Dhirendra Nath Ganguly | |
---|---|
Born |
Kolkata, India |
26 March 1893
Died | 18 November 1978 Kolkata, India |
(aged 85)
Other names | Dhiren Ganguly or D.G |
Occupation | Actor, Producer, Director |
Years active | 1919 - 1978 |
Spouse(s) | Premika Devi |
Dhirendra Nath Ganguly (26 March 1893 – 18 November 1978), better known as Dhiren Ganguly or D.G, was a Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning and Padma Bhushan recipient film entrepreneur/actor/director of Bengali Cinema. He had set up a number of film production companies: Indo British Film company, British Dominion Films, Lotus Film Company. Later, he directed films for New Theatres. He produced many movies in the comedy genre. He was born in Calcutta and died in the same city.
Ganguly studied in the Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He became a headmaster of State Art School in Hyderabad. He released a book of photographs of his make-up techniques called Bhavki Abhibyakti in 1915. He also taught this art to C.I.D. officers in both British India and independent India. His family hailed from Barisal.
Ganguly's photography book brought him in contact of J. F. Madan, who agreed to invest in his films. Ganguly and Madan Theatres' manager Nitish Lahiri formed the Indo British Film Co, the first film production company owned by Bengalis, in 1918.Bilat Ferat (1921) (The England Returned), a silent comedy film directed by Nitish Lahiri, was the first production from this company. They released another two movies in 1922: Yashoda Nandan and Sadhu Aur Shaitan.