'''Modhu Bose (1900-69)'''


Bengali and Hindi director-scenarist born in Calcutta; grandson of the historian R.C. Dutt. Studied at Shantiniketan and Bidyasagar College, Calcutta, under [[Sisir Bhaduri]]. Entered film briefly as actor at [[Madan Theatres]] (1923). Assisted J.J. Madan on the making of Turki Hoor (1924); assisted on [[Himansu Rai]]’s [[Prem Sanyas (1926)|Prem Sanyas]] (1925). Went to London and assisted cameraman Baron Gaetano Ventigmilia on a Hitchcock film for Balcon/Gainsborough (1926; probably The Mountain Eagle) and worked briefly with Karl Freund at UFA (probably on Lang’s Metropolis, 1925). Shot a Burmese film for the London Film Company, Rangoon, in 1927. 

Started the Calcutta Amateur Players (CAP) theatre group (1927). Production manager and actor in [[Prapancha Pash]] (1929). Married actress [[Sadhona Bose]]. Early films produced by Madan Theatres. Made Khyber Falcon for the [[Punjab Film Corp]]. in Lahore. Best-known work for Bombay-based [[Wadia Movietone]] and [[Sagar]]. Developed an influential generic hybrid from [[Rabindranath Tagore]]’s ballets (Dahlia) and Khirode Prasad Vidyavinode’s [[Alibaba]], both starring his wife, [[Sadhona Bose]]. Made Orientalist song-dance-adventure spectaculars, indigenous variants of British 19th C. Ruritanian comedies (Selima, [[Kumkum]], [[Raj Nartaki]]) and several Tagore adaptations. After 1936, when the CAP turned professional, concentrated mainly on stage work, e.g. [[Niranjan Pal]]’s Zarina, Manmatha Ray’s The Dreams of Omar Khayyam. Also film biographicals of Girishchandra Ghosh, Michael Madhusudhan Dutt and Swami Vivekananda. Wrote autobiography: Amar Jeeban (1967).


'''FILMOGRAPHY:''' 1930: Giribala; Dahlia; 1932: Khyber Falcon (all St); 1935: Selima; 1936: Bala Ki Raat; 1937: Alibaba (also act); 1938: Abhinaya; 1940: Kumkum/Kumkum the Dancer; 1941: Raj Nartaki/Court Dancer; 1942: Meenakshi; 1947: Giribala; 1950: Michael Madhusudhan; 1953: Raakhi; Shesher Kabita; 1954: Vikram Urvashi; 1956: Mahakavi Girishchandra; Paradhin; Shubha Lagna; 1964: Bireshwar Vivekananda.

[[Director]]