Asit Sen (24 September 1922 – 25 August 2001) was an Indian film director, cinematographer, documentary Filmmaker and screenwriter, who worked in bothBengali andHindi cinema. He was born inDhaka,British India. He directed 17 feature films in Hindi and Bengali, and was most known for the filmsDeep Jweley Jai (1959) andUttar Falguni(1963) in Bengali,Mamta (1966),Khamoshi (1969),Anokhi Raat (1968) andSafar (1970) in Hindi.

Remembered as a prominent filmmaker of his times with a career of more than four decades, making films in different Indian languages, Asit Sen's contribution in Indian cinema deserves a special mention along with other stalwarts of that era. He is not to be mistaken with actor (Asit Sen).Born September 24, 1922, in Atishahi village inBikrampur, Dhaka, Sen was a child with a keen interest towards art. Post his schooling in Nagaon (Assam) he shifted to (Kolkata) for further studies, and in his youth he got drawn towards photography. With the help of his uncle Ramanand Sengupta, who was an established cinematographer, Asit Sen started attending shootings of Hindi films and then joinedBharat Laxmi Productions as an assistant to D.K. Mehta. Soon he became an assistant to his uncle inPurbarag (1947) and then later went on to become an independent filmmaker.

Following his passion, Sen first made a documentary following Mahatma Gandhi's tours in Noakhali and Patna. With the confidence gained, he then made his directorial debut with the Assamese language film Biplabi in 1948. A few years later he made his first Bengali filmChalachal in 1956, starringArundhati Devi, which was a success, and many years later he remade the film in Hindi asSafar, which was also a hit.^[1] In 1959, he madeDeep Jweley Jai (1959), starringSuchitra Sen, set in a psychiatric hospital, which again he remade in Hindi asKhamoshi in 1969, withRajesh Khanna andWaheeda Rehman.^[2] InMamta (1966), a remake of his 1963 Bengali filmUttar Falguni, a story about class conflict, he excelled as a storyteller. The film had lead actress Suchitra Sen in a double role, and featured memorable songs, "Rahein Na Rahein Hum", sung byLata Mangeshkar and her soft, almost spiritual duet "Chhupa Lo Yoon Dil Mein Pyar Mera", withHemant Kumar.^[3] Asit Sen then joinedNational Institute of Film and Fine Arts in 1993 as a teacher and till his death he served in film education for society.

Sen worked with some of the most prominent actors in Bollywood during his career. As director of Khamoshi (1969), he directed Rajesh Khanna, and inSharafat (1970) he directedDharmendra,Hema Malini andAshok Kumar. In the unique themed movieAnnadata (1972), he directedOm Prakash andJaya Bachchan. InMaa Aur Mamta (1970), he directedAshok Kumar. inMamta (1966)Suchitra Sen, Ashok Kumar and Dharmendra. Another engaging story wasBairaag where Asit Sen directedHelen,Madan Puri andKader Khan, and inAnari (1975), he directed actorsShashi Kapoor,Sharmila Tagore,Moushumi Chatterjee andKabir Bedi.

Sen was nominated twice forFilmfare Best Director Award, and won once. He was nominated for his direction ofMamta in 1967, and won the award in 1971 forSafar, which starredRajesh Khanna,Sharmila Tagore andFeroz Khan.

Asit Sen died at a Kolkata hospital on 25 August 2001 at the age of 79. He was survived by his only son Partha Sen.^[1]

• 1963National Film Award forBest Feature Film in Bengali:Uttar Falguni.^[7]
• 1971:Filmfare Award for Best Director:Safar

• Asit Sen atIMDb
• Asit Sen Profile atUpperstall
• The Two Asit Sens at [Confusion Cleared between Two Asit Sens in The Free Press Journal Article]
• Parivar (1956) and Apradhi Kaun (1957) Two films directed by the actor-comedian Asit Sen at Bobbytalkscinema.com

• 1922 births
• 2001 deaths
• Hindi-language film directors
• Bengali film directors
• People from Munshiganj District
• Indian male screenwriters
• Film directors from Kolkata
• Filmfare Awards winners
• 20th-century Indian screenwriters
• 20th-century Indian male writers

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