Bimal Mitra

Bimal Mitra (1912–1991) was a prominent Bengali writer who wrote several novels. Bimal Mitra was equally adept in writing in Bengali as well as in Hindi, and has more than one hundred novels and short stories to his credit. Many of Bimal Mitra's novels have been made into successful films. One of his most popular works, Shaheb Bibi Golam (January 1953) which was adapted into a hugely popular movie. He also earned a Filmfare nomination for Best Story for the film.

Set in the last years of the nineteenth century, the novels tells the story of the sumptuous lifestyle and the decay of a feudal family. It is the story of Pateshwari aka Chhoto Bou, a woman who wants to experience romance, to be a real wife, to invent for herself and live a new kind of conjugality. But the books also tells the story of Calcutta, now Kolkata, and of all the people who lived there.

Mujrim Hazir is another popular work of Bimal Mitra. The novel is based on the true story of a man who in order to repent for the sins of his father and grandfather.

Shyamal Mitra

Shyamal Mitra (14 January 1929 – 15 November 1987) was a Bengali singer, composer and producer. Along with Hemanta Mukherjee and Manna Dey, he was the most notable musician of the golden era of Bengali music industry. His baritone voice reflected a range of emotions. Beside recording a huge number of popular Bengali basic songs, he also worked as a playback singer in more than a hundred Bengali movies and directed music in more than fifty Bengali films. He also sang in various other Indian languages, like Hindi, Assamese and Oriya.

Early life

Shyamal Mitra was born in Naihati, a city near Kolkata, India. His father, Dr. Sadhan Kumar Mitra, was a reputed doctor there. The father wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and to become a doctor, but the son was very keen about music and always inspired by his mother and the local singer Mrinal Kanti Ghosh. People associated with the I.P.T.A. movement used to visit Sadhan-babu's house and this gave the chance to young Shyamal Mitra to come in contact with Salil Chowdhury. Young Shyamal Mitra and his youngest sister Reba used to sing "O Aalor Pathajatree" on the road for I.P.T.A.

Music director

A music director may be the director of an orchestra or concert band, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the coordinator of the musical ensembles in a university, college, or institution (but not usually the head of the academic music department), the head bandmaster of a military band, the head organist and choirmaster of a church, or an Organist and Master of the Choristers (a title given to a Director of Music at a cathedral, particularly in England).

Orchestra

The title of "music director" or "musical director" is used by many symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. The term "music director" is most common for orchestras in the United States. With European orchestras, the titles of "principal conductor" or "chief conductor" are more common, which designate the conductor who directs the majority of a given orchestra's concerts in a season. In musical theatre and opera, the music director is in charge of the overall musical performance, including ensuring that the cast knows the music thoroughly, supervising the musical interpretation of the performers and pit orchestra, and conducting the orchestra.

Salil Chowdhury

Salil Chowdhury (Bengali: সলিল চৌধুরী; 'Sholil Choudhuri' in phonetic Wiki-Bengali; 19 November 1923 – 5 September 1995) was an Indian music composer, who mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by his admirers.

His musical ability was widely recognised and acknowledged in the Indian film industry. He was an accomplished composer and arranger who was proficient in several musical instruments, including flute, the piano, and the esraj. He was also widely acclaimed and admired for his inspirational and original poetry in Bengali language.

Career

Early influences

Salil Chowdhury was born on 19 November 1923 in a village called Harinavi in West Bengal. Salil's childhood was spent in the tea gardens region of Assam. From an early age he listened to the Western Classical collection of his father. His father was reputed to stage plays with coolies and other low-paid workers of the tea-gardens. He studied in Harinavi D.V.A.S High School and there after graduated from Bangabasi College, affiliated to the University of Calcutta in Kolkata, and during this period his political ideas were formulated along with a considerable maturity in his musical ideas.

Sahib Biwi Gulam

Sahib Biwi Gulam is an Indian television series aired on Sahara One channel. The series is based on the popular Bengali novel, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, written by late Bimal Mitra. The series starred the popular Bollywood actress, Raveena Tandon, as the main lead. The series was shot in Kolkata, West Bengal, and was directed by the popular director, Rituparno Ghosh.

Cast

References