Bilingual E-archive Digital Platform for Bengal's Cinema

What's New? 'Manik-da kept touching my wig on Day One to make sure it looked natural' Lily Chakraborty’s BFA interview in our Longford Article segment is live now.

ABOUT US

What's remembered, lives. What's archived, stays. Despite all our interest in nostalgia and passion for movies, too little has been done to document the history of Bengal's cinema from the previous century. The pandemic came as a wake-up call for us. As a passionate group of film enthusiasts, we decided to create a digital platform that inspires artists and audiences alike. That's how Bengal Film Archive (BFA) was conceived as a bilingual e-archive. At this one-stop digital cine-cyclopedia, we have not just tried to archive facts, trivia, features, interviews and biographical sketches but also included interactive online games regarding old and contemporary Bengali cinema

FILMOGRAPHY

From legendary blockbusters to forgotten gems — a journey through Bengali filmography from the silent era up to circa 2000

PERSONALITIES

Actors, directors and technicians — an introduction to the lives and works of the ones who made the magic happen

INSTITUTIONS

A curtain-raiser to studios, production houses, distributors, film societies and film laboratories that laid the foundation of this industry

SHOWHOUSES

A tour of the single screens of Kolkata and its suburbs that have well and truly celebrated the big picture

MEMORABILIA

All about booklets, lobby cards, rare photographs and advertisements that remain as priceless collectibles

PUBLICATIONS

A look at books and magazines that have been published over the decades to document cinema of the bygone era

House of Memories

Almost anyone with a wee bit of interest in cinema from Bengal can lead to Satyajit Ray's rented house on Bishop Lefroy Road. But how many know where Ajoy Kar, Asit Sen, Arundhati Devi or Ritwik Ghatak lived? Or for that matter, Prithviraj Kapoor or KL Saigal during their Kolkata years? In case you are among those who walk past iconic addresses without a clue about their famous residents, this section is a must-watch for you. We have painstakingly tried to locate residential addresses of icons from the early days of their career and time-travelled to 2022 to see how the houses are maintained now.

SOUND OF MUSIC

Since the advent of the talkie era, playback has played a big role in Bengali cinema. From Kanan Devi’s Ami banaphool go to Arati Mukhopadhyay’s Ami Miss Calutta — our films have a song for every emotion. In this segment, BFA tunes in to the music composers, singers and lyricists who made all that happen. The bonus is a chance to listen to the BFA-curated list of hits across seven decades!

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OUR SHORT TAKES

Our creative process is deeply rooted in extensive archival research; however, the findings behind our social media carousels and video essays have often remained confined to those specific platforms. We conceived this segment to preserve and easily share the essential insights from our ongoing work. Each entry provides a concise, structured summary of our research, bridging the gap between our analytical documentation and the detailed visual narratives we produce. By synthesizing complex historical data, we provide our community with a clearer understanding of the context behind our projects, while simultaneously offering direct, seamless access to the corresponding deeper explorations currently featured on our YouTube channel.

New Entry

BFA Tribute: 150 years of Sarat Chandra

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PODCAST HUB

This podcast hub is a dedicated space where we consolidate the diverse voices and historical narratives captured across all our audio series. This segment serves as your central gateway to our complete collection, offering direct access to the deep-dive conversations and analytical retrospectives that define our archival mission. Explore our full catalogue, beginning with Bioscoper Boithok, where academic Sayandeb Chowdhury revisits nine iconic Bengali films, one from each decade since the 1930s. Discover our Directors' Cut series with Atanu Ghosh, which provides an in-depth exploration of his craft and cinematic vision, alongside two seasons of Technicians' Studio, featuring stalwarts such as cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay, editor Arghyakamal Mitra, and sound designer Dhiman Karmakar, among others. The collection also includes Nayika Sangbad featuring Madhabi Mukhopadhyay's recollections, BFA Uncut with multi-episode interviews of stalwarts like Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Bibhas Chakraborty, Sohag Sen, and Cinema Khata Holde Pata, where actor Shoumo Banerjee leafs through the pages of Bengal’s most significant historical film magazines

Longform Articles

In an age of minuscule attention span, what is the advantage of sharing long-form articles? Those playing the devils' advocate might call it suicidal. We, at BFA, are ready to gamble and celebrate the art of fine writing. We want to share in-depth analytical pieces on cinema, engaging memoirs that offer genuine value for time and interviews that make for immersive reading experiences. All our articles are available in both English and Bengali. Additionally, none of them are behind a paywall. So, take your time to read, know about our panel of authors and revisit the pieces without having to worry about your wallet.

FEATURED ARTICLE

'Manik-da kept touching my wig on Day One to make sure it looked natural'

From nearly stepping into Sharmila Tagore's shoes for Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar (1959) to finally making her Ray debut with Jana Aranya (1976), Lily Chakraborty has come a long way. This year marks 50 years of the release of Jana Aranya, and the 84-year-old actor has built an incredible body of work across industries. From braving 4:00 AM full-body darkening makeup for Tapan Sinha to having her intense scenes with Sanjeev Kumar chopped due to a Bollywood co-star's insecurity, she has truly seen it all. Navigating monumental eras with unmatched grace, the veteran actress tells Amrita Mukherjee why she remains cinema's most effortlessly grounded titan

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OUR FILMS

This archive is essentially a celebration of cinema from Bengal through words and still images. Yet, no celebration of cinema is complete without a tribute from moving images. In this section, BFA presents short films about unsung foot soldiers, forgotten studios and ageing single screens that have silently contributed to make cinema larger-than-life. For us, their unheard stories deserve to be in the limelight as much as those of the icons who have created magic in front of the lens.

BFA Originals

Lost?

The iconic Paradise Cinema has been a cherished part of Kolkata's cine history. Nirmal De’s Sare Chuattor marked its first Bengali screening in 1953, amidst a legacy primarily dedicated to Hindi films. From the triple-layered curtains covering its single screen to the chilled air from the running ACs wafting through its doors during intervals, each detail of Paradise’s majestic allure is still ingrained in the fond memories of its patrons. One such patron is Junaid Ahmed. BFA joins this Dharmatala resident as he recollects his days of being a witness to paradise on earth in this Bijoy Chowdhury film

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