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Tapan Sinha | |
|---|---|
 Sinha on a 2013 stamp of India | |
| Born | (1924-10-02)2 October 1924 |
| Died | 15 January 2009(2009-01-15) (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | University of Patna (B.Sc.) Rajabazar Science College (M.Sc.) |
| Years active | 1946–2001 |
| Spouse | Arundhati Devi |
| Children | Anindya Sinha |
| Awards | Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2006) |
| Signature | |
 | |
Tapan Sinha (2 October 1924 – 15 January 2009)[1] was one of the most prominent Indian film directors of his time forming a legendary quartet withSatyajit Ray,Ritwik Ghatak andMrinal Sen. He was primarily a Bengali filmmaker who worked both inHindi cinema andBengali cinema, directing films likeKabuliwala (1957),Louha-Kapat,Sagina Mahato (1970),Apanjan (1968),Kshudhita Pashan and children's filmSafed Haathi (1978) andAaj Ka Robinhood. Sinha started his career in 1946, as a sound engineer withNew Theatres film production house in Kolkata, then in 1950 left for England where he worked atPinewood Studios for next two years,[2] before returning home to start his six decade long career in Indian cinema, making films in Bengali, Hindi and Oriya languages, straddling genres from social realism, family drama, labor rights, to children's fantasy films. He was one of the acclaimed filmmakers ofParallel Cinema movement of India.[3][4][5]
Sinha was born inMurshidabad,West Bengal. His empathy for films began from his student life. He was admitted in the Durgacharan M. E. School ofBhagalpur in the fifth standard. Later it went on to become a secondary school. His Principal was Surendranath Gangopadhyay who happened to beSarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's maternal uncle.[6] He studied physics at theUniversity of Patna and later earned an M.Sc. at theRajabazar Science College,University of Calcutta.[7]
He marriedIndian actressArundhati Devi. Their son is Indian scientist professor,Anindya Sinha.
On 15 January 2009, he died ofpneumonia andsepticaemia.[8]
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Charles Dickens's novel,A Tale of Two Cities and the cinematic adaptation featuringRonald Colman inspired Sinha to get involved in film-making. Tapan Sinha went to London in the 1950s to learn film-making. On reaching London, he contacted CryHearsth, Manager of Pinewood Studios. Through his help, he managed to obtain his first assignment. He got to work in directorCharles Crichton's unit as asound engineer. Cryton, who made some British comedies likeThe Lavender Hill Mob etc. was then working for a film calledThe Hunted. Sinha started as a sound recording engineer and gradually shifted to directing.
Tapan Sinha was greatly influenced by contemporary American and British Cinema, in his youth. Among his favourite directors were John Ford, Carol Reed, and Billy Wilder. He used to think that he had to make films on the lines of his favourites.Rabindranath Tagore's work had been a great source of inspiration to him as well. Different Tagore works had special significance to him in various moments of his life.[9]
Sinha's first film,Ankush, is based on theNarayan Ganguly's storySainik, which had an elephant as the central character.[10] Sinha'sEk Je Chilo Desh is a fantasy film, based on a story byShankar. He made a few documentaries, including a biographical film on scientist Jagadish Bose. He also usedRabindrasangeet in other films. Sinha'sSagina Mahato might be categorized as a political film, although it wasreactionary in nature and was a direct attack onleft-wing politics. It tried to disrepute organized struggle by championing the individual heroism of a worker. The Hindi version of the film, named "Sagina", also stars Dilp Kumar as the central character. The film was entered into the7th Moscow International Film Festival.[11]
HisDaughters of This Century StarringShabana Azmi,Jaya Bachchan,Madhuri Dixit,Nandita Das,Deepa Sahi, andSulabha Deshpande in central roles, marked a new beginning in Indian Cinema.
Raja Sen's documentary on Tapan Sinha is entitledFilmmaker for Freedom.
Sinha's wife, filmmaker and actress Arundhuti Devi, died in 1990.
Sinha's final venture, the children's filmeAnokha Moti, was incomplete. The film stars Arjun Chakravorty, and is being made in Hindi.[12]
Sinha composed the music for many of his films. At the end of his career, he composed the music for the Bengali filmTara, directed byBratya Basu, which was released after his death.
On 15 January 2009, he died ofpneumonia andsepticaemia.[8]
In January 2010, the then railway ministerMamata Banerjee, laid the foundation stone of the Tapan Sinha Memorial Metro Hospital, atTollygunge,Kolkata.[13]Tapan's works left an impact and influence on Bollywood filmmakers likeHemen Gupta,Hrishikesh Mukherjee,Gulzar,[14]Ashutosh Gowariker[15][16]and Bengali filmmakers likeRaja Sen,Kamaleshwar Mukherjee.[17] His work highly influence and impact and popular culture by Bengali filmmakerTarun Majumdar and Nowadays,Suman Ghosh (director). While in London, he was exposed to the works of Italian directors Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini. Tapan Sinha has also served as a member of the jury in the popular film festivals at Tashkent and San Francisco among others.[18] Tapan Sinha has been selected for theDada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2006 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
Aadmi Aur Aurat is based on a story by Prafulla Roy.Amol Palekar andMahua Roy Choudhury act in this piece. Sinha's telefilm Aadmi Aur Aurat was remade in Bengali asManush (starring Samit Bhanja and Devika Mukherjee) by the director himself.[19] Sinha made another telefilmDidi with Deepti Naval as the central character.[20][21] Sinha made a detective TV serialHutumer Naksa.
| Year | Title | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Ankush | ||
| 1955 | Upahar | ||
| 1956 | Tonsil | ||
| 1957 | Kabuliwala | ||
| 1958 | Lauhakapat | ||
| Kala Mati | |||
| 1959 | Kshaniker Atithi | ||
| 1960 | Kshudhita Pashan | ||
| 1961 | Jhinder Bandi | ||
| 1962 | Hansuli Banker Upakatha | ||
| Aamar Desh | Documentary | ||
| 1963 | Nirjan Saikate | ||
| 1964 | Jatugriha | ||
| Arohi | |||
| 1965 | Atithi | ||
| 1966 | Galpo Holeo Satti | ||
| 1967 | Hatey Bazarey | ||
| 1968 | Apanjan | ||
| 1970 | Sagina Mahato | ||
| 1971 | Ekhoni | ||
| 1972 | Zindagi Zindagi | ||
| 1973 | Aandhar Periye | ||
| 1974 | Sagina | ||
| 1975 | Raja | ||
| 1976 | Harmonium | ||
| 1977 | Ek Je Chhilo Desh | ||
| 1978 | Safed Haathi | ||
| 1979 | Sabuj Dwiper Raja | ||
| 1980 | Banchharamer Bagan | ||
| 1982 | Adalat o Ekti Meye | ||
| Aadmi Aur Aurat | |||
| 1983 | Manush | ||
| 1984 | Didi | ||
| 1985 | Baidurya Rahasya | ||
| 1986 | Atanka | ||
| 1987 | Aaj Ka Robin Hood | ||
| 1991 | Ek Doctor Ki Maut | ||
| 1992 | Antardhan | ||
| 1994 | Wheel Chair | ||
| Ajana Shatru | Documentary | ||
| 1995 | Daughters of This Century | ||
| 1998 | Ajab Gayer Ajab Katha | ||
| 2000 | Anokha Moti |
| Year | Title | Cast |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Hutumer Naksha |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
