A list of films produced by the Bengali language film industry based in Kolkata in the year 1931.
A list of films produced by the Bengali language film industry based in Kolkata in the year 1931.
| Title | Director | Cast | Genre | Notes/Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dena Paona [1] | Premankur Atarthi | Durgadas Bandyopadhyay, Amar Mullik, Jahar Gangopadhyay, Bhanu Bandyopadhyay (Sr.), Bhumen Ray, Kusumkumari, Nibhanani Debi, Umasashi, Sishubala, Anupama Debi, Abhabati | Family film | It is credited as the first Bengali talkie. It was released in the same year as Alam Ara , the first Indian talkie. It was released on 24 December 1931 at Chitra (now Mitra) Cinema Hall in Calcutta. |
| Jamai Shashthi (Short) [2] | Amar Chowdhury | Amar Chowdhury, Jatin Singha, Kshirodgopal Mukhopadhyay, Ms. Golela, Ranisundari, Bimal Gupta, Kartik Ray, Bholanath | Drama films | It is credited as the first Bengali talkie (Short). It was released in the same year as Alam Ara , the first Indian talkie. It was released on 11 April 1931 at Crown Cinema Hall in Calcutta. |
| Jor Barat (Short) [3] | Jyotish Bandyopadhyay | Joynarayan Mukhopadhyay, Kartik Dey, Kanan Debi, Kartik Ray, Prakashmoni, Kunjalal Chakraborty, Renubala, Nagendrabala, Satyendranath Dey, Bhupendranath Bandyopadhyay | Romance | |
| Prahlad [4] | Priyanath Gangopadhyay | Ahindra Chowdhury, Joynarayan Mukhopadhyay, Mrinalkanti Ghosh, Shanti Gupta, Niharbala, Kunjalal Chakraborty, Debabala, Binapani Debi, Kanan Debi, Dhiren Das | Epic film | |
| Rishir Prem [5] | Jyotish Bandyopadhyay | Kanan Debi, Ahindra Chowdhury, Hiren Bose, Sarajubala, Joynarayan Mukhopadhyay, Ganesh Goswami, Dhiren Das, Surabala, Nirupama Debi, Charubala, Gita Debi | Romance | |
| Tritiya Paksha (Short) | Amar Chowdhury | Amar Chowdhury, Jatin Singha, Kshirodgopal Mukhopadhyay, Ms. Golela, Ms. Golap | Drama films |
New Theatres is an Indian film studio. It was formed in Calcutta by producer B. N. Sircar. It was formed on 10 February 1931. Motto of this company was– Jivatang Jyotiretu Chhayam. Sircar preferred to function roughly analogous to what in USA was known as an executive producer. He built a processing laboratory... and got around him a devoted band of people.... Having decided on or approved a story or a subject for a film and the team to make it [Sircar] ensured that adequate funds were provided... but refrained from interfering with its execution. He made New Theatres a symbol of Bengali cinema's artistic good taste and technical excellence.
Rai Chand Boral was an Indian composer, considered by music connoisseurs to be the Bhishma Pitamah, the father of film music in India.
Dena Paona is a 1931 Bengali film directed by Premankur Atorthy, starring Amar Mullick, Durgadas Bannerjee, Jahar Ganguly, Nibhanani Devi, and Bhanu Bandopadhyay. Based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and produced by New Theatres, it is credited as the one of first Bengali talkies, and along with Alam Ara, was one of the first sound films produced in India. The film explored the ills of the dowry system and touched on the problems of female oppression in 19th century Bengal.
Jamai Shashthi is a 1931 Bengali short film directed by Amar Choudhury and produced by Madan Theatre Limited. It is a milestone of Bengali cinema as it was the first Bengali short film as a talkie. It was released at Crown Cinema Hall in Calcutta on 11 April 1931, in the same year as Alam Ara, the first Indian talkie.
Nitin Bose was an Indian film director, cinematographer and screenwriter of the nation's film industry. He was born in Calcutta and died in the same city. In the 1930s and early 40s, he worked with New Theatres, who made bilingual movies: in both Bengali and Hindi. Later, he moved to Bombay and directed under the banners of Bombay Talkies and Filmistan.
