Niranjan Pal
Encyclopedia
Niranjan Pal was a playwright, screenwriter and director in the India
n film industry in the silent and early talkie days. He was a close associate of Himanshu Rai
and Franz Osten
, with whom he was a founding member of Bombay Talkies
.
, Niranjan Pal was born in an illustrious family, his father was the noted freedom fighter, Bipin Chandra Pal
, and Niranjan himself as a teenager was briefly involved in the Indian freedom struggle during an association with Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
and Madanlal Dhingra in London
. By the late 1910s, he started writing and eventually wrote The Light of Asia and Shiraz, both of which were performed on stage in London. Both were commercially successful and attracted the attention of German filmmaker Franz Osten
, who made screen versions in India. Himanshu Rai
, then a lawyer, also acted in one of Niranjan Pal's plays Goddess also performed in London
, though some sources suggest that it was Devika Rani
who first met him, through their common Brahmo Samaj
connections, which paved way for his eventual stake in the creation of Bombay Talkies
..
Following the successes of The Light of Asia
and Shiraz 1928, Pal moved back to India with his English wife, Lily, and son Colin Pal
, and embarked on a career as the screenplay writer for Bombay Talkies
. He also started directing films, and made among others Needle's Eye (1931), Pardesia (1932), and Chitthi (1941). His career as a director was however far less successful than his work as a screenwriter, in which role he wrote some of India's earliest blockbusters Achhut Kanya
(1936), Jeevan Naiya
(1936) and Jawani Ki Hawa (1935). Of these Achhut Kanya was the most popular, and continues to be a landmark film as it dealt with the subject of untouchability.
He also collaborated with noted dancer, Uday Shankar
to write a libretto for first Indian ballets, performed by Anna Pavlova and Uday Shankar himself .
was a prominent journalist, and film historian, who wrote books, 'Shooting Stars' and autobiography "Aye Jibon: Such is life" won a National Award from the Indian Government in 2001. Colin died, on 28 August 2005, after a prolonged illness, in Mumbai
, at the age of 83
Niranjan's grandson Deep Pal is a cinematographer.
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...
n film industry in the silent and early talkie days. He was a close associate of Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Roy , one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1934. He was associated with a number of movies, including Goddess , The Light of Asia , Siraj , A Throw of Dice , and Karma .He was married to actress Devika Rani.-Bombay Talkies:He was...
and Franz Osten
Franz Osten
Franz Osten was a German filmmaker who along with Niranjan Pal was among the first retainers of Bombay Talkies. Osten partnered with Pal on a number of India's earliest blockbuster films like Achhut Kanya and Jeevan Naiya.-Early life:He was born as Franz Ostermayr in Munich on 23 December 1876...
, with whom he was a founding member of Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
.
Biography
Born on 17 August 1889 in Calcutta, West BengalWest 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...
, Niranjan Pal was born in an illustrious family, his father was the noted freedom fighter, Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin Chandra Pal was an Indian nationalist. He was among the triumvirate of Lal Bal Pal.-Early life and background:...
, and Niranjan himself as a teenager was briefly involved in the Indian freedom struggle during an association with Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar was an Indian freedom fighter, revolutionary and politician. He was the proponent of liberty as the ultimate ideal. Savarkar was a poet, writer and playwright...
and Madanlal Dhingra in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. By the late 1910s, he started writing and eventually wrote The Light of Asia and Shiraz, both of which were performed on stage in London. Both were commercially successful and attracted the attention of German filmmaker Franz Osten
Franz Osten
Franz Osten was a German filmmaker who along with Niranjan Pal was among the first retainers of Bombay Talkies. Osten partnered with Pal on a number of India's earliest blockbuster films like Achhut Kanya and Jeevan Naiya.-Early life:He was born as Franz Ostermayr in Munich on 23 December 1876...
, who made screen versions in India. Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Roy , one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1934. He was associated with a number of movies, including Goddess , The Light of Asia , Siraj , A Throw of Dice , and Karma .He was married to actress Devika Rani.-Bombay Talkies:He was...
, then a lawyer, also acted in one of Niranjan Pal's plays Goddess also performed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, though some sources suggest that it was Devika Rani
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich was an early Indian movie star.- Career :Born in Waltair , Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M. N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras...
who first met him, through their common Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
connections, which paved way for his eventual stake in the creation of Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
..
Following the successes of The Light of Asia
Prem Sanyas
Prem Sanyas was 1925 silent film, directed by Franz Osten and Himansu Rai. It was film adapted from the book, The Light of Asia in verse, by Edwin Arnold, based on the life of Prince Gautama Buddha, who after enlightenment became the Buddha, the learned one.-Production:The film was an...
and Shiraz 1928, Pal moved back to India with his English wife, Lily, and son Colin Pal
Colin Pal
Colin Pal Colin Pal Colin Pal (b. 1923–d. 2005-08-30 was a Hindi film actor, technician, journalist, and PRO (publicist) for 175 Hindi films. The grandson of freedom fighter Bipin Chandra Pal, he was born into the film world as his father, Niranjan Pal was already a top producer since...
, and embarked on a career as the screenplay writer for Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies
The Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
. He also started directing films, and made among others Needle's Eye (1931), Pardesia (1932), and Chitthi (1941). His career as a director was however far less successful than his work as a screenwriter, in which role he wrote some of India's earliest blockbusters Achhut Kanya
Achhut Kanya
Achhoot Kanya is a 1936 Hindi film. Among the early super-hits in the Bombay film industry, the film deals with the social position of Dalit girls and is considered a reformist period-piece.The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal,...
(1936), Jeevan Naiya
Jeevan Naiya
Jeevan Naiya is a 1936 film famous for being the first screen appearance and launch pad of early superstar Ashok Kumar, the film is about the ostracism of dancing girls. The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal, Himanshu Rai, and their...
(1936) and Jawani Ki Hawa (1935). Of these Achhut Kanya was the most popular, and continues to be a landmark film as it dealt with the subject of untouchability.
He also collaborated with noted dancer, Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar , the pioneer of modern dance in India, and a world renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, was most known for adapting Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, thus laying the roots of...
to write a libretto for first Indian ballets, performed by Anna Pavlova and Uday Shankar himself .
Family
Niranjan Pal's family is in the film industry, his son Colin PalColin Pal
Colin Pal Colin Pal Colin Pal (b. 1923–d. 2005-08-30 was a Hindi film actor, technician, journalist, and PRO (publicist) for 175 Hindi films. The grandson of freedom fighter Bipin Chandra Pal, he was born into the film world as his father, Niranjan Pal was already a top producer since...
was a prominent journalist, and film historian, who wrote books, 'Shooting Stars' and autobiography "Aye Jibon: Such is life" won a National Award from the Indian Government in 2001. Colin died, on 28 August 2005, after a prolonged illness, in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, at the age of 83
Niranjan's grandson Deep Pal is a cinematographer.