Calcutta Film Society
Encyclopedia
Calcutta Film Society was India
’s second film society
in the city of Kolkata
(then Calcutta), West Bengal
, India
. It was founded in 1947, just after independence, by Satyajit Ray
, Chidananda Dasgupta
, RP Gupta, Bansi Chandragupta
and others. The 1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein
, The Battleship Potemkin
was the first film screened at the film society, which over the years developed the reputation of having the "most cine-literate audiences in the country".
Today it is seen as an important harbinger of New Wave cinema in India, as it allowed first hand access to world cinema to local viewers and in time started the film society movement in India.
offer a room in his home for the meetings. And despite tough censorship policies, under the "Indian Cinematograph Act 1918" of the British Raj
, which still in enforced censorship rule to all gathering for cinema viewing, they survived low membership during the first five years viewing mainly Russian and European films. The society also started a bulletin designed by Ray, and several of his article were later published in the book, Our Films, Their Films
(1972). Noted film personalities were invited to speak at the society which they did on several occasions, including Russian actor, Nikolay Cherkasov, directors Jean Renoir
, John Huston
. Ray later recounted his meeting with Renoir as an important turning point in shaping his cinematic vision of his first film, Pather Panchali
which he explained to Renoir when he was visiting India to look for locations for his film The River
, in which Ray assisted Renoir.
In the following years, when the first International Film Festival of India
was organized in 1952, the society was extensively consulted for the films to be invited to the festival. The festival according to film historian, Jerzy Toeplitz
became a turning point in the history of Indian cinema as it was first time, Indian audience had access to Italian neorealism
as well as new Japanese cinema.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
’s second film society
Film society
A film society is a membership club where people can watch screenings of films which would otherwise not be shown in mainstream cinemas. In Spain they are known as "Cineclubs," and in Germany they are known as "Filmclubs"....
in the city of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(then Calcutta), West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was founded in 1947, just after independence, by Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
, Chidananda Dasgupta
Chidananda Dasgupta
Chidananda Das Gupta , , was a Bengali Indian filmmaker, a leading film critic, a film historian and one of the founders of Calcutta Film Society with Satyajit Ray in 1947...
, RP Gupta, Bansi Chandragupta
Bansi Chandragupta
Bansi Chandragupta was an Indian art director and production designer, regarded among the greatest of art directors of Indian film industry. He won Filmfare Best Art Direction Award thrice, for Seema in 1972, for Do Jhoot in 1976 and for Chakra in 1982. He was awarded Evening Standard British Film...
and others. The 1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
, The Battleship Potemkin
The Battleship Potemkin
The Battleship Potemkin , sometimes rendered as The Battleship Potyomkin, is a 1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and produced by Mosfilm...
was the first film screened at the film society, which over the years developed the reputation of having the "most cine-literate audiences in the country".
Today it is seen as an important harbinger of New Wave cinema in India, as it allowed first hand access to world cinema to local viewers and in time started the film society movement in India.
History
Although a film society was formed by documentary filmmakers in Bombay in 1942, this was the first film society dedicated to feature films. Satyajit Ray then a young aspiring film maker provided film books and magazines, while Chidananda DasguptaChidananda Dasgupta
Chidananda Das Gupta , , was a Bengali Indian filmmaker, a leading film critic, a film historian and one of the founders of Calcutta Film Society with Satyajit Ray in 1947...
offer a room in his home for the meetings. And despite tough censorship policies, under the "Indian Cinematograph Act 1918" of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, which still in enforced censorship rule to all gathering for cinema viewing, they survived low membership during the first five years viewing mainly Russian and European films. The society also started a bulletin designed by Ray, and several of his article were later published in the book, Our Films, Their Films
Our Films, Their Films
Our Films, Their Films is an anthology of film criticism by noted Bengali filmmaker, composer and writer Satyajit Ray. Collecting articles and personal journal excerpts, it was first published in India in 1976; an English translation was published in The U.S. and UK in 1992...
(1972). Noted film personalities were invited to speak at the society which they did on several occasions, including Russian actor, Nikolay Cherkasov, directors Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
, John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
. Ray later recounted his meeting with Renoir as an important turning point in shaping his cinematic vision of his first film, Pather Panchali
Pather Panchali
Pather Panchali is a 1955 Bengali drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of the Indian state of West Bengal. Based on Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, the film was the directorial debut of Ray...
which he explained to Renoir when he was visiting India to look for locations for his film The River
The River (1951 film)
The River is a 1951 film directed by Jean Renoir. It was filmed in India and was seminal to the launching of the careers of Satyajit Ray , who assisted on the film, and Subrata Mitra, Ray's cinematographer whom he met during the filming of The River.A fairly faithful dramatization of an earlier...
, in which Ray assisted Renoir.
In the following years, when the first International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
was organized in 1952, the society was extensively consulted for the films to be invited to the festival. The festival according to film historian, Jerzy Toeplitz
Jerzy Toeplitz
Jerzy Toeplitz AO was born in 1909 in Kharkiv . He was educated in Warsaw. After World War II he was the co-founder of the Polish Film School, and later took up an appointment in Australia for the Film and TV School.Between 1948 and 1972 he was Vice-President of the International Film and...
became a turning point in the history of Indian cinema as it was first time, Indian audience had access to Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...
as well as new Japanese cinema.