Hiralal Sen is known for have made India’s first advertising film and political documentary, yet not much is known about him, his name seldom comes up and is hardly recognized. Arun Lal’s ‘Hiralal’ is a Bengali language biopic of one of the first filmmakers in India. The film was recently premiered at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival.
Hiralal Sen was born in a wealthy family in present-day Bangladesh in the year, 1866. Initially interested in still photography Hiralal Sen’s interest in motion pictures arose when he watched a movie for the first time in Kolkata’s Star Theatre in 1898. It was then when he imported a camera from England and set up ‘The Royal Bioscope’ along with his brother, Motilal Sen. The company made documentaries and advertisements, but a fire in the warehouse where all the films were stored destroyed all their works. Hiralal died an unfortunate death due to a cancer diagnosis in 1917.
The film portrays the journey of Hirala Sen. “I am extremely delighted to be a part of this highly important film. Hiralal Sen is a forgotten hero who initiated film as a medium of entertainment, spreading information in Indian society, though he is almost forgotten by the mass”, says Kinjal Nanda, a Bengali theatre actor who plays the protagonist, Hiralal Sen. The Filmfare award-winning director, Arun Roy talked about how much important a movie, ‘Hiralal’ is to the Bengali audiences quoting,” “Dadashaheb Phalke started making films in the 1910s, but Hiralal Sen had successfully attempted filming almost 10 years before him.”
‘Hiralal’, stars Kinjal Nanda, Saswata Chatterjee, Kharaj Mukherjee, Anuska Chakraborty, Shankar Chakraborty, Arna Mukhopadhyay in lead roles and released in theatres on 5th March.
Text by: Sreyoshi Sil, IBTN9
Follow IBTN9
Facebook:
Instagram:
