Concerning my ancestor's works

     

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (AndyRC) son of Mr. Anjan Roy Chowdhury, grandson of Late Mr. Arun Kr. Roy Chowdhury, great grandson of Late Amarendranath Roy Chowdhury, hailing from Rashbehari area of Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

     Let me take you down memory lane to a bygone time. The year was 1931 when Freedom struggle has taken the path of Non-violence spearheaded by our Father of Nation - Mahatma Gandhi. In film industry Dada Sahib Phalke has brought India into the world map of movie making nations in the year 1913. Since then Indian movie goers were used to silent features only, until “Alam Ara” happened in 1931 taking India into a new era of film making. A little or completely unknown fact remains that in the same year a witty, golden hearted Bengali gentleman who went by the name Amar Chowdhury in film industry created the first Bengali talkie venture, "Jamaai Shashthi", hence bringing Bengali film industry into modern times. Since then Bengali film makers, composers, singers, actors and technicians have enriched the Indian film industry time and again. Tragic part of the story remains, the light bearer who brought about the greatest change in Bengali cinema is today forgotten by the film fraternity. His living family members are partly to be blamed as they should have taken up his cause years ago but struggle for existence in a lopsided economy never gave them the courage to look away from daily life and explore new avenues. Today after getting a bit of sense in my otherwise empty mind me and my father, his great grandson and grandson respectively is bringing these in public view. We earnestly hope his works will get the attention they have deserved for long.

 

The photos are cover pages of a script of the movie titled "Jamaai Shashthi" written & directed by Late Mr. Amarendranath Roy Chowdhury (Amar Chowdhury), my great grandfather. This was the 1st Bengali talkie movie ever made. On 11th April 1931 this movie was produced and distributed by Madan Theaters @ Crown Talkie House more than eight decades ago. He also acted in this movie as was the norm in those days.