Victor Banerjee | |
|---|---|
%2c_in_Panaji_(cropped).jpg) Banerjee in 2013 | |
| Born | (1946-10-15)15 October 1946 (age 79) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse | Maya Bhate Banerjee |
| Children | 2 |
| Honors | Padma Bhushan (2022) |
Victor Banerjee (born 15 October 1946) is an Indian actor who appears in English,Hindi,Bengali andAssamese language films. He has worked with directors such asRoman Polanski,James Ivory, SirDavid Lean,Jerry London,Ronald Neame,Satyajit Ray,Mrinal Sen,Shyam Benegal, andMontazur Rahman Akbar. He won theNational Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for the filmGhare Baire. He was awarded thePadma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2022 for his contribution tocinema by the Indian Government in the field of art.[1][2]
While in Calcutta, Banerjee performed in plays. He also performed during his time in Bombay.
He has a daughter who was aVFX supervisor for 16 years.[3]
Banerjee established The Calcutta Art Gallery in the late 1970s which was the first commercial art gallery in the city.[4]
In 1984, Banerjee portrayed Dr. Aziz Ahmed inDavid Lean's film ofA Passage to India, bringing him to the attention of western audiences.[5] He was nominated for aBAFTA Award for the role in 1986, and won theEvening Standard British Film Award andNBR Award (National Board Review, USA) for it. In April 1985, Banerjee received the "Show-a-Rama Award" from theMotion Picture Association of America as "New International Star."[citation needed]
He acted inMerchant Ivory ProductionsHullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures,Satyajit Ray'sShatranj Ke Khilari andGhare Baire and inMrinal Sen'sMahaprithivi. On the set ofGunday starringPriyanka Chopra, Banerjee has said that he feels "all work is a challenge and therefore fun."[6]
He was also cast in the critically acclaimed role of God in the 1988 production of theYork Mystery Plays, by directorSteven Pimlott. He was the first Asian to play a lead role in British Theatre.[7]
| Year | Award | Film | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | BAFTA Awards | A Passage to India | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | [10] |
| 1986 | Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards | Ghare Baire | Best Actor | Won | |
| 1997 | Lathi | Won | |||
| 1985 | Evening Standard British Film Awards | A Passage to India | Best Actor | Won | |
| 1984 | National Board of Review Awards | Best Actor | Won | [11] | |
| 1985 | National Film Awards | Ghare Baire | Best Supporting Actor | Won | [12] |
Banerjee unsuccessfully contested the1991 Lok Sabha election inCalcutta North West from theBharatiya Janata Party. He got 89,155 votes and stood third.[13]
As an active member of the BJP, he was critical ofMulayam Singh Yadav's order to shoot the Karsevaks who had once climbed theBabri Masjid prior to itsdemolition.[14]
He has been highly critical of what he calledNavjot Singh Sidhu's pacifist attitude to terrorism exported from Pakistan.[15]
Media related toVictor Banerjee at Wikimedia Commons