films in a wooden box, and in bits and pieces. While the poet and filmmaker Gulzar insists that, the key figure here is Nair, since “Dada Phalke is collected by him and made into history.” Nair brings to light the ways in which Prabhakar Phalke, son of D.G. Phalke, told him that, “he has got a wooden box containing some bits and pieces of Phalke material.” Eventually, says Nair, he “found out that lot of bits and pieces of Kaliya Mardan film was there…. So it was quite a job to connect it in the order in which Dadasaheb had originally made. …”


While there was one diary (hand written by Phalke) noting the order of the reels and its contents, Nair in time put the present version of Kaliya Mardan together and sought Mandakini Phalke’s approval. “I wanted to show it to Mandakiniji,” says Nair, “to tell us whether it is the same order.”  Hence, while concluding one may raise this pointed question- who is the author of Kaliya Mardan, as we know it? Is it Phalke, whose first version has evaded us forever? Perhaps, it is P. K. Nair, who actually put it together (with reference to Phalke’s diary)? Or is Mandakini Phalke, who lived to tell the tale, the ‘real’ author? Moreover, one must not forget her evocative role in this film, as she lights up the screen with her vibrant performance, and nods at us to convey that we are about to experience a whole new world of gods, peoples and spectacles.[i]

fig 17

Mandakini Phalke struggling with the make-belief ‘Kaliya’ snake

fig 18

Mandakini Phalke struggling with the make-belief ‘Kaliya’ snake

fig 19

Mandakini Phalke struggling with the make-belief ‘Kaliya’ snake

fig 20

Mandakini Phalke struggling with the make-belief ‘Kaliya’ snake

fig 21

Mandakini Phalke struggling with the make-belief ‘Kaliya’ snake

fig 22

The triumph of Krishna/Mandakini Phalke.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[i] Also see Cubitt, Sean. “Phalke, Méliès, and Special Effects Today.” Wide Angle 21. 1 (1999): 115-130.

[ii] See Rajadhyaksha, Ashish. “The Phalke era: conflict of traditional form and modern technology.” Journal of Arts and Ideas 14.15 (1987): 47-78, for a remarkable historical analysis of Phalke’s style.

[iii] Swaroop, Kamal. “Bees Raniyon ka Bioscope.”  Art Connect 1.1 (July- December 2007): 49-67.

[iv] Also see Dwyer, Rachel. Filming the gods: Religion and Indian cinema. Routledge, 2006.

Madhuja Mukherjee is an artist, filmmaker and an academic. Currently she teaches at the Department of Film Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. She is the author of 'New Theatres Ltd., the Emblem of Art, the Picture of Success' (2009), and has edited 'Aural Films, Oral Cultures, Essays on Cinema from the Early Sound Era' (2012) and 'Voices and Verses of the Talking Stars', within Readings in Gender Studies, (forthcoming 2014). Her first feature-film 'Carnival' (2012) was premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2012, and at other international festivals. 'Kangal Malsat' (2013), graphic-novel, was conceptualized and illustrated by her.

7 Comments

  • Reply December 21, 2025

    Pistolo Casino anmelden

    Das Casino in Utrecht ist der Anlaufpunkt, wenn
    Sie gern Bingo spielen. Das Holland Casino in Venlo
    liegt direkt an der Autobahn und ist damit sehr gut zu erreichen. Die Regelung gilt für Gewinne aus allen Arten von Glücksspielen, einschließlich der in Holland Casinos erzielten Gewinne.
    Diese Steuer wird direkt vom Casino oder vom Gewinner
    an den Fiskus abgeführt, je nachdem, wo und wie
    der Gewinn erzielt wurde. Die Gewinne der Casinos fließen direkt in die Staatskasse, was Holland Casino zu einem wichtigen finanziellen Beitrag für das
    Land macht.
    Egal wie lange Sie bleiben, ich lade Ihnen meinen speziellen Amsterdam-Führer
    zum Herunterladen ein. Die Kasinos, die ich für Sie ausgewählt habe, befinden sich in unmittelbarer Nähe zu vielen der wichtigsten Aktivitäten der Stadt.
    Behalten Sie schließlich Folgendes im Hinterkopf Fotos und Videos sind in den Amsterdamer Kasinos nicht
    erlaubt! Man trägt keine Kopfbedeckungen und darf weder betrunken noch unter
    dem Einfluss irgendwelcher Rauschmittel eintreten. Achten Sie anschließend darauf,
    dass Sie gut gekleidet, denn können Sie am Eingang der größten Kasinos abgewiesen werden.

    References:
    https://online-spielhallen.de/drip-casino-cashback-eine-umfassende-analyse/

  • Reply December 21, 2025

    Venlo Casino Erfahrungen

    Um Verzögerungen zu vermeiden, stellen Sie sicher, dass Ihr Profil und Ihre
    Dokumente übereinstimmen, dass Fotos gelesen werden können und dass
    die Kanten sichtbar sind. Wählen Sie Deutschland aus der Liste aus, wenn Sie dort leben, und stellen Sie sicher, dass die Informationen in Ihrem Profil mit dem übereinstimmen, was sie über
    Sie sagen. Halten Sie Ihre persönlichen Daten, eine gültige E-Mail-Adresse und ein sicheres
    Passwort bereit. Mit Statusaktualisierungen in Ihrem Konto können Sie Ihr
    Geld nach der Genehmigung schnell erhalten.
    Verwenden Sie eine gültige E-Mail-Adresse und erstellen Sie ein sicheres Passwort, um ein Konto zu erstellen. Melden Sie
    sich noch heute für Winspirit Casino an, um sichere Unterhaltung, großartigen Kundenservice
    und eine große Auswahl an Spielen in Deutschland zu
    genießen. Sie müssen nicht warten; Die meisten Transaktionen werden sofort abgewickelt.

