Dhiraj Bhattacharya (5 November 1905 - 1959) was an actor of
Bengali and
Hindi cinema who began in
silent films.[1] He was also a theater personality and writer.[2]
Early life
Bhattacharya was born in a
zamindar family of Panjia village, near
Jessore, in
British India. His father name was Lalit Mohan Bhattacharya. He entered Mitra Institution,
Kolkata and passed matriculation in 1923. He studied in
Ashutosh College to study literature but could not finish his studies. Bhattacharya joined the police service before becoming an actor.[2]
Career
Bhattacharya started his acting career after joining
Madan Theatre. His first film Sati Lakhsmi was released in 1925 but he first gained recognition from Charu Roy's movie Bengalee. He worked with Madhu Basu in Giribala, and acted in several detective and thriller films of
Premendra Mitra.[3] Bhattacharya was popular for his romantic performances as well as his innovative skills in portraying villainous characters. After becoming established as a film actor he turned to the theatre.[2]