| New Theatres Limited | |
| Type: | Private |
| Owner: | B. N. Sircar |
| Location City: | Calcutta, West Bengal |
| Location Country: | India |
| Key People: | B. N. Sircar |
New Theatres is an Indian film studio.[1] It was formed in Calcutta by producer B. N. Sircar (Birendranath Sircar, the recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award of 1970). It was formed on 10 February 1931. Motto of this company was– Jivatang Jyotiretu Chhayam (Light infusing shadows with life). Sircar preferred to functionroughly analogous to what in USA was known as an executive producer. He built a processing laboratory... and got around him a devoted band of people.... Having decided on or approved a story or a subject for a film and the team to make it [Sircar] ensured that adequate funds were provided... but refrained from interfering with its execution. He made New Theatres a symbol of Bengali cinema's artistic good taste and technical excellence.[2]
Dena Paona, a Bengali talkie, was produced by New Theatres and released in 1931. It was directed by Premankur Atarthi, with music composed by Raichand Boral.
According to Kironmoy Raha, "New Theatres made its reputation secure with Chandidas directed by Debaki Bose in 1932,"[2] after the studio had produced five talkies.
In 1935, P.C. Barua directed and acted in Devdas, based on Saratchandra Chatterjee's novel Devdas, and this film became phenomenally successful in the industry.
In 1935, playback singing was first used in India in the Bengali film Bhagya Chakra by Nitin Bose. The singers were K C Dey, Parul Ghosh and Suprabha Sarkar.[3] Dhoop Chhaon, Hindi remake of this film, was the first Hindi film to use playback singing.[4]
Kanan Devi was the first popular star actress, who appeared in many films produced by New Theatres. Also there was a group of talented actors with New Theatres like K.L. Saigal, K. C. Dey, Prithviraj Kapoor, Trilok Kapoor, Chhabi Biswas, Bikash Roy, Pahari Sanyal, Basanta Choudhury.
Directors like Premankur Atarthi, P.C. Barua, Debaki Bose, Phani Majumdar and Nitin Bose worked in New Theatres films. Musicians who worked there included R. C. Boral, Pankaj Mullick, Timir Baran and Mani Bardhan.
New Theatres produced films in its own studios at Tollygunge in Kolkata, founded on 10 February 1931. From 1931 to 1955, 150 films were shot in these studios. New Theatres made comeback with the 2011 film Aadur Prem. New Theatres films include:[5]