Pahari Sanyal was a robust actor who essayed the roles of memorable characters in Bengali Cinema. He was respected and held in high status like other renowned actors such as Kamal Mitra and Chhabi Biswas. A singing star of the 1930s and 1940s, Pahari Sanyal towered over Bengali cinema for over four decades. Though he starred in fewer films in Hindi, many of them are memorable for their music. Pahari Sanyal`s interest in music led him to join the famed Morris College of Lucknow (now the Bhatkhande College of Music). In 1933, he signed up with New Theatres, Bengal`s leading studio of the times, and went on to become one of its earliest stats along with Kundan Lal Saigal.

Pahari Sanyal performed in numerous popular Bengali films, such as Bhanu Goyenda Jahar Assistant, Harano Sur, Shilpi and others. Sanyal is perhaps most renowned for his excellent portrayal of the iconic reformer Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar. Pahari Sanyal found a foothold in Hindi cinema with the success of the Hindi-Bengali bilingual, Adhikar. It was followed by hits such as Badi Didi, Haar Jeet, Anban, Jagte Raho, and Mohabbat. But Pahari Sanyal became identified more with films based on the lives of famous men. These include Kadambari, Mahakavi Kalidas, and Shravan Kumar. Pahari Sanyal also starred in two of Satyajit Ray`s films, Kanchanjungha (1962) and Aranyer Din Ratri (1989).

Filmography of Pahari Sanyal