Amar Choudhury
- Born: 1897
- Died: 30 August 1948
Film actor, director, editor and writer, 1 is credited with writing and scripting the first Bengali talkie Jamai Shashthi (1931), produced by Madan Theatres Ltd. He acted in this film too as he did in all of the films that he wrote and directed. Other films he is known for include Matri Sneha (1923), Keranir Mas Kabar (1931), and Arakshaniya (1948). Working in the silent as well as early talkie era of Indian cinema, he was primarily associated with the Calcutta-based Madan Theatres, and was a key figure in the early era of Indian and particularly Bengali cinema.
Born in 1897, Choudhury is most famous for Madan Theatres’ Jamal Shashthi which he wrote, directed and edited. The short film released on 11 April 1931 at Crown Cinema Hall in Calcutta, a month after the release of India’s first talkie, Alam Ara (1931). The cast of the film included Choudhury, Jatin Singha, Kshirodegopal Mukherjee (also the music director), Miss Golela, Ranisundari, Bimal Gupta, Kartik Ray and Bholanath. It was a breakthrough creation in the film world of Bengal.
Among his earliest forays into films, he acted in the silent drama film Matri Sneha (1923), which translates as A Mother’s Devotion, directed by Jyotish Bannerjee. He played a character called Pagal in the film, produced by J F Madan. The rest of the cast included Akshay Babu as Ganesh, Patience Cooper as Leela, Tulsi Lahiri as Nirmal, Edwin Mayer as Dulal, Miss Kumud, Niradasundari, Prabha Devi, Sushila Sundari, and Ashalata Wabgaonkar.
The 1931 silent film Keranir Mas Kabar/ Monthly Budget of a Clerk, which he penned, was directed by Jyotish Banerjee and starred Santi Gupta and J N Sinha.
Madan Theatres’ comedy Bibhaha Bibhrat (Confused Marriage), which he acted in in 1931, was directed by Jyotish Bannerjee, and saw Choudhury starring along with Amritalal Bose and Patience Cooper.
In Radha Krishna/ Kalanka Bhanjan (1933), he played the character Gokul, and also wrote and co-directed the film along with Monindra Bose. The cast included Angurbala and Dhiraj Bhattacharya who essayed Krishna, Duniyabala who played Radha, and co-director Bose who played Nanda.
The Bengali language Kavi Joydev (1941) saw him act in this Hiren Bose directorial starring Rani Bala, Jiben Bose, Reba Bose and others.
Arakshaniya/ Reserved (1948) saw him cast as the character of the doctor in this Pashupati Chatterjee directorial, that starred Sikharani Bag and Rani Bala.
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