1921
1.Star of the East film company was started in Madras by R. S. Prakash.
Born: 1901, Madras Presidency
Died: 28 May 1956, Madras Presidency
Movies: Draupadi Vastrapaharanam
2Bhakta Vidur (Hindi: भक्त विदुर, "Devotion of Vidura") is a 1921 silent Indian film directed by Kanjibhai Rathod and made under Kohinoor Film Company banner. In this film the Hindu mythological character Vidura was moulded on the personality of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. This was the first Indian film to face a ban. The story of the film is based on Hindu epic Mahabharata and depicts a series of conflicts between Pandavas and Kauravas. Vidura, who was half-brother to the kings Dhritarashtra (father of Kauravas) and Pandu (father of Pandavas) of Hastinapura, is the main character of the film and the events of the film are portrayed from his perspective. Throughout the film, Vidura shows his compassion and sympathy towards Pandavas multiple times. He gives condolences to Pandavas and assures them that truth always prevails, Kauravas will be punished soon for their sins. The series of conflicts between Pandavas and Kauravas finally leads to the terrible Kurukshetra War.
Cast
Dwarkadas Sampat as Vidura, Maneklal Patel as Krishna, Homi Master as Duryodhana, rabhashankar
Gangaram
Bhakta Vidur became the first film to be banned in India. The film came just after Rowlatt Act was passed in India. The character of Vidura was reportedly portrayed imitating Mahatma Gandhi, his personality. There were scenes in the film where Vidura appeared like Gandhi wearing Gandhi cap, Khaddar etc. Many more contemporary political events of India were shown as reference in the film. As a result, the film was restricted, as the censor board concluded– "We know what you are doing, it is not Vidur, it is Gandhiji, we won't allow it." It was also written in the censor's report– "It is likely to excite dissatisfaction against government and incite people to non co-operation". The film was banned in Madras, Karachi and some other provinces.
4.Bilat Ferat or Bilet Pherat a.k.a. England Returned was the acting debut of Dhirendranath Ganguly who co-directed and produced the film under his Indo-British Film banner. The film is the first full length Bengali feature film. It was also stated to be the first "love story" shown in Indian cinema.
Dhirendra Nath Ganguly (26 March 1893 – 18 November 1978), better known as Dhiren Ganguly or D.G, was a Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning and Padma Bhushan recipient film entrepreneur/actor/director of Bengali Cinema. He had set up a number of film production companies: Indo British Film company, British Dominion Films, Lotus Film Company. Later, he directed films for New Theatres. He produced many movies in the comedy genre. Ganguly studied in the Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He became a headmaster of State Art School in Hyderabad. He released a book of photographs of his make-up techniques called Bhavki Abhibyakti in 1915. Ganguly's photography book brought him in contact of J. F. Madan, who agreed to invest in his films. Ganguly and Madan Theatres' manager Nitish Lahiri formed the Indo British Film Co, the first film production company owned by Bengalis, in 1918. Bilat Ferat (1921) (The England Returned), a silent comedy film directed by Nitish Lahiri, was the first production from this company. They released another two movies in 1922: Yashoda Nandan and Sadhu Aur Shaitan. Ganguly founded Lotus Film Company in Hyderabad and also established a film studio and two cinema houses with the help of Nizam. In 1924, he was a distributor of Razia Begum, a film made in Bombay. This film portrayed a Muslim princess who fell in love of a Hindu. This enraged Nizam and he ordered Ganguly to leave Hyderabad. Ganguly returned to Calcuta and eventually formed another film production company British Dominion Films. Actor Pramathesh Barua invested in this venture and also acted in a film produced by this company. However, with the arrival of talkies and new sound technologies, this film company failed.Ganguly joined Barua Pictures company of Pramathesh Barua. But, soon both of them joined B. N. Sircar's New Theatres.
5.Mahasati Ansuya also called Sati Ansuya was directed by Kanjibhai Rathod for Kohinoor Film Company. It starred Sakina and Vaidya. According to Rajadhyaksha and Willemen, the film was a success at the box office and "gained notoriety for a nude shot of Sakina".
6.Nal Damayanti, a mythological, was one of the notable films of 1921. Directed by Eugenio de Liguoro for Madan Theatres, it starred Patience Cooper, E. D. Liguoro and D. Sarkari. It was cited to be the first international co-production with Italy.
