The concept of double role started in the film industry 107 years ago, this actor played the character of Ram and Sita.

Bollywood News Desk – The concept of double role has been around in films for a long time. From Hema Malini's 'Sita Aur Geeta' to Shah Rukh Khan's 'Duplicate', Dilip Kumar's 'Ram Aur Shyam' and Salman Khan's Judwaa, the audience enjoyed double the same ticket while sitting in the theatre. They have always got a chance to see their favorite stars in different characters on the same screen. Last year, while Shahrukh Khan played the role of father and son in the film 'Jawaan', now Kriti Sanon's name has also been included in the league of playing double roles. She will be seen playing a double role in her upcoming film 'Do Patti'. Do you know who brought the concept of double role in India? Who was the actor who played a double role in a mythological film for the first time? If not, then let us know the history of that 107 year old superhit film, in which the same actor played the roles of Ram and Sita.

This actor played a double role in the film made in 1917
The first actor to play a double role in a film was none other than Anna Salunkhe, who had also worked in India's first film 'Raja Harishchandra'. In the initial phase of his career, he played the role of hero as well as heroine. After playing the role of Queen Taramati in Dadasaheb Phalke's film 'Raja Harishchandra', she also played the roles of Mother Sita and Lord Shri Ram on screen. A film was released in the year 1917, whose name was 'Lanka-Dahan'. The film was based on the Hindu epic 'Ramayana', written by Maharishi Valmiki. This film was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke. This was the director's second feature film after Raja Harishchandra. Like Raja Harishchandra, 'Lanka-Dahan' was also a silent film.

Why did Anna Salunkhe have to play the role of Sita? Before India gained independence, it was considered wrong for women to work in commercial films or showcase their art on screen. This was the reason that whatever female characters were played at that time, they were played by the film's actors only. After playing the role of Shri Ram in 'Lanka Dahan', he also played the role of his wife Mata Sita. He was the first actor in Indian cinema who played both the roles of actor and actress in most of the films.

Why did Dadasaheb Phalke make an actor the heroine?
It was not Dadasaheb Phalke's choice for Anna Salunke to play the role of heroine in films, but a compulsion. Actually, the first meeting of Dadasaheb Phalke and Anna Salunke took place in a restaurant, where the actor reportedly worked as a waiter. At that time, Dadasaheb Phalke was looking for a girl whom he could cast in his film. But at that time no woman was allowed to appear in films. In such a situation, Dadasaheb Phalke's eyes fell on Anna Salunke, whose height and features were such that the director found her perfect for the role of the heroine. Somehow Dadasaheb Phalke convinced Salunke, who used to work for Rs 10, to come into films by paying a fee of Rs 15 and his journey as an actor began.