1936: Key Events

• The ​Progressive Writers Association conference, started in London in 1935, has its first all-India conference at Lucknow.

• The All- India Kisan Sabha, founded alongside the Congress session in Lucknow, publishes N. G. Ranga’s Kisan Manifesto making a series of ‘minimum demands’ on behalf of small landowners, tenants and landless labourers.

• All-India Radio is started.

• Orissa and Bihar become independent states of India.

• Amar Jyoti? is shown in Venice.

• ​Master Vinayak and cameraman Pandurang Naik co- found Huns Pictures; the Telugu company Saraswati Talkies debuts with ​Draupadi Vastrapaharanam.

• Sarathi Films, started the same year, presided over Gudavalli Ramabrahmam’s early work in the reform genre (e. g. ​Raitu Bidda, 1939). Raja Sandow’s Vasantsena launches the prolific career of the Tamil comedy duo N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Mathuram.

• Franz Osten joins the Nazi Party.

• Jaddanbai starts Sangeet Film with films featuring her daughter Nargis as a child actress.

• Sohrab Modi and Rustom Modi start Minerva Movietone.

• The Bengal Motion Picture Association is founded in Calcutta.

• The second All-India Motion Picture Convention (Madras).