    References:
    https://online-spielhallen.de/marvel-casino-ihr-leitfaden-zu-bonus-codes-und-mehr/

  • Reply December 27, 2025

    top online casino PH

    For employees, Microsoft also operates a commuter bus service called “The Connector” that provides non-stop service to
    neighborhoods in Seattle, the Eastside, and Snohomish County
    from the Redmond campus. Microsoft partnered with Sound Transit and the City of Redmond
    to fund a pedestrian bridge connecting the light rail station to both sides of its
    campus to open in 2020, providing $33.3 million of the cost.
    The campus is served by buses to Seattle and some
    Eastside cities at the Overlake Transit Center, operated by Sound Transit
    and King County Metro. The campus is located on both sides of the State Route 520 freeway,
    which connects it to the cities of Bellevue and
    Seattle as well as the Redmond city center. The city of Redmond had also approved
    a rezone in February 2015 to raise the height limit
    for buildings on the campus from 6 stories to 10. The Seattle Times reported in early September 2015 that Microsoft had hired architecture firm Skidmore, Owings &
    Merrill to begin a multibillion-dollar redesign of the Redmond campus, using an additional
    1.4 million square feet (130,000 m2) allowed
    by an agreement with the City of Redmond.
    Same with Kalif Raymond, Amik Robertson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and others players
    who aren’t the biggest names but have been integral ones in Detroit’s recent success.
    In an NFL where over half of the games are decided by one possession, that
    can be chalked up to some regression luck-wise and some regression from
    the team. But after being seventh in fourth-down conversion rate last year, Detroit
    is 20th this season through 16 weeks.

    References:
    https://blackcoin.co/mystake-casino/

  • Food lovers will find over a dozen award-winning restaurants and bars,
    including Nobu, Bistro Guillaume, and Epicurean. The fully licensed casino offers
    hundreds of pokies (slots), classic table games such as
    blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, as well as exclusive VIP salons.
    It combines high-end casino entertainment, 5-star
    accommodation, live performances, and premium hospitality in one
    breathtaking location.
    “Cheats and underworld types arrive early in the life of a casino for obvious reasons,” Roth says.
    Meanwhile, Spicer’s great friend Ann Roth was beavering away behind
    the scenes as the casino’s public relations and events manager.
    “The architects had given the casino an Art Deco look, so it was my job to match those uniforms with the decor,”
    Spicer says. Among those on the front line on that crowded curtain-raiser was 22-year-old David Littler, who months before had quit his job
    as a boilermaker in Naval Base to learn how to deal cards and spin a roulette
    wheel, joining the 3000 others drawn to the Casino in much the same way as
    the young are lured by the mining industry. It was a social event unlike
    anything Perth had ever seen, with thousands of unusually well-dressed punters quietly waiting in a line that snaked from Burswood Island all the
    way down Bolton Avenue to Great Eastern Highway.

    References:
    https://blackcoin.co/top-slots-the-ultimate-guide/

  • Reply December 27, 2025

    pinochle tips two players

    Can u detail what voltage range it support from standard 5V and difference between q and PD
    for type A which seem to be non standard
    Learn how to sign in on a device that’s not yours. With Google Workspace, you get increased storage,
    professional email addresses, and additional features.
    To sign up for Gmail, create a Google Account. Not a big deal, I’m sure anyone interested in learning the difference
    between these cables/ports can easily figure out what you meant to say.
    Find out more about securely signing in.

    References:
    https://blackcoin.co/top-rated-online-casinos-in-australia-expert-picks-for-2025/

  • Reply December 27, 2025

    australian online casino

    In fact, our Australia Free Spins page is overflowing with free spins bonuses
    at Australian online casinos you can trust. Our selection of no deposit bonuses provide the perfect risk-free opportunity to experience all the best that online gaming has
    to offer! Click here to learn more about the casino games available
    at Australian online casinos. The top online casinos optimise
    their platforms for mobile, offering apps or browser-based gaming.
    The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 bans local companies from offering online casinos to Aussies, but offshore sites like Joka Casino and Wolf Winner operate legally under international licenses.
    Here’s a breakdown of the main types you’ll encounter while exploring real money online casinos Australia trusts
    It’s up to you to decide what they are and find the casino that matches them.
    The truth is that the casino you find the best
    will depend on a variety of factors that are unique to you!
    EcoPayz is an e-wallet that allows for instant deposits and withdrawals.
    Similar to credit and debit cards, pre-paid cards
    such as Neosurf offer safety and convenience for all transactions.
    It offers fast processing, security and convenience for all transactions.

    References:
    https://blackcoin.co/treasury-casino-a-comprehensive-overview/

  • Reply December 29, 2025

    www.gbsa.kr

    online casino accepts paypal us

    References:
    http://www.gbsa.kr

Leave a Reply