Cinema of West Bengal, also known as Tollywood or Bengali cinema, is an Indian film industry of Bengali-language motion pictures. It is based in the Tollygunge region of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The origins of the nickname Tollywood, a portmanteau of the words Tollygunge and Hollywood, dates back to 1932. It was a historically important film industry, at one time the centre of Indian film production. The Bengali film industry is known for producing many of Indian cinema's most critically acclaimed global Parallel Cinema and art films, with several of its filmmakers gaining prominence at the Indian National Film Awards as well as international acclaim.
Premankur Atorthy (1890–1964) was an Indian novelist, journalist, and film director. He was involved in Hindi and Bengali cinema.
Birendranath Sircar was an Indian film producer and the founder of New Theatres Calcutta. He made Bengali-language films that were noted for introducing many film directors who later became famous. He was awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1970 and the third highest civilian award in India, the Padma Bhushan, in 1972.
Sarat Chandra Kuthi, also known as Sarat Smriti Mandir, is a house museum located in the village of Samta, in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India, on the banks of the Rupnarayan river. It is noted for being the house of Bengali novelist, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay for twelve years. The house was constructed in the year 1923 by a local worker named Gopal Das and it cost a sum of ₹17,000. During the 1978 West Bengal floods, the structure had suffered damage, following which the government undertook its repair. Sarat Chandra Kuthi is a heritage-historical site protected under the West Bengal Heritage Commission Act (IX) of 2001. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's works such as Devdas, Baikunther Will, Dena Paona, Datta (Bethroed), and Nishkriti (Deliverance) among others were serialised during his stay at Sarat Chandra Kuthi. He also wrote Ramer Sumati and Mahesh among others during his stay in the house.
Zinda Lash is a 1932 Indian costume drama directed by Premankur Atorthy. The film was produced by New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta. The cast of the film included K. L. Saigal, Rattan Bai, Pahari Sanyal, Mahajabin, Nawab, Kumar and Radharani. The music direction was by R. C. Boral. B. N. Sircar started New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta in 1930 and produced his first film in Bengali, Dena Paona in 1931. In 1932 he produced films in Hindi where he introduced K. L. Saigal to Indian Cinema. The first was Mohabbat Ke Ansu and the second was Zinda Lash both directed by Premankur Atorthy. K. L. Saigal changed his name for his first three films and was billed as Saigal Kashmiri to prevent his family from finding out his profession. This film like his earlier Mohabbat Ke Ansu was not successful at the box office.
Pujarin is a 1936 Hindi social film. It was directed by Prafulla Roy for International Film Craft. The film was based on a story by writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay from his story "Dena Paona". The film was the remake of the Bengali film Dena Paona directed by Premankur Atorthy. The music direction was by Timir Baran with lyrics by Pandit Bhushan and Kidar Sharma.The film starred K. L. Saigal, Chandrabati Devi, K. C. Dey, Pahari Sanyal and Rajkumari. The story is about a reckless immoral youth who marries for money then deserts his wife due to circumstances, only to return as an aristocrat and reform through the love of his wife.
Sukhen Das was an Indian actor, director, screenwriter and story writer of Bengali cinema.
Jahar Ganguly was an Indian actor and theater personality. He received Best actor award in 6th Annual Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards in 1943 for his performance in Bandi.
Amar Mullick was an Indian actor and director.
Durgadas Bannerjee (1893–1943) was an Indian Bengali film actor who appeared in many roles from 1922 to 1943.
Uma Sashi was an Indian Bengali film actress who appeared in many roles from 1929 to 1951. Her on-screen pairings with actors such as Durgadas Bannerjee, K. L. Saigal, Pahari Sanyal and Prithviraj Kapoor were popular in those days.
Ratna Ghoshal is an Indian film and television actress. She began her career as a supporting actress. She set foot in the world of acting through the film Raja Rammohun.