An Anglo-Indian from Calcutta (in West Bengal), Cooper had a successful career in both silent and sound films.She started as a dancer in Bandmann's Musical Comedy, a Eurasian troupe before being employed by Madan's Corinithian Stage Company. Cooper was often cast as the sexually troubled but innocent woman at the center of moral dilemmas, a forerunner to the type of roles played later by Nargis. Cooper first made an impact with Nala Damayanti (1920). The film starred Keki Adajania as Nala and Cooper as Damayanti . The film was a big budget Madan Theatre production and was directed by Italian Eugenio De Liguoro, known in Italy for his Orientalist spectacles like Fascino d'Oro (1919). Nala Damayanti was famous for its special effects at the time - Narada's ascent of Mount Meru to heaven, the transformations of four gods into impersonations of Nala, the transformation of Kali into a serpant among others.Her next film was Vishnu Avtar, released in 1921. Cooper acted in over 40 films until she retired in 1944, after performing in her last film, Iraada. Cooper was often cast in the role of a sexually troubled but innocent woman, always at the centre of moral dilemmas, often caused by the men in her lives. De Liguoro also directed Dhruva Chartitra (1921), a mythological based on the legend of Dhruva whose quest for eternal knowledge and salvation was rewarded when he became the brightest star in the heavens, the pole star also known as Dhruvatara. The film was made as a bid for an international breakthrough for Madan Theatres and featured many Europeans in the cast along with Cooper who played the female lead, Suniti.
One of Cooper's biggest successes was Pati Bhakti (1922). Cooper played Leelavati in the film, directed by the great JJ Madan himself, advocating that women should be devoted to their husband. The film is regarded as her greatest film and was also involved in a small controversy as in Madras, the censor demanded that a dance number be removed on the grounds of obscenity. A major aspect of Cooper's star image was the successful achievement of the 'Hollywood look' in spite of different light and technical conditions. Her dark, sharp eyes and skin tone allowed technicians to experiment with the imported convention of eye-level lighting. Cooper also played perhaps the first ever double roles in Hindi films - Patni Pratap (1923), where she played two sisters and Kashmiri Sundari (1924), where she played mother and daughter.Cooper did films right through to the mid 1930s. One of her last major films was Zehari Saap (1933). The film was a typical Cooper vehicle about a medieval chieftain's revolt against the good Nawab Bakar Malik. The nawab's outlaw son vows revenge and finally all's well that ends well. The dramatic conflict in the film sees the chieftain wanting to marry the princess, whom he had raised as his own daughter.
7.Surekha Haran was directed by Baburao Painter for Maharashtra Film Company. Painter hired V. Shantaram, who had been employed by the studio doing all-purpose jobs, to play the role of Krishna. Shantaram's acting in the film brought him into prominence leading to several small roles till Savkari Pash where he was cast in the main role.
1.Star of the East film company was started in Madras by R. S. Prakash.
Born: 1901, Madras Presidency
Died: 28 May 1956, Madras Presidency
Movies: Draupadi Vastrapaharanam
2Bhakta Vidur (Hindi: भक्त विदुर, "Devotion of Vidura") is a 1921 silent Indian film directed by Kanjibhai Rathod and made under Kohinoor Film Company banner. In this film the Hindu mythological character Vidura was moulded on the personality of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. This was the first Indian film to face a ban. The story of the film is based on Hindu epic Mahabharata and depicts a series of conflicts between Pandavas and Kauravas. Vidura, who was half-brother to the kings Dhritarashtra (father of Kauravas) and Pandu (father of Pandavas) of Hastinapura, is the main character of the film and the events of the film are portrayed from his perspective. Throughout the film, Vidura shows his compassion and sympathy towards Pandavas multiple times. He gives condolences to Pandavas and assures them that truth always prevails, Kauravas will be punished soon for their sins. The series of conflicts between Pandavas and Kauravas finally leads to the terrible Kurukshetra War.
Cast
Dwarkadas Sampat as Vidura, Maneklal Patel as Krishna, Homi Master as Duryodhana, rabhashankar
Gangaram
Bhakta Vidur became the first film to be banned in India. The film came just after Rowlatt Act was passed in India. The character of Vidura was reportedly portrayed imitating Mahatma Gandhi, his personality. There were scenes in the film where Vidura appeared like Gandhi wearing Gandhi cap, Khaddar etc. Many more contemporary political events of India were shown as reference in the film. As a result, the film was restricted, as the censor board concluded– "We know what you are doing, it is not Vidur, it is Gandhiji, we won't allow it." It was also written in the censor's report– "It is likely to excite dissatisfaction against government and incite people to non co-operation". The film was banned in Madras, Karachi and some other provinces.
4.Bilat Ferat or Bilet Pherat a.k.a. England Returned was the acting debut of Dhirendranath Ganguly who co-directed and produced the film under his Indo-British Film banner. The film is the first full length Bengali feature film. It was also stated to be the first "love story" shown in Indian cinema.
