Basu Chatterjee | |
|---|---|
 Chatterjee in October 2012 | |
| Born | (1927-01-10)10 January 1927 |
| Died | 4 June 2020(2020-06-04) (aged 93) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Basu Chatterjee (10 January 1927 – 4 June 2020) was an Indian film director and screenwriter inHindi Cinema. Through the 1970s and 1980s, he became associated with what came to be known as middle cinema or middle-of-the-road cinema filmmakers, such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya, whom he assisted onTeesri Kasam (1966). Like their films, his films dealt with light-hearted stories of middle-class families often in urban settings, focusing on marital and love relationships.
The exceptions such asEk Ruka Hua Faisla (1986) andKamla Ki Maut (1989), which delved into social and moral issues. He is best known for his filmsUs Paar,Chhoti Si Baat (1975),Chitchor (1976),Rajnigandha (1974),Piya Ka Ghar (1972),Khatta Meetha,Swami (1977),Baton Baton Mein (1979),Priyatama (1977),Man Pasand,Hamari Bahu Alka,Shaukeen (1982),[1] andChameli Ki Shaadi (1986).[2]
Chatterjee directed the Bengali filmHothath Brishti (1998), which featured actors from bothBangladesh andIndia. The film featuredFerdous Ahmed from Bangladesh, andPriyanka Trivedi andSreelekha Mitra fromWest Bengal. Chatterjee continued to cast Ahmed in subsequent Indian-Bengali films, including Chupi Chupi (2001),Tak Jhal Mishti (2002) and Hotath Shedin (2012), another joint production of Bangladesh and India. He wrote the script for the Bangladeshi film Ek Cup Cha, directed by Noyeem Imtiaz Neamul.
Basu Chatterjee was born inAjmer,Rajasthan, India, in a Bengali family. His middle class upbringing reflected in his movies that explored areas which were far removed from the glitz and glamour of the blockbusters of the time.[3]
In 1950s, Chatterjee arrived in Bombay (nowMumbai) and started his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for the weekly tabloidBlitz published byRussi Karanjia. He worked there for 18 years before changing career paths to filmmaking, when he assistedBasu Bhattacharya in the Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman starrerTeesri Kasam (1966), which later won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film. Eventually, he made his directorial debut withSara Akash in 1969, which won him theFilmfare Best Screenplay Award.[4]
Some of his most critically acclaimed films areSara Akash (1969),Piya Ka Ghar (1971),Us Paar (1974),Rajnigandha (1974),Chhoti Si Baat (1975),Chitchor (1976),Swami (1977),Khatta Meetha,Priyatama,Chakravyuha (1978 film),Jeena Yahan (1979),Baton Baton Mein (1979),Apne Paraye (1980),Shaukeen andEk Ruka Hua Faisla.
Other films includeRatnadeep,Safed Jhooth,Man Pasand,Hamari Bahu Alka,Kamla Ki Maut andTriyacharitra.
He has also directed manyBengali films such asHothat Brishti,Hochcheta Ki andHothat Shei Din.
Chatterjee directed the television seriesByomkesh Bakshi andRajani forDoordarshan. He was a member of the jury at the10th Moscow International Film Festival in 1977[5] and a member of the International Film And Television Club of theAsian Academy of Film & Television. A retrospective of Chatterjee's work was held as part of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival Mumbai in February 2011.
A book on the work of Basu Chatterji, titled Basu Chatterji: And Middle of the road cinema, written by author and music historianAnirudha Bhattacharjee, has been published by Penguin Random House in 2023.
