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Madan organized the first projection of talkie film in India, at his Elphinstone Palace in Calcutta. The impact in India was immense, as it revealed the possibilities offered by sound, opened new horizons for this emerging form of cinema. In 1931, when the first Indian talkie was released, silent cinema was at the peak of its popularity in the country. Soon afterwards, in fact, the major silent films would be remade with music and dialogue. Though the market was lingua specific, here, in Bengal, a demand of Bengali talkies was also increased. New Theatres Ltd appeared with their constant production of films. New Theatres Ltd. followed the Hollywood model and from its emergence in 1931, we consider that the studio era was started in Bengal. This age of studio system was important not only for an increased volume of productions, but Bengali cinema got a stable platform, both culturally and economically in this era and also a national reputation from its localized identity. 

In spite of having a complete setup of production-distribution and exhibition units (an ideal position to control the entire market), Aurora did not follow the Hollywood model of studio system. In silent era, their primary business was exhibition. In studio era, Aurora gave emphasis on distribution network and ultimately made it their main business. Production business was secondary . Rather, Aurora was more interested in its third business i.e. to rent its studio space and equipment for others' production.

So, instead of centralization ( the characteristic of Hollywood Studio System), Aurora was more interested to diversify its business. In this new strategy, each unit was a separate earning unit and disturbance in one unit would not hamper the others.This modified strategy ( a unique characteristic of Bengali cinema) ultimately helped Aurora to survive.

Exhibition

Aurora's primary business was exhibition until 'Aurora Cinema Co.' was devided and a separate distribution company was started in 1929. But in studio era Aurora was not so much interested in exhibition business. Though the market was growing rapidly and number of cinema halls were also increasing. Aurora also started cinema halls somewhere independently and somewhere in partnership. But Aurora mainly tried to tie up with cinema halls, as their business partner, for exhibition of those films that were either produced or distributed by Aurora. Anjan Bose (present proprietor of Aurora) claims, there were almost seventy such cinema halls in Bengal and exhibition was effortless and a good business for Aurora till 1947. But after independence most of those cinema halls remained under the territory of erstwhile East Pakisthan. Only two halls remained in West Bengal, one in Kharagpur and the other in Midnapur. Both were named as 'Aurora Talkies' which still exist. But from 1947 onwards, Aurora's exhibition business collapsed.   

Distribution

As Roy Armes said ('Third World Film Making and the West, p-37):
"The film industry has a three part structure - production, distribution, and exhibition - but the balance of power between the three is unequal. The producer is forced to cede rights in his film to the distributor, since he needs a distribution guarantee to raise the risk capital. The distributor does not, however, need to yield these rights in turn to the exhibitor, since the later needs only a regular flow of assorted films on short-term hire. Power in the film industry therefore resides in the distribution company which, as a purely financial organization, can be located anywhere in the world : it is an intermediary stage not bound geographically to either the studios where the films are produced or the cinemas where they are exhibited."

 Aurora understood this simple truth. In  1929, Aurora started a separate distribution wing to capture a bigger market. In studio era, Aurora's main business was distribution of films. 

Aurora started distribution of films of Imperial Film Co. of Bombay from 1930 (correspondences with Imperial are available at the files of 'Aurora Film Corporation' from 26th Dec. 1930 to 1st Dec. 1933). In a letter dated 6.1. 1931, Imperial confirmed Aurora to send two films every month. Those films were all silent. But from 1929, sound films were coming to India from abroad. Aurora itself was the exclusive distributor of some films of Columbia Talkies. Aurora also distributed lots of one reeler and two reeler silent  named 'Pathe Gazette' and talkie film named 'Empire news bulletin' of Globe Theatre, France from 1932 to 1935. In future Aurora produced Aurora Screen News in that format. In 1931, when the first Indian talkie was released, a tremendous impact was found in the audience. In a letter dated 31.3.1931 to Imperial Film Co., Aurora wanted to distribute 'Alam Aarh' and also wrote:
" We have prevailed upon the proprietor of the Picture House, Dacca to convert his house into talkie house. At any rate he wants to run a few pictures for trial started from 'Alam Arah'…..We also understand that there are a few Bengali songs attached to 'Alam Arah' and we wish to keep them intact with the main picture. If this picture is going successful in Dacca, we are sure, we will be in a position to introduce the other muffassal people either to wire up with houses or we ourselves will arrange for portable talkie set."
 But Aurora could not get the distribution of 'Alam Arah' and when in Bengal, New Theatres started production of Bengali talkies, Aurora immediately started business with them. Aurora already distributed two silent films of International Film Craft. [ New Theatres Ltd.(formally International Film Craft) gave distribution of   'Chasar Meye' (in a letter dated 22.08.1931) and 'Chor Kanta' (in a letter dated 20.04.1932) to Calcutta Picture Corp. whose address were same to Aurora Film Corp. (125, Dharmatala St.). Perhaps Aurora had started a temporary sister concern to distribute those films. Later the existence of Calcutta Picture Corp. can not be traced any more.].

