Biography
D. D. Dabke or Dattatraya Damodar Dabke was an actor in the first ever Indian full length silent film Raja Harishchandra, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913. He co-starred with P G Sane. He acted in three more movies and later became a cinematographer, as well as a director. He directed the 1924 remake of Raja Harishchandra. Phalke saw his good physique and gave him the role of 'Harishchandra' as the main protagonist. At the same time, Phalke realized that Dabke has the ability to direct. Therefore, he was appointed as Assistant Director . Dabakenni direction and cinematography (Cinematography)In both these constituencies, he served for five years under Phalke. Dabke played so much in films that he acted in Lankadahan (1917), Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra (1918), Shrikrishnajanma (1918), Dilfarosh, Husnka Daku, Vimala. He later left Phalke and joined Dwarkadas Sampath's Kohinoor Film Company in 1922 as a director and cinematographer. At that time, he directed Dwarkadas Sampath's film 'Vishwamitra Maneka'. He also played the lead role in it. Later it was photography .Turned to business. He photographed Mama Varerkar's 'Attack on Pune' (1924) and Bhalji Pendharkar's 'Vande Mataram Ashram' (1926). Dabke, who came as an actor, went on to become a well-known photographer. He had a special hand in trick photography. In the silent era, he photographed more than fifty films. Pandurang Naik, a famous Marathi-Hindi filmmaker of the future, took photography lessons under Dabke.
