== Priyanath N. Ganguly (1887-1956) ==

One of [[Madan]]’s top silent directors together
with [[Jyotish Bannerjee]]. Started working for
Madan in 1904. Directorial début with
experimental comedy short Bear-scare in the
Rajah’s Garden Party. Embarked on a series
of documentaries, Swadeshi Films, for Madan’s
Elphinstone Bioscope, made with Kumar
Gupta and covering e.g. the Prince of Wales’s
visit (1905), the Grand Masonic Procession
(1906), etc. Started Asiatic Cinematograph Co.
in Calcutta, a production and distribution
concern that built two theatres in the city and
shot Indian visit of George V in direct
competition with the Madan unit and [[Hiralal
Sen]] (1911). Early features at Madan included
versions of Bankimchandra Chatterjee’s novels
(Krishnakanter Will, Durgesh Nandini and
Debi Choudhrani). Manager of Madan’s
Elphinstone Picture Palace in the early 30s.
Joined [[East India film Company|East India Film]] and took over Kali
Films/India Film Industry (1935) where he
hired [[Sisir Bhaduri]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satu_Sen|Satu Sen]], [[Sushil
Majumdar]], Tulsi Lahiri and encouraged the
post-[[Kallol]] generation of film-makers (esp.
novelist-film-maker [[Sailajananda Mukherjee]],
filming his novel Pataal Puri). Kali Films also
produced the first film in Oriya, the
mythological [[Seeta Bibaha]] (1934).

FILMOGRAPHY: 1926: Krishnakanter Will;
1927: Jana; Durgesh Nandini; 1929: Kapal
Kundala; 1930: Kal Parinaya; 1931: Debi
Choudhrani (all St); Prahlad; 1933: Jamuna
Puliney/Radha Krishna; 1934: Taruni; 1935:
Pataal Puri; Bidyasundar; 1936: Kal
Parinaya.

[[Directors]]