Pramathesh Chandra Barua or P. C. Barua was an actor, director, producer, and screenwriter who was involved with Indian films in the pre-independence era. He was the son of Raja Prabhat Chandra Barua of the Gauripur Royal Family. P. C. Barua is one of the pioneers of the Indian film industry and is best known for his work in the 1935 tragedy romance Devdas as an actor, director, and writer.

Early Life
Born on 24 October 1903 in Gauripur, Assam, India, Barua completed his schooling from Hare School, Calcutta, following which he attended the Presidency College, Calcutta. He then went to Europe, where he fell in love with films. In 1930, he went to Paris with a letter of introduction from Rabindranath Tagore and met M. Rogers, a British cinematographer, who trained him in cinematography.

Personal Life
Barua got married at a mere age of 18 to Madhurilata, however, the marriage did not last very long. He then began living in with Kishiti Devi, whom he later got married to. While he was away from home, his second wife also passed away, owing to a fatal disease. Following the death of his beloved wife, Barua married film actress Jamuna Barua, who started her career with Barua’s famous production Devdas in 1935. His third wife and he have three sons together, namely Prasun Barua, Deb Kumar Barua, and Rajat Barua.

Movie Career
As An Actor
He started his film career in 1926 as a member of British Dominion Films Ltd. In 1929, and appeared for the first time on the silver screen with the Bengali film Panchashar. He made his first film Apradhi (1931), where he was the main lead. Debaki Bose, a top director, writer, and actor of Bengali Cinema, directed the film. His hit film Devdas was released in 1935, in which Barua seen playing the titular role of the tragic hero, Devdas. The movie was an instant critical and commercial success. Devdas is considered as a landmark in world cinema for the technique of using ‘intercut telepathy shots’.

As a Producer
In 1932, he produced films like Nisher, Dak, and Ekada, which he also wrote the story of. In 1933, he was invited by B. N. Sarkar to join New Theaters and this led him to the pinnacle of his career as a filmmaker.

As a Director
P. C. Barua learned the art of filmmaking and took Indian cinema to new heights. He introduced many styles and techniques in Indian cinema, creating the foundation for a successful career. In 1934, he directed Rooplekha and also played the lead role. It was the first time in Indian cinema where a flashback was used for storytelling in a movie. Another bold film made by P. C. Barua was Mukti (1937), which challenged the thoughts of the Indian society. In 1939, he made a comedy film name Rajat Jayanti, which was a grand success and was considered to be the first Indian comedy movie. He also made Adhikaar in the same year, which also went on to be a great success. Following this, he directed successful films like Shapmukti in 1940, Uttrayan in 1941, and Pehchan in 1946.