Dhirendra Nath Ganguly (26 March 1893 – 18 November 1978), better known as Dhiren Ganguly or D.G, was a Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning and Padma Bhushan recipient film entrepreneur/actor/director of Bengali Cinema. He had set up a number of film production companies: Indo British Film company, British Dominion Films, Lotus Film Company. Later, he directed films for New Theatres. He produced many movies in the comedy genre. Ganguly studied in the Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He became a headmaster of State Art School in Hyderabad. He released a book of photographs of his make-up techniques called Bhavki Abhibyakti in 1915. Ganguly's photography book brought him in contact of J. F. Madan, who agreed to invest in his films. Ganguly and Madan Theatres' manager Nitish Lahiri formed the Indo British Film Co, the first film production company owned by Bengalis, in 1918. Bilat Ferat (1921) (The England Returned), a silent comedy film directed by Nitish Lahiri, was the first production from this company. They released another two movies in 1922: Yashoda Nandan and Sadhu Aur Shaitan. Ganguly founded Lotus Film Company in Hyderabad and also established a film studio and two cinema houses with the help of Nizam. In 1924, he was a distributor of Razia Begum, a film made in Bombay. This film portrayed a Muslim princess who fell in love of a Hindu. This enraged Nizam and he ordered Ganguly to leave Hyderabad. Ganguly returned to Calcuta and eventually formed another film production company British Dominion Films. Actor Pramathesh Barua invested in this venture and also acted in a film produced by this company. However, with the arrival of talkies and new sound technologies, this film company failed.Ganguly joined Barua Pictures company of Pramathesh Barua. But, soon both of them joined B. N. Sircar's New Theatres.
5.Mahasati Ansuya also called Sati Ansuya was directed by Kanjibhai Rathod for Kohinoor Film Company. It starred Sakina and Vaidya. According to Rajadhyaksha and Willemen, the film was a success at the box office and "gained notoriety for a nude shot of Sakina".
6.Nal Damayanti, a mythological, was one of the notable films of 1921. Directed by Eugenio de Liguoro for Madan Theatres, it starred Patience Cooper, E. D. Liguoro and D. Sarkari. It was cited to be the first international co-production with Italy.
An Anglo-Indian from Calcutta (in West Bengal), Cooper had a successful career in both silent and sound films.She started as a dancer in Bandmann's Musical Comedy, a Eurasian troupe before being employed by Madan's Corinithian Stage Company. Cooper was often cast as the sexually troubled but innocent woman at the center of moral dilemmas, a forerunner to the type of roles played later by Nargis. Cooper first made an impact with Nala Damayanti (1920). The film starred Keki Adajania as Nala and Cooper as Damayanti . The film was a big budget Madan Theatre production and was directed by Italian Eugenio De Liguoro, known in Italy for his Orientalist spectacles like Fascino d'Oro (1919). Nala Damayanti was famous for its special effects at the time - Narada's ascent of Mount Meru to heaven, the transformations of four gods into impersonations of Nala, the transformation of Kali into a serpant among others.Her next film was Vishnu Avtar, released in 1921. Cooper acted in over 40 films until she retired in 1944, after performing in her last film, Iraada. Cooper was often cast in the role of a sexually troubled but innocent woman, always at the centre of moral dilemmas, often caused by the men in her lives. De Liguoro also directed Dhruva Chartitra (1921), a mythological based on the legend of Dhruva whose quest for eternal knowledge and salvation was rewarded when he became the brightest star in the heavens, the pole star also known as Dhruvatara. The film was made as a bid for an international breakthrough for Madan Theatres and featured many Europeans in the cast along with Cooper who played the female lead, Suniti.
One of Cooper's biggest successes was Pati Bhakti (1922). Cooper played Leelavati in the film, directed by the great JJ Madan himself, advocating that women should be devoted to their husband. The film is regarded as her greatest film and was also involved in a small controversy as in Madras, the censor demanded that a dance number be removed on the grounds of obscenity. A major aspect of Cooper's star image was the successful achievement of the 'Hollywood look' in spite of different light and technical conditions. Her dark, sharp eyes and skin tone allowed technicians to experiment with the imported convention of eye-level lighting. Cooper also played perhaps the first ever double roles in Hindi films - Patni Pratap (1923), where she played two sisters and Kashmiri Sundari (1924), where she played mother and daughter.Cooper did films right through to the mid 1930s. One of her last major films was Zehari Saap (1933). The film was a typical Cooper vehicle about a medieval chieftain's revolt against the good Nawab Bakar Malik. The nawab's outlaw son vows revenge and finally all's well that ends well. The dramatic conflict in the film sees the chieftain wanting to marry the princess, whom he had raised as his own daughter.
7.Surekha Haran was directed by Baburao Painter for Maharashtra Film Company. Painter hired V. Shantaram, who had been employed by the studio doing all-purpose jobs, to play the role of Krishna. Shantaram's acting in the film brought him into prominence leading to several small roles till Savkari Pash where he was cast in the main role.
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