Fatehsingrao Gaekwad was first to use short film in poll campaign

VADODARA: Films promoting political parties and their initiatives may be common now, but nearly five decades ago, a Gujarati was probably the first in India to make a short film promoting a candidate contesting in the

Lok Sabha

elections.

Dhiru Mistry had come up with the idea of making a short film on Maharaja

Fatehsingrao Gaekwad

, who had contested the Lok Sabha polls on the Vadodara seat in 1971.

“The idea to make a short film for Congress (O) struck me when I was travelling by train to Jambusar in 1971,”

Mistry

told TOI. “I got down at Vadodara and approached Congress (O) leaders. They suggested I make a film on Maharaja Fatehsingrao Gaekwad.”

Mistry said he approached Gaekwad and asked him about the number of meetings he held in a day. “He said he held three to four meetings daily,” Mistry said. “I pointed out that he can meet only about 2,000 people that way. I said a short film on him could reach 50,000 people at one go.”

Gaekwad liked the idea and asked Mistry to meet him at Nivruti Bhavan in the presence of other Congress (O) leaders.

Mistry shot a two-minute film at Sardar Bhuvan that featured Fatehsingrao Gaekwad along with all the infrastructure and development works done by the royal Gaekwads. “It played in 12 theatres for 10 days in the city and it struck chord with citizens,” Mistry said. “Even Gaekwad appreciated the film a lot.” Mistry has won a national award for making a film on eye donation in 1973.