Paper short abstract:

This paper analyses how Rai and Phalke, two filmmakers from the silent era who, with the help of their wide experience from the west, were able to universalize particular experiences on screen and transcend from local to achieve global levels.

Paper long abstract:

Himanshu Rai and Dada Saheb Phalke were two Indian film producers who were hugely impacted by the European style of film making. Their combined vision of global ideas with local considerations had played a decisive role in shaping the early Indian film industry.

Images of Jesus in films like Life and Passion of the Christ (1903,Dir:Nonguet and Zecca),helped Phalke conceive films on Indian Gods like Lanka Dahan, Kaliya Dahan and Shri Krishna Janma.Phalke's internalizing the globalization process while working with Cecil Hepworth in England and his training in camera, developing,printing and publicity gave Indian Cinema an early boost. He was instrumental in introducing the Studio Model of filmmaking followed in the West.He also developed a production team of his own and mainly included his family members in it.

Manifested by the global changes in the structure of the film format , Himanshu Rai  entailed a restructuring of Indian film production style with the help of Anglo-German support. He  also established his film studio which consisted of hand picked technicians from the West who were instrumental in revolutionizing the film industry with their innovations..As Rai screened his film across Europe he broke transnational boundaries and brought cosmopolitan ideas as themes for his movies.(Light of Asia based on Edwin Arnold's poem).

The paper analyses how local and global forces in Rai and Phalke's cinema boosted  cultural open mindedness and economic growth.