| Year | Title | Credited as | Producer | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | ||||
| 1969 | Sara Akash | Yes | Yes | [7] | |
| 1971 | Piya Ka Ghar | Yes | Tarachand Barjatya | ||
| 1974 | Rajnigandha | Yes | Yes | Suresh Jindal, Kamal Saigal | |
| Us Paar | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1976 | Chitchor | Yes | Tarachand Barjatya | ||
| Chhoti Si Baat | Yes | B. R. Chopra | |||
| 1977 | Safed Jhooth | Yes | Yes | Ashim Kumar | |
| Swami | Yes | Jaya Chakravarthy | |||
| Priyatama | Yes | T C Dewan | |||
| 1978 | Khatta Meetha | Yes | Yes | Gul Anand, Romu Sippy | |
| Dillagi | Yes | Yes | Bikram Singh Dehal, Kanwar Ajit Singh | ||
| Tumhare Liye | Yes | Yes | Raj Tilak | ||
| 1979 | Do Ladke Dono Kadke | Yes | Jayant Mukherjee,Hemant Kumar | ||
| Manzil | Yes | ||||
| Chakravyuha | Yes | ||||
| Prem Vivah | Yes | ||||
| Ratnadeep | Yes | ||||
| Baton Baton Mein | Yes | Yes | |||
| 1980 | Man Pasand | Yes | Amit Khanna | ||
| Apne Paraye | Yes | Mushir Alam | |||
| 1981 | Jeena Yahan | Yes | N.P. Ali | ||
| 1982 | Hamari Bahu Alka | Yes | Yes | Shyamsunder Seksaria | |
| Shaukeen | Yes | Yes | Senmit Movie Visuals | ||
| 1983 | Pasand Apni Apni | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1986 | Ek Ruka Hua Faisla | Yes | Yes | ||
| Kirayadar | Yes | B. R. Chopra | |||
| Chameli Ki Shaadi | Yes | Yes | Ramesh Ningoo, Sushil Gaur | ||
| Sheesha | Yes | Sattee Shourie | |||
| 1989 | Kamla Ki Maut | Yes | Yes | NFDC | |
| 1990 | Hamari Shadi | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1997 | Triyacharittar | Yes | |||
| Gudgudee | Yes | Mahesh Bhatt | |||
| 1998 | Hothat Brishti | Yes | Bangladesh and India joint production | Bengali language film | |
| 2001 | Chupi Chupi | Yes | |||
| 2002 | Tak Jhal Mishti | Yes | |||
| 2007 | Prateeksha | Yes | |||
| Kuch Khatta Kuch Meetha | Yes | ||||
| 2008 | Hochheta Ki | Yes | Bengali language film | ||
| 2011 | Kalidas o Chemistry | Yes | |||
| Trishanku | Yes | ||||
| Dialogue writer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Producer | Notes |
| 1972 | Piya Ka Ghar | Tarachand Barjatya | |
| 1974 | Rajnigandha | Suresh Jindal, Kamal Saigal | |
| 1978 | Khatta Meetha | Gul Anand, Romu Sippy | |
| Dillagi | Bikram Singh Dehal, Kanwar Ajit Singh | ||
| 1982 | Hamari Bahu Alka | Shyamsunder Seksaria | |
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Basu Chatterjee | |
| Screenplay | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Producer | Notes |
| 1969 | Sara Akash | Basu Chatterjee | |
| 1974 | Rajnigandha | Suresh Jindal, Kamal Saigal | |
| Us Paar | Self | ||
| 1977 | Safed Jhooth | Ashim Kumar | |
| 1978 | Khatta Meetha | Gul Anand, Romu Sippy | |
| Dillagi | Bikram Singh Dehal, Kanwar Ajit Singh | ||
| 1982 | Hamari Bahu Alka | Shyamsunder Seksaria | |
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Basu Chatterjee | |
| Producer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Director | Notes |
| 1979 | Baton Baton Mein | Self | |
| 1983 | Pasand Apni Apni | ||
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Basu Chatterjee | |
| 1986 | Ek Ruka Hua Faisla | Self | TV film |
| Director TV series or film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Show | Channel | Notes |
| 1985 | Rajani | DD National | |
| Darpan | |||
| 1986 | Ek Ruka Hua Faisla | (TV film) | |
| 1988 | Kakaji Kahin | ||
| 1988 | Jodi Emon Hoto | DD Bangla | |
| 1990-91 | Bheem Bhavani | DD National | |
| 1993 & 1997 | Byomkesh Bakshi | 2 seasons 32 episodes | |
| 2005 | Ek Prem Katha | 26 episodes | |
| Assistant director | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Producer | Notes |
| 1966 | Teesri Kasam | Shailendra | Directed byBasu Bhattacharya |
| 1968 | Saraswatichandra | Vivek | Directed by Govind Saraiya |
Chatterjee died due to an age-related illness at his house inMumbai on 4 June 2020. He was 93 years old.[8]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
