'Harishchandrachi Factory' has special show at Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) A special screening of Marathi film 'Harishchandrachi Factory', India's official entry to the Oscars, was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Saturday evening.

The film, that will hit theatres Jan 29, was screened at the President's Estate auditorium in the presence of President Pratibha Patil and its director Paresh Mokashi. The lead cast of the movie, including Nandu Madhav and Vibhawari Deshpande, and noted theatre and film actor Mohan Agashe were present at the screening.

'The first citizen of the country liked our performance and she appreciated our work. We hope to reach out to the countrymen and hope they like it too,' Madhav told IANS here.

Added Deshpande: 'We are still thrilled and it's great to be appreciated by the president of the country. It's amazing.'

Co-produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Paprika Media and Mayasabha Production, the Dadasaheb Phalke biopic is the directorial debut of Mokashi, who is a Mumbai-based theatre actor-director.

The film is on the making of 'Raja Harishchandra', India's first full-length feature film made in 1913 by the pioneer of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.

At the end of the movie, six people were felicitated by Pratibha Patil - Mokashi, Madhav, Deshpande, Agashe, Neelam Kapoor from Paprika and Amit Bajaj from Essar.

Mokashi's low-budget period film was completed in January last year and it has already bagged a series of international awards and honours.

This is the second Marathi film in five years after Sandeep Sawant's directorial debut 'Shwaas' to be nominated by India for an Oscar.

Also present at the screening was danseuse Sonal Mansingh.