Chandulal Jesangbhai Shah (13 April 1898 – 25 November 1975) was a famous director, producer and screenwriter of Indian films, who founded

Ranjit Studios Ranjit Studios, also known as Ranjit Movietone, was an Indian film production company with studio facilities located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It produced films between 1929 and mid-1970s. The studio was founded by Chandulal Shah along wi ...

in 1929.

Early life

Shah was born in 1898 in

Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. He studied at

Sydenham College Sydenham College of Economics is a college located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is affiliated to the Dr. Homi Bhabha State University. The college offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in management. It was awarded a re-accreditat ...

in Bombay (now Mumbai) and got a job at the

Bombay Stock Exchange BSE Limited, also known as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), is an Indian stock exchange. It is located on Dalal Street in Mumbai. Established in 1875 by cotton merchant Premchand Roychand, a Jain businessman, it is the oldest stock exchange in ...

in 1924. While waiting to get a job he helped his brother, J. D. Shah, who was a writer for mythological films. He was called by the "Laxmi Film Company" to direct a film ''Vimla'' in 1925 as its director Manilal Joshi was bedridden. Chandulal Shah not only directed the film but also went on to do two more films for the company, ''Panch Danda'' (1925) and ''Madhav Kam Kundala'' (1926) before returning to the Stock Exchange.

Film career

Amarchand Shroff, a friend of Shah, who was with the Laxmi Film Company, brought him to Kohinoor Film Company where he first came into contact with Gohar, a contact that eventually developed into both a personal and professional relationship. The first film independently directed by him at Kohinoor was Typist Girl (1926) starring Sulochana and Gohar which was made in 17 days. The film did extremely well at the

box-office A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket. By extension, the term is freq ...

leading Shah to direct another five films for the studio all featuring Gohar. Of these, the most famous was Gunsundari (1927). In 1929 Chandulal Shah founded

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

, Maharashtra. It produced films between 1929 and mid-1970s. The company began production of silent films in 1929 under the banner Ranjit Film Company and by 1932 had made 39 pictures, most of them social dramas. The company changed its name to Ranjit Movietone in 1932 and during the 1930s produced numerous successful talkies at the rate of about six a year. At this time, the studio employed around 300 actors, technicians and other employees. With the advent of sound, Ranjit Film Company became Ranjit Movietone. Besides Filmmaking, Chandulal Shah also devoted a lot of time to the organizational work of the

Indian Film Industry The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...

. Both the Silver Jubilee (1939) and the Golden Jubilee of the Indian film Industry (1963) were celebrated under his guidance. He was the first president of The

Film Federation of India The Film Federation of India (FFI) is an apex body of the Indian film producers (around 18,000), distributors (around 20,000), exhibitors (around 12,000) and studio owners, headquartered in Mumbai.Shahid Alikhan, R. A. Mashelkar, "Intellectual pro ...

formed in 1951 and even led an Indian delegation to Hollywood the following year.

Later life and death

Shah's downfall started when

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...

and

Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...

starrer ''Paapi'' failed at the box office, followed by ''Zameen ke Taare''. He took to gambling and horse racing. On 25 November 1975, the industry's most powerful man, who once owned a fleet of cars, was reduced to travelling in buses and died penniless.Navhind Times Article

Filmography

Director

* '' Zameen Ke Tare'' (1960) * ''Oot Patang'' (1955) * ''Papi'' (1953) * ''

Achhut ''Achhut '' (''The Untouchable'') is a 1940 social Indian Bollywood film based on untouchability. It was the third highest grossing Indian film of 1940. The film was produced by Chandulal Shah for his Ranjit Studios. He also wrote the story and ...

'' (1940) * ''Pardesi Pankhi'' (1937) * ''Prabhu Ka Pyara'' (1936) * ''Sipahi Ki Sajni'' (1936) * ''Sipahini Sajni'' (1936) * ''Barrister's Wife'' (1935) * ''Desh Dasi'' (1935) * ''Keemti Aansoo'' (1935) * ''Toofani Taruni'' (1934) * ''Gunsundari'' (1934) * ''Miss 1933'' (1933) * ''Radha Rani'' (1932) * ''Sati Savitri'' (1932) * ''Sheil Bala'' (1932) * ''Devi Devayani'' (1931) * ''Diwani Dilbar'' (1930) * ''My Darling'' (1930) * ''Raj Lakshmi'' (1930) * ''Bhikharan'' (1929) * ''Chandramukhi'' (1929) * ''Pati Patni'' (1929) * ''Rajputani'' (1929) * ''Grihalakshmi'' (1928) * ''Vishwamohini'' (1928) * ''Gunsundari'' (1927) * ''Sindh Ni Sumari'' (1927) * ''Madhav Kam Kundala'' (1926) * ''Five Divine Wands'' (1925) * ''Vimla'' (1925) * ''Panchdanda'' (1925) * ''Typist Girl'' (1925)

