Dena Paona is a 1931

1931 in film

-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...

 Bengali

Bengali language

Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...

 film directed by Premankur Atorthy

Premankur Atorthy

Premankur Atorthy was a novelist, journalist, and film director, born in Faridpur. His father, Mahesh Chandra Atorthy, was a propagator and writer of the brahma samaj. Premankur's initial schooling started at Brahmo School, Kolkata...

, starring Amar Mullick, Durga Das Bannerjee, Jahar Ganguly, Nibhanani Devi and Bhanu Bandyopadhyay. Based on a novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

  by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is one of the most popular Bengali novelists and short story writers of early 20th century.- Background and writing :Sarat Chandra was born into poverty in Debanandapur, Hooghly, India...

 and produced by New Theatres, it is credited as the one of first Bengali talkies, and along with Alam Ara

Alam Ara

Alam Ara is a 1931 film directed by Ardeshir Irani. It was the first Indian sound film.Irani recognized the importance that sound would have on the cinema, and raced to complete Alam Ara before several contemporary sound films. Alam Ara debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai on March 14, 1931...

, was one of the first sound films produced in India. The film explored the ills of the dowry

Dowry

A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...

 system as well as touching on the problems of female oppression in 19th century Bengal

Bengal

Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

.

Plot

Jibananda is a drunkard zamindar. Ekkari is his companion in all sinful deeds and greed for money. Sorashi is the priestess in the local Chandi temple and the ex-wife of Jibananda . She is adamant and responsible, but stubborn and honest. She has immense influence in certain sections of the society. Jibananda knew Sorashi. When he was young, he married her. Then she was known as Alaka. Circumstances force Sorash to stay whole night in the drunk Jibananda's house. This created a ripple amongst the local villagers when they come to know about this incidence. But Sorashi gave a legal statement to the police and magistrate that she went to the zamindar's house villingly. Jibananda was freed from all offences due to this statement. But the village leaders were very strict to their decision. Sanbeswar Shiromani Mr Chowdhury, Janardan Bapu decided not to asssign the responsibility of a priestess of the temple to Sorashi any more. Nirmal, son-in-law of Sabeswar Shiromani, is very impressed by the attitude and intelligence of Sorashi. Jibananda later tried to make advances on Sorashi but was refused by her, making him angry and he attempts to evict her from her shelter. Sagan and his team wait for Sorashi's order to fight against jibananda. But Sorashi is totally dispassionate. She leaves the temple. In the end Jibananda realises his mistakes and surrenders to Sorashi.

Cast

• Bhanu Bannerjee  ... Nirmal
• Durgadas Bannerjee... Jibananda
• Nibhanani Devi  ... Shoroshi
• Jahar Ganguli  ... Sagar Sardar
• Amar Mullick  ... Ekkari
• Bhumen Roy  ... Nirmal
• Shishubala  ... Haimabati
• Umasashi  ... In a crowd scene

See also

• Alam Ara
  Alam Ara
  Alam Ara is a 1931 film directed by Ardeshir Irani. It was the first Indian sound film.Irani recognized the importance that sound would have on the cinema, and raced to complete Alam Ara before several contemporary sound films. Alam Ara debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai on March 14, 1931...
  
  
• Jamai Shashthi
  Jamai Shashthi
  Jamai Shashthi is a 1931 Bengali film directed by Amar Choudhury, produced by Madan Theatre Limited. It is a milestone of Bengali cinema as it was the first Bengali talkie. It was released in the same year as Alam Ara, first Indian talkie. Released on 11 April 1931 at Crown Cinema Hall in Calcutta....