TECHNICIANS' STUDIO : A FUTURE DOMAIN FOR GENERATING FILM CULTURE AMONG PEOPLE

Technicians' Studio, before being taken over by the Department of Information & Cultural Affairs, Government of West Bengal on 1st May, 1983, was known as Technicians' Studio (P) Ltd. Prior to 1952 this Studio was known as Kali Films Studio. At that time the Studio was possessed by Sri Priyanath Ganguly, who managed to run the Studio business for a period of 16 years commencing from 1st January, 1935. Uptill May, 1951 Kali Films had to pass through a number of litigations and finally was converted to Technicians' Studio Pvt. Ltd. in the year 1952 as some of the famous technicians viz – Sri Ramananda Sengupta, (Cinematographer), Sri Satyendranath Chattejee, (Sound Engineer), Sri Ashutosh Nag, Sri Debesh Ghosh, (Sound Recordist), Sri Mrinal Guhathakurata, (Sound Recordist), Sri Durgadas Mitra, (Sound Recordist), Sri Kalyan Gupta, (Director), Sri Ajit Kr. Sengupta, (Cinematographer/Director) and some others came forward to form a co-operative in order to revive this age-old Studio. Since then Technicians' Studio has had many ups and downs in running its business and finally had come on the verge of liquidation as one of the landowners of the Studio did not agree to renew the lease period. This situation had prompted the State Government to take over the Studio management and requisitioned the entire Studio as well as staff and machinery on 24th December 1979. Finally a Tribunal had also been set up by the State Government to ascertain the value of the plant and machineries as well as the shares. In accordance with the verdict of the Tribunal, the Government has paid up the amount to the Share Holders of the Studio. On the other hand, the compensation for the land as determined by the L. A. Collector, Kolkata, was given to the landowners of the Studio.

The Indian film doyen Satyajit Ray created his famous PATHER PANCHALI in the mid 50’s for which the entire indoor shooting and music scoring was done in this Studio. Even the indoor shooting of APARAJITA, APUR SANSAR, DEBI and MAHANAGAR was completely done here. Afterwards Ritwick Ghatak, another contemporary film Director of Ray made his presence felt by his film debut MEGHE DHAKA TARA followed by SUBARNAREKHA, AJANTRICK and JUKTI TAKKA GAPPO. Mrinal Sen, another internationally acclaimed film maker appeared on the Indian film scenario with his film RAT BHOR which was released in 1955. This was followed by Sen’s another two films : NIL AKASHER NICHEY and BAISHEY SHRAVAN. The indoor shooting was done in this Studio. Tapan Sinha, as a versatile film Director made his HATE BAZARE and SAGINA MAHATO respectively in this Studio. Last but not the least Tarun Majumder, being one of the most sensitive and colourful film Directors gave a new direction to the Bengali Film Dom which ultimately produced three ever best features of his time like PALATAK, GANADEBATA (President’s Award) and FULLESWARI here. Besides, so many commercially hit films made by different Tollywood based Directors like Jatrick, Agradoot, Purnendu Patri were produced in this Studio.

In the field of Music Scoring Technicians' Studio had a “Golden Era” during the period from 60’s to 80’s. The first picture re-recorded in this Studio was Sudhir Mukherjeee’s DADATHAKUR, which won the President’s Award. Almost 70% to 80% songs of Bengali, Assammese, Nepali, and Oriya were recorded in this Scoring theatre under the guidance of Sri Satyendranath Chatterjee, Chief Sound Recordist of this Studio. Among the pioneer Music Directors and Singers worked here with great satisfaction were: Pandit Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Uday Sankar, Pandit Bade Gulam Ali, Ashish Khan, Hemanta Mukherjee, Manna Day, Sudhin Dasgupta, Nachiketa Ghose, Kalipada Sen, Pabitra Chatterjee, Sandhya Mukherjee, Asha Bhosley, Mukesh, Md. Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Rabindra Jain.

Since 1952 onwards Technicians' Studio has emerged as one of the pioneer Studios in the Eastern India. It was then a complete film production Studio consisting of three Studio floors, one Scoring Theatre with an American Sound System (RCA), a Black and White editing machine (Moviewala), a Projection Room and a pair of 35mm Michael Cameras. With the passing of time some of the equipments including the Michael Cameras used by Satyajit Ray for his PATHER PANCHALI are being outdated now. The Michaels are being replaced by the Arriflex 2C model, which are being widely used. With the advent of Stenbeck, (Colour editing machine), some of the age-old equipments like Moviewala, which was once used for Black and White film editing, is now gathering dust. The RCA machine presently installed in the Scoring theatre of this Studio has the same fate as this has to be taken over by Digital Sound system in near future.

Since the Technicians' Studio is now a State owned Studio, there is every possibility that this Studio may spread its wings fully within a year of two as the State Government has decided to modernize the Studio in a phase manner. By the time the Government has released a fund to the tune of 62 lakhs out of the total project cost of Rs. 2.9 crore for the first phase work. Of which a big Shooting floor to be constructed along with make-up room, toilets, carpentry stores in the Studio premises at Tollygunge, besides a G + 4 building, which is now under construction, where Production office, Bank, Security office, two wheeler parking lot and a modern editing room may be housed. A fifty thousand liters and a twenty five thousand liters capacity reservoirs along with a deep tube - well have already been commissioned and now being functional. In order to have the best fire fighting system, this Studio has already installed fire-fighting equipments, which is also being operational. The floor No.4, which was completely gutted by fire in the recent past was completely repaired and renovated on war footing basis. The age-old Floor No.3 after a lapse of more than 3 decades was thoroughly repaired and renovated.

As a part of the Studio modernization work a circular metal road within the Technicians' Studio No.1 complex is to be built along with a huge roadside Garden and a lilly pool in order to facilitate the Production units. In the second phase of the modernization work, a new Scoring Theatre with a Digital Sound system and a Projection cum Preview theatre is very much in the menu. Besides, a Car parking lot, new Production offices, additional make-up rooms with toilets for Floor Number 3 and 4 respectively have to be constructed in the 2nd phase.

Technicians' Studio is not merely a Studio which can be used for film making only but a place where film makers, artistes and technicians of this generation can flock together once again like their ancestors did in the past for better exchange of thoughts and ideas which in due course be converted into reality by dint of their co-operative struggle and hard labour.

Last but not the least Technicians' Studio, being the nerve center of film oriented activities and as a seller of dreams, would provide a ‘Dreamer’s Nook’ in the Studio Premises shortly and thus it would also generate and spread the film culture among the people even at the grass roots in near future