Debaki Bose (1898–1971), also known asDebaki Kumar Bose, was an Indian director, writer, and actor who is recognized for his contribution inHindi as well asBengali cinema.[1] He was born on 25 November 1898 in Akalposh, (now East Burdwan),Burdwan,Bengal Presidency,British India. He died on 17 November 1971 inCalcutta, West Bengal, India. He is known for his innovative use of sound and music in Indian Cinema. He worked first under the banner ofBritish Dominion Films ofDhiren Ganguly and later withPramathesh Barua's Barua Pictures and finally he joinedNew Theatres banner in 1932. He started his own production company, Debaki Productions, in 1945.
Debaki Bose was son of a successful advocate in Burdwan.[2] He graduated from Vidyasagar College but left the university.[3] Inspired byMahatma Gandhi's call fornon-co-operation movement, he walked out of an examination and started living on his own.[2] He opened a shop in local market selling towels and he was also an editor of a local weekly namedShakti.[2]Dhiren Ganguly, better known as DG, an established film director from Calcutta, was visiting Burdwan at that time. DG met Debaki and as he came know about Debaki's writing skill, he invited Debaki to come to Calcutta and to write film scripts for him. This culminated into the first film made by British Dominion Films namedKamonar Agun (orFlames of Flesh).[4]
Debaki Bose was a top Indian film director in his time. During this period, many of the Bengali films made by him were also released in Hindi and even inMarathi andTamil.
Chandidas (1932), directed by him, contained background music for the first time in Indian Cinema.Raichand Boral, also known as R.C. Boral was the music director.
Seeta (1934), made under the banner ofEast India Film Company, was the first Indiantalkie shown in any international film festival. It was shown inVenice Film Festival, where it won an Honorary Diploma.[5] He was the 1st Indian director to receive any international award.[6]
Arghya (1961) was a very special documentary film, produced by the Government of West Bengal on the occasion ofRabindranath Tagore's birth centennial.[9] It was based on four poems of Tagore: Pujarini, Puratan Bhritya, Abhisar and Dui Bigha Jami.
