New Theatres resumes features film production after 54 years
New Theatres, the legendary film producing studio of Kolkata, has started producing feature films again after 54 years.
The last time the studio, known for producing quality films under the famous logo of ‘Elephant’ a la Metro Goldwyn Meyer’s Roaring Lion, produced a film, Bakul, was in 1955 after which it closed down for certain legal difficulties.
A spokesman for the studio said, “We are now into producing a full-length Bengali feature film Adur Prem based on a love story of a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy.”
“The studio was revived in August 1991 when it made some documentaries and telefilms and now we have decided to go into feature film production,” he said.
A galaxy of renowned directors like Pramathesh Barua, Nitin Bose, Debaki Kumar Bose, Bimal Roy, Hem Chandra, Kartick Chatterjee had worked under its banner.
Artistes like K L Saigal, Kanan Devi, Sisir Kumar Bhaduri, Pahari Sanyal, Asit Baran, Leela Desai and blind singer-actor K. C. Dey were attached with the NT over the years.
Some of the outstanding films the studio produced are Yatrik, Humrahi, Chandidas and My Sister.

Marathi theatre legend dies of heart
attack
Veteran Marathi actor Chittaranjan Kolhatkar, probably the last artiste to have performed various roles in conventional sangeet natak and modern cinema, died of heart attack on Sunday. He was 86.
Kolhatkar began his career with Ram Ganesh Gadkari’s Marathi play Bhavbandhan on February 4, 1944. The character ‘Ghanshyam’ that he portrayed in this drama had earlier been played by his father Chintamanrao Kolhatka. The character was portrayed by the father-son duo for about 75 years.
Kolhatkar was born on January 15, 1923 in Amravati. His went to school in Amravati and Sangli. Born into a family that had close ties with the rich cultural world of theatre, drama and literature, Kolhatkar took his family legacy forward and added many a feather to the cap with his impressive performances.
Kolhatkar joined the theatrical institution ‘Lalitkaladarsha’ in 1955 and acted in many plays. His performance in Ekach Pyala, however, became a milestone in his career. Kolhatkar was probably the only actor who played two conflicting characters of Taliram and Sudhakar in Ekacha Pyala and Ghanshyam and Kamanna in Bhavbandhan with equal panache. He retired from theatre in 2000 by performing Ekach Pyala at 25 of his favourite places in the same year.
Garibanche Rajya saw him debut as a film actor in 1947, while Kunkavacha Dhani had him in his first lead role with Late Shantabai Apte and Keshavrao Date. Kolhatkar acted in a total of 80 films. His last film as an actor was Agnidivya. Kolhatkar was the president of the 68th Akhil Bharatiya Natya Sammelan held in Indore in 1987. He was also the founder of Pune branch of the Sammelan, besides being the Maharashtra president of ‘Sanskar Bharati’ – an organisation involved in social awareness through art.
Kolhatkar had many awards to his credit. He maintained good health till he fell down in the parking space of his residence on October 13.
He was admitted to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital thereafter and was recuperating there till he succumbed to a heart attack on Sunday. He was cremated at Vaikunth crematorium around 10.45 pm. Kolhatkar is survived by three daughters, one son and their respective families.