Baburao Painter

He was born Baburao Krishnarao Mestry in 1890 in Kolhapur. He taught

himself to paint and derives its name "Painter". (hence the name)
and sculpt in academic art school style. He and his artist
cousin Anandrao Painter between 1910 and 1916 were the leading
painters of stage backdrops in Western India doing several famous
curtains for Sangeet Natak troupes and also for Gujarati Parsi theatres.
They became avid filmgoers following Raja Harishchandra.
Baburao and his cousin Anandarao bought a movie projector from
the Bombay flea market and proceeded to exhibit films, studying the art
of movies all the while. Anandarao was busy with assembling a camera
for their maiden venture, and his untimely death at this juncture
compelled Baburao to go it alone
They turned to cinema first as exhibitors while trying to assemble their
own camera. Anandrao however died in 1916 and Painter and his main
disciple V.G. Damle eventually put together a working camera in 1918.
Baburao's first feature film was Sairandri (1920), which got heavily
censored for its graphic depiction of slaying of Keechak by Bhima.
However the movie itself got positive critics and commercial acclaim
spurring Painter on to take on more ambitious projects. He wrote his
own screenplays, and led the three-dimensional space rather than stagepainting in the Indian movie. 1921/22, he published the first Indian films
and programs designed to even the movie posters. Publicity was not
alien to Painter's many talents in 192122, he distributed programme
booklets complete with photographs and film details.
The advent of sound in 1931 did not excite Painter. However after a few
more silent films, the Maharashtra Film Company pulled down its
shutters with the advent of sound. Baburao was not particularly keen on
the talkies for he believed that they would destroy the visual culture so
painfully evolved over the years.

Baburao was one of the leading stage painter for West Indian theatres
during 1910 and 1916. He was also an film enthusiast and
founded Maharashtra Film Company in 1919. To enable this Baburao
had borrow money from Tanibai Kagolkar, a long-time admirer. Movie
acting, especially tamasha's were looked down upon in conservative
societies like Kolhapur so the studio itself was an living quarter for quite
a few including leading ladies Gulab Bai (renamed Kamaladevi) and
Anusuya Bai (renamed Sushiladevi). Painter got onboard his old
colleagues including Damle and S. Fatehlal and later on V. Shantaram,
trio who later on left to set up Prabhat Film Company.
Baburao's first feature film was Sairandri (1920), which got heavily
censored for its graphic depiction of slaying of Keechak by Bhima.
However the movie itself got positive critics and commercial acclaim
spurring Painter on to take on more ambitious projects. He wrote his
own screenplays, and led the three-dimensional space rather than stagepainting in the Indian movie. 1921/22, he published the first Indian films
and programs designed to even the movie posters. Publicity was not
alien to Painter's many talents in 192122, he distributed programme
booklets complete with photographs and film details.
Baburao was a man of many talents he wrote his own screenplays and
he was also the first Indian filmmaker to adopt the
method Eisenstein had described as 'stenographic' he sketched the
costumes, movements, and characters. He changed the concept of set
designing from painted curtains to solid multi-dimensional lived in
spaces, he introduced artificial lighting and understood the importance
of publicity. As early as 192122 he was the first to issue programme
booklets, complete with details of the film and photographs. He also
painted himself tasteful, eye-catching posters of his films.
A perfectionist, he insisted upon any number of rehearsals. As Zunzarrao
Pawar, a cast member, said '` He would take umpteen rehearsals before
actual shooting....but he was very slow in film-making. That was why
we used to get annoyed with him sometimes.'`

The advent of sound in 1931 did not excite Painter. However after a few
more silent films, the Maharashtra Film Company pulled down its
shutters with the advent of sound. Baburao was not particularly keen on
the talkies for he believed that they would destroy the visual culture so
painfully evolved over the years.
He returned to painting and sculpture, his original vocation barring
sporadic ventures like remaking Savkari Pash in sound in 1936, Pratibha
(1937), one of his few preserved films which is a good illustration of
Painter's control over big sets, lighting and crowd scenes and Lokshahir
Ramjoshi (1947) on Shantaram's invitation.
The beautiful posters that Baburao painted for his films prompted the
advice of not wasting his talent on dirty walls, that an art gallery was the
correct destination! Prophetic words indeed, because later his posters
were up at J.J. School of Art, Mumbai and much admired by the
principal, Gladstone Solomon.