Short answers, pulled from the story.
Harishchandra is a king described in the Aitareya Brahmana text who possessed one hundred wives yet remained without a son. He appears as a rajarshi or king-sage in the Mahabharata and holds a unique place among earthly rulers for being admitted into the assembly of gods.
King Harishchandra lived during the Treta Yuga and ruled over a prosperous kingdom with his queen Shaivya. His story involves an illusion created by Vighnaraja that destroyed the meditation of the sage Vishvamitra, leading to severe consequences for the monarch.
He ended up working at a cremation ground in Kashi collecting fees for every body burned there. Deities led by Yama appeared to praise his honesty after his death, confirming his status despite his suffering.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke wrote and directed Raja Harishchandra which was released in 1913 as India's first full-length feature film. This production marked a turning point in Indian cinema history by adapting the ancient legend for the screen.
Satya Harishchandra received a digital colorization treatment released in April 2008 and stands as the third Indian film to undergo such digital coloring processes. Multiple adaptations exist including titles from 1935 and 1960 featuring actors like S. V. Ranga Rao alongside versions starring N. T. Rama Rao and Dr. Rajkumar.