Hiralal Sen

Hiralal Sen Biography

Hiralal Sen was an Indian photographer and one of the earliest film directors of Indian cinema. He is credited for creating India's first advertising films and India's first political film. But all his films were destroyed in a fire in 1917. In 1905, India’s first political film was advertised as "genuine Swadeshi film of our own make". This film documenting the Anti-Partition Demonstration and Swadeshi movement at Town Hall, Kolkata is generally considered India's first political film. His last film was made in 1913. He died in the year 1917.

Hiralal was born in the year 1866 at Bagpuri, a village in Manikganj, present Bangladesh. He was born in a zamindar family and his father was a lawyer. He was brought up in Kolkata. In 1898, Professor Stevenson's short film was screened at Kolkata. Along with it the stage show, The Flower of Persia was also conducted in which Hiralal appeared. Hiralal borrowed the camera of Stevenson made his first film, "A Dancing Scene" from the opera The Flower of Persia. Later he bought an Urban Bioscope from Charles Urban's Warwick Trading Company in London. With the help of his brother, he brought the camera and set up a company the following year with the name, Royal Bioscope.

He was active in the film filed till 1913 and has made 40 movies. Most of these films were depicted scenes from theatre works played at Amarendra Dutt's Classic Theatre in Kolkata. In between 1901 and 1904, his noted movies include - Bhramar, Hariraj, and Buddhadev. His longest movie is Alibaba and the Forty Thieves, made in the year 1903. But this movie was never screened. He has also done advertising films and news films taking commissions. India’s first advertisement films - Jabakusum Hair Oil and Edwards Tonic were shot by none other than Hiralal.

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Updated: February 24, 2014