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Aurora Studio


Address: Narkeldanga, Saltlake

Years Active: 1936-1999, 2003-

First Film: Amma

Language: Telugu

Director: Niranjan Pal

Year of Release: 1939

The history of Aurora Films is intrinsically linked with the age of travelling film exhibition units. The organization carved a niche for itself both as a producer and distributor. Even though it started making films from 1921, Debi Ghosh and Anandi Bose's Aurora got its own studio a little later. The silent era saw seven full-length films being made under its banner. Back then, Aurora only had its own laboratory but not its own studio. At first, the unit parked itself at Rajballabh Street but shifted later to Baghbazar's Katapukur. In 1929, Aurora Film Corporation was formed from Aurora Cinema. The gargantuan work of film distribution started from its Dharmatala Street office. All films of New Theatres were distributed by Aurora from the next decade onwards. Not to be left behind in film production during the talkie era, Aurora started planning to build its own studio.
Walking down straight southwards from Narkeldanga North Road leads to a posh residential complex. That was once the address of Aurora Studio. Aurora had helped Pramathesh Barua when he built his own studio at Ballygunje. A big part of the equipment of Barua Studio had landed at Aurora once the former shut shop. Prior to this, Aurora had parked itself at the garden house of Binodbihari Saha at Narkeldanga. Slowly, concrete floors came up. Then came the studio, all complete with its garden and pond. The studio opened its door in 1936. The first feature film made here was Niranjan Pal’s Amma. The Bengali version of this film was Film Producers’ Ltd.’s Shuktara. Then, came Shankaracharya in Tamil. Shooting of Aurora’s own production of feature films and documentaries were held here. It was also given on rent to others. Debi Ghosh and Nanigopal Sanyal were attached to this studio for long as cinematographers. Later, the likes of Banku Roy, Saroj (Nafta) Mitra were associated with the camera department. So did Satyen Dasgupta, Paresh Dasgupta in the sound department. Suchitra Sen’s first released film, Saat Number Kayedi, was shot at Aurora Studio. A set was built in this studio for the famous house in Ora Thake Odhare (1954). Anandi Bose’s grandson, Ajit Bose’s son —  Anjan Bose  — opened Aurora’s new studio in Salt Lake after the closure of the studio’s Narkeldanga unit. Rituparno Ghosh’s Sab Charitra Kalponik was shot there in 2009. In recent years, Aurora is back in film production. Sharmistha Maiti and Rajdeep Paul’s Kalkokkho — its home production — released in 2022. Anjan himself is a multiple award-winning documentary director. He has made a documentary titled Aurora Bioscope to trace Auora’s rich heritage.

Selected Bengali Filmography
These films were produced and shot at Aurora Studio:
Abhinaba (1940), Patibrata (1942), Sandhya (1944), Pather Sathi (1946), Bandhur Path (1949), Prahlad (1952), Mushkil Asan (1953), Joydeb (1954), Ora Thake Odhare (1954), Sadanander Mela (1954), Harishchandra (1957), Jalsaghar (1958), Chupi Chupi Ase (1960), Bhagini Nibedita (1962), Radhakrishna (1964), Raja Rammohan (1965), Arogya Niketan (1969), Duranta Joy (1973)

These films were shot at Aurora Studio:
Abhoyer Biye (1942), Chhadmabeshi (1944), Kato Dur (1945), Saat Number Kayedi (1953), Dakinir Char (1955), Mejo Bou (1956), Mahanisha (1956), Swapna Niye (1966), Ekdin Pratidin (1980), Akaler Sandhane (1981), Moyna Tadanta (1981), Kharij (1982)

Did You Know?

When a young Bijoya Das had come to shoot Sandhya (1944) at Aurora Studio, she was not yet married to Satyajit Ray. Ray had not even made his film debut. Aurora shouldered the responsibility to distribute Pather Panchali 11 years later. Ray himself had shot at Aurora Studio during the making of his Jalsaghar (1958).

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