'''Niranjan Pal (1889-1959)'''


Director and scenarist born in Calcutta. Son of
nationalist leader Bipin Chandra Pal.
Participated marginally in early youth in
terrorist action around Calcutta (1908). Sent to
Marseilles and to London where he lived 
until 1929. Met Veer Savarkar, leader of the extreme
right-wing Hindu Mahasabha, and was linked
with the assassination of William Hutt Curzon
Wyllie (achieved at the Imperial Institute in
London on 1 July 1909). In London, worked
with the Natural Color Kinematograph Co.
(1913); wrote short stories, plays and sold
several scripts such as Faith of a Child (F.
Martin Thornton, 1915) and A Gentleman of
Paris (Sinclair Hill, 1931), based on his own
novel His Honour the Judge. Started Indian
Players group and staged plays like Bluebottle
and The Goddess. Met Himansu Rai, an actor
in The Goddess, and discussed making Prem
Sanyas (1925). Pal claims in his unpublished
memoirs, Such is Life, that the film was his idea
as well as his script. Collaborated as scenarist
on all Himansu Rai’s silent productions
(Shiraz, 1928; Prapancha Pash, 1929).
Revived Indian Players and The Goddess on
stage in Calcutta with participation of
Premankur Atorthy, Modhu Bose and
Charu Roy. His play Zarina, staged by Bose’s
Calcutta Amateur Players, was later filmed by
Ezra Mir (1932). Made promotional films for a
French motor car company and Imperial
Tobacco, exhibited with Chaplin films in tent
shows around Calcutta (1930-3). Made
newsreels for Aurora called Aurora Screen
News (1938-42) and occasional features for
Aurora, including the children’s film
Hatekhari. Rejoined Rai at Bombay Talkies
(1934-7) as chief scenarist and wrote some of
the studio’s biggest hits (Jeevan Naiya and
Achhut Kanya, both 1936; Izzat and Savitri,
both 1937). Made documentaries for Punjab
government and worked in the Film Advisory
Board as chief scriptwriter (1942). Also wrote
the story of Modhu Bose’s Khyber Falcon
(1932) and Jayant Desai’s Qatil Katari (1931).


'''FILMOGRAPHY:''' 1930: Naseeb Ni Balihari;
1931: Sui Ka Naka; Pardesia; Pujari; 1932:
Dardi (all St); 1939: Hatekhari; Amma; 1940:
Suktara; Ditiya Path; 1941: Rashpurnima;
Chitthi; Brahman Kanya; 1951: Bodhodaya.

[[Director]]

[[Writer]]