In an agreement dated 26.03.1932, The Gaumont Co. Ltd., London, offered Aurora to distribute the film 'Himalaya' in India, Burma and Cylone for five years. Mahindrakar Filn Service, Girgaon, appointed Aurora Film Corp. (agreement dated 18th July, 1932), as their distributing agent for a period of two years for distributing the pictures produced by 'The Maharastra Film Co.' and 'Kohinoor United Artists' in the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Burma. In 1933 Aurora opened a branch office at Madras. From 1933 (letter dated 10.03.1933), Aurora started distribution of Bengali talkies of New Theatres in a following commission :-

Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Assam and Burma
 Calcutta
    a) Chitra & New Cinema  …0%
    b) Purna Theatre, Howrah Cinema or any other
        N.T.'s cinema in the above circuit…7.5% 
    c) Other cinemas in Calcutta ….10% 
  Other stations
        All cinemas in this circuit …15%.
Madras Presidency, Mysore state. Cylone state, South India 
        On all booking in this circuit ….20% 

By that time Aurora also opened a branch office at Rangoon to explore the Far- East market. In a letter dated 24.12. 1934, Aurora approached to New Theatres to distribute their film outside India in Indo-China, Siam, Fizi, Malay and Dutch Indies. The earlier dealings with New Theatres Ltd. ultimately came into an agreement on 5th July, 1937, when New Theatres appointed Aurora as their sole and absolute distributing agent.
"The principals hereby appoint the agent as their sole and absolute distributing agent in the territory conventionally known as Bengal and comprised of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, assam and Burma for a period of six years commencing from 1st September,1937, for the purpose of exploring and distributing all sound and talking films in Bengali language only to be produced and released by the principals and known as New Theatres Productions and releases. The number of such pictures to be delivered to the agents for distribution and exploitation as aforesaid shall not in any event be less than eighteen pictures in course of the period of six years.
In respect of this agreement the agent hereby agree and undertake to pay in advance to the principals in Calcutta the sum of Rs. 75000/-."  

This agreement was renewed for another six years on 2nd May,1945, with some additions and modifications (Aurora agreed to pay another Rs. 25000/- that time) and ultimately Aurora remained the sole distributing agent of New Theatres' films. Though Aurora also distributed a few films of other production companies, yet Aurora itself was more interested to do business with New Theatres Ltd. because, those films had a huge market that helped Aurora to flourish its own business.

Production

In studio era, Aurora did not involve itself in large scale of production. Due to an uncertain volatile market of that transitional period of cinema from silent to talkie, Aurora could not take risk. Aurora produced silent films till 1934 (in 1934, only one and the last Bengali silent film of silent era, named 'Niyoti', was made. Aurora was the producer). Then Aurora was trying to go for joint production. In a letter dated 19.10.1935, Aurora proposed M/s New Empire, Assansole to produce a talkie jointly (estimated cost was Rs. 40,000/-, Rs. 20,000/- each). Aurora also proposed for joint production to Super Tamil Talkies of Madras (letter dated 07.09.1936). Aurora made an agreement (dated 17.05. 1938) with Atyam N Murty for joint production of a Telegu film, 'Pranoy Leela'. Infact, Aurora produced some films of south Indian language in that way. Aurora produced its first Bengali talkie, 'Haate Khari', in 1939. But still, Aurora was irregular in feature film production and upto 1950, Aurora produced only six talkies. Though from mid 1940s, feature film production was hampered due to second world war.

Rather, in studio era, Aurora liked to produce lots of one reeler two reeler news capsules named 'Aurora Screen News'. A tradition that started from 'Aurora Tukitaki'of early Bengali cinema and continued through the 'Topicals', non fiction related to various subjects like industry, irrigation, sports, health etc. from 1920s to mid 1930s, gave birth the idea of documentary film practice to Aurora.  From 1938, Aurora started the production of news magazines to capture some contemporary events. Those were either projects covering the activities of Govt. of Bengal (Bengal Homage to late Majesty George V, Arrival of H.E. Sir Jhon Herbert, Governor of Bengal, etc.), or some projects related to cultural events of Bengal (Durgapujo at Purnia, Gangasagar Mela, etc), or some projects covering events of nationalistic importance (AICC meeting at Wellington Square, Hindu Mahashabha, Ramgarh Congress and Anti Compromise Conference, etc.), health, sports, travelogue and so on. But once again, in an accident all film materials were destroyed by fire in 1944. But Aurora did not stop. Only when, after independence, Film Division started their production of non fictions from 1948, Aurora lowered their production rate. Yet, Aurora continued up to 'Aurora Screen News No. 51' till 1965.     

