Golden Era
Cinema in Bihar dates back to the early years of 20th Century when J F Madan acquired the then Elphinstone Theatre Co of Bombay in 1902 and converted it into The Elphinstone Bioscope Co. The Elphinstone Theatre of Patna was accordingly converted into Elphinstone cinema, and started showing short silent films. On advent of Talkies, it started showing sound films and continuing till now,although has changed its ownership after collapse of the Madan empire in 1930s.In between, another silent cinema theatre was built in China Kothi, Patna, which withered away after advent of talkies from 1931 onwards. The first talkie of Patna was built in Babu Bazar, South-West Patna, debuting with the Talkie Veer Abhimanyu in 1933 or 1934, But the nitrate films caused a huge fire that destroyed the theatre, which was never re-built.
The first Feature film produced in Bihar was perhaps Punarmilan, produced by the Maharaja of Deo in Aurangabad district, reported to have been directed by Dhirendranath Ganguly (maker of Bilat Ferat). But no trace or confirmed information is available about this film.
After several decades Prakash Jha made his debut Feature film Hip Hip Huray in 1984, a Hindi film, completely shot in Bihar (now Jharkhand)but processed in Bombay. The next producer was Sahay from Gaya, who made the feature film Patang directed by the eminent Gautam Ghose.
The first Bhojpuri film Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chhadhaibo was made in 1962 by Raj Kumar Sahabadi, Directed by Kundan Kumar of Varanasi. The film was certified by the Censors in November 1962 and was released in Varanasi and Patna in early 1963. Acclaimed as a very well made film with many popular artists, this encouraged announcement of production of about 70 films, most of whom did not materialize. Although a large number of films have been produced in Bhojpuri, only a few have been admired, most of them rejected for family viewing. With poor commercial prospects, more than 150 completed films are waiting to be released (by May 2012). We are still waiting for the Golden Era to arrive.
(input by R N Dash, President, Cine society, Patna)
Read more about this topic: Cinema Of Bihar, History
Famous quotes containing the words golden and/or era:
“Beloved, may your sleep be sound
That have found it where you fed.
What were all the world’s alarms
To mighty Paris when he found
Sleep upon a golden bed
That first dawn in Helen’s arms?”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“... we are apt to think it the finest era of the world when America was beginning to be discovered, when a bold sailor, even if he were wrecked, might alight on a new kingdom ...”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)