Writer

* ''Akeli Mat Jaiyo'' (1963) tory & screenplay as Chandulal J. Shah* ''Papi'' (1953) tory, scenario & dialogue* ''Achhut'' (1940) * ''Prabhu Ka Pyara'' (1936) * ''Sipahi Ki Sajni'' (1936) * ''Sipahini Sajni'' (1936) * ''Gunsundari'' (1934) * ''Sati Savitri'' (1932)

tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

Producer

* Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963) * Aurat Teri Yahi Kahani (1954) * Dhobi Doctor (1954) * Bahadur (1953) * Footpath (1953) * Papi (1953) * Humlog (1951) * Jogan (1950) (uncredited) * Madhubala (1950) * Nili (1950) * Bhool Bhulaiya (1949) * Garibi (1949) * Nazare (1949) * Bichhade Balam (1948) * Jai Hanuman (1948) * Mitti Ke Khiloune (1948) * Pardesi Mehman (1948) * Bela (1947) * Chhin Le Azadi (1947) * Duniya Ek Sarai (1947) * Kaum Hamara (1947) * Lakhon Mein Ek (1947) * Piya Ghar Aja (1947) * Woh Zamana (1947) * Dharti (1946) * Phoolwari (1946) * Rajputani (1946) * Chand Chakori (1945) * Moorti (1945) * Prabhuka Ghar (1945) * Bhanvara (1944) * Caravan (1944) * Mumtaz Mahal (1944) * Pagli Duniya (1944) * Shahenshah Babar (1944) * Andhera (1943) * Bansari (1943) * Gauri (1943) * Nurse (1943) * Shankar Parvati (1943) * Tansen (1943) * Vishkanya (1943) * Armaan (1942) * Bhakta Surdas (1942) * Chandni (1942) * Dhiraj (1942) * Dukh Sukh (1942) * Fariyad (1942) * Iqrar (1942) * Maheman (1942) * Return of Toofan Mail (1942) * Dhandora (1941) * Pardesi (1941) * Sasural (1941) * Shaadi (1941) * Ummeed (1941) * Aaj Ka Hindustan (1940) * Achhut (1940) * Diwali (1940) * Holi (1940) * Musafir (1940) * Pagal (1940) * Adhuri Kahani (1939) * Nadi Kinare (1939) * Sant Tulsidas (1939) * Thokar (1939) * Baazigar (1938) * Ban Ki Chidiya (1938) * Billi (1938) * Gorakh Aya (1938) * Prithvi Putra (1938) * Professor Waman MSc (1938) * Rikshawala (1938) * Secretary (1938) * Dil Faroshi (1937) * Mitti Ka Putla (1937) * Pardesi Pankhi (1937) * Shama Parwana (1937) * Sharafi Loot (1937) * Toofani Toli (1937) * Zamin Ka Chand (1937) * Chalak Chor (1936) * Dil Ka Daku (1936) * Jwalamukhi (1936) * Laheri Lala (1936) * Matlabi Duniya (1936) * Prabhu Ka Pyara (1936) * Raj Ramani (1936) * Rangila Raja (1936) * Sipahi Ki Sajni (1936) * Barrister's Wife (1935) * College Girl (1935) * Desh Dasi (1935) * Kimti Ansoo (1935) * Noore Watan (1935) * Raat Ki Rani (1935) * Gunsundari (1934) * Kashmeera (1934) * Nadira (1934) * Sitamgar (1934) * Toofan Mail (1934) * Toofani Taruni (1934) * Veer Babruvahan (1934) * Bhola Shikar (1933) * Bhool Bhulaiya (1933) * Krishna Sudama (1933) * Miss 1933 (1933) * Pardesi Preetam (1933) * Lal Sawar (1932) * Sipahsalar (1932) * The Captain (1932) * Bombay The Mysterious (1931) * Bugles of War (1931) * Desert Damsel (1931) * Drums of Love (1931) * Hoor-E-Roshan (1931) * Love Birds (1931) * Milkmaid (1931) * Painted Angel (1931) * Prince Charming (1931) * Sinning Souls (1931) * Siren of Baghdad (1931) * The Knife (1931) * Beloved Rogue (1930) * Castles in the Air (1930) * Divine Dowry (1930) * Glory of India (1930) * Jawan Mard (1930) * Love Angle (1930) * Magic Flame (1930) * My Darling (1930) * Outlaw of Sorath (1930) * Patriot (1930) * Ranak Devi (1930) based on

Ranakadevi Ranakadevi was a legendary 12th century queen of Khengara, the Chudasama ruler of Saurashtra region of western India. She is mentioned in the bardic tragic romance representing the battle between Chudasama king Khengara and Chaulukya king Jayasi ...

legend * Romances of Radha (1930) * The Tigress (1930) * Wild Flower (1930)

References

External links

* *
Gomolo Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Chandulal 1898 births 1975 deaths People from Jamnagar Hindi-language film directors Film producers from Gujarat Hindi film producers University of Mumbai alumni 20th-century Indian film directors Indian silent film producers Film directors from Gujarat Hindi screenwriters Screenwriters from Gujarat 20th-century Indian screenwriters