Some of those news reels were purchased or rented by Govt. of Bengal but all those productions were Aurora's independent effort and few memorable events (Funeral procession of Rabindra Nath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Bose's speech, etc) Aurora marketed as documentary later. That effort helped Aurora to get commissioned projects from other NGO's like 'Red Cross Society' and so on. Aurora also worked for corporate sectors like Tea Boards, Burmah Shell etc. In a letter dated 23.12.1940, Aurora quoted their rate of production to Bourne-Sheperd at about Rs. 4/- per feet of 1000 feet for talkie and Rs. 2 and 8 anas per  feet of 1000 feet for silent. 

Thus, in studio era, Aurora was trying to monopolize the other sectors of film business apart from the competition of mainstream.

Hire Services

This sector of business, by hiring out studio premises, equipment, laboratory facilities etc., was a constant source of income of Aurora even till today. Aurora's film processing laboratory was the busiest one for 'black & white' productions. Aurora also did the monopoly business of reduction of film-prints from 35mm to 16mm in eastern India. In an agreement (dated 06.11.1940) with Mr. Rohini Kumar Baruah, Dibrugarh, Aurora fixed its rates to serve for the production of a feature film at Rs. 14,000/- in a following break up:-

Film cost 60,000 ft. (20,000 ft each for picture
Negative, picture positive and sound films)..6000-00-0
 Talkie shooting 20 days @ Rs. 250/-.........5000-00-0
 Silent shooting 5 days @ Rs. 50/-............250-00-0
 Idle days 15 @ Rs. 40/-......................600-00-0
 Laboratory for processing @ Rs. 20/-........1200-00-0
 Still material and sandries..................950-00-0  
			                     __________
Total (in Taka-Ana-Pai format)...............14000-00-0

In a letter dated 10.06.1943 to S.D.Production Aurora quoted the rate of studio hire charges as Rs. 300/- for full shift (eight hours) and Rs. 150/- for half shift (four hours). It was a good business for Aurora to use its studio space, equipment, and technicians for others' production as it was found in following agreements :-
With Khagendralal Chatterjee for the film 'Abhayer Biye' (dated 16.10.1941)
With Muralidhar Chatterjee for the film 'Chadmabeshi' (dated 17.01.1943)
With Bharati Chitrapith for the film 'Naarijanma' (dated 05.05.1944)
With Chaya Chitramandir for the film 'Dusta Grahan' (dated 13.09.1944)
With Lilamoyee Picture for the film 'Bisher Dhoan' (dated 13.09.1948)…….etc.



End of studio era and the survival of Aurora

As Someswar Bhowmik said (Indian Cinema Colonial Contours.p-38) :
"By the end of 1940s, the studio system in India was for all practical purpose demolished. The rot had started in the early 1940s though……Yet the disintegration started only under the burden of severe inflation unleashed by the second world war (1939-1945). Immediately, the cost of production shot up, setting in motion a process of external pecuniary diseconomy for the studios. Gradually, as an offshoot of the wartime dislocation the Government introduced rationing of raw film stock and a yearly production quota for each studio/producer. As a result, the studios were compelled to keep both the studio floor and the staff idles for a considerable length of time every year. It inevitably added to the already high overhead costs which most of the studios found prohibitive." 

But Aurora did not has to face that problem as it happened for New Theatres and other studios of Bengal like Bharatlakshmi Sudio, Radha Films, Kali Films and so on . Because, an alternative sector of business was always active for financial support and Aurora, who changed its business objectives at the beginning of studio era to avoid the competition with New Theatres, in 1st July,1954, they took up the control and management of New Theatres Ltd. for six months when New Theatres was in a financial crisis. Thus, the strategy of diversification established Aurora so much in the film industry.

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Note: The available film lists (both distributed & produced by Aurora ; fictions, nonfictions, corporates) are huge and it needs a well display which, I think, is not possible in net-posting. I would like to give the printed copies of those lists to Sarai at the time of my final submission.