New Theatres gift wraps precious picks from Indian cinema

Kolkata, Apr 22 (UNI) Come Monday and rare celluloid gems in sepia tone will flicker back to life as the tusker of the 'New Theatres' trumpet the revival of the production house that forms the corner stone of Indian cinema.

Nearly four decades have passed since the last film of the New Theatres Ltd was released, yet, to film buffs, the magic of the name "New Threatres" remains alive. And it is to savour this legacy and carry it forward that Dilip Sircar, director of the theatres, has planned the platinum jubilee celebration and announce its phoenix act.

"We were forced to do away with the name of New Theatres for legal bindings. But now we are back. We want to make the world aware that the cinema in India had its foundations here at New Theatres," he said.

"Indeed, to elder generations of Bengalis, New Theatres is an institution, like Rabindranath, the name with which they became familiar from their childhood," documentary film maker Somnath Gupta told UNI.

Somnath, who has made a documentary on New Theatres, said like the roaring lion of the Metro Goldwyn Mayer Ltd (MGM), the elephant on New Theatres logo came to be regarded as the hallmark of quality, and is fondly remembered even today.

"The theatre is a witness to many firsts. It is the place where first time playback came in vogue, cut lights were used, we had singing stars, orchestrated music and legends formed a part of the theatre's daily life," he said.

So in tune with the heritage, the celebrations will focus on the theatre from three aspects: "The Thespians" that will focus on the doyens like Pramatesh Barua and Kanan Devi, the Pioneers like K N Saigal and the "Music of New Theatres" focussing on R C Boral and Pankaj Mullick.

The institution was founded by B N sircar, who gave up the security of a construction business and established this theatre.

New Threatres, which had produced 150 films in its 24-year lifespan(1931-55), came into being with the establishment of its own studio at Tollygunge in Southern fringes of Kolkata on February 10, 1931.

New Theatres films were often based on well-known Bengali novels by Bamkimchandra, Rabindranath, and Saratchandra. Alternatively, popular novelists were commissioned to write stories for films.

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