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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]
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 | |
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Personal life and background
editSinha was born inKolkata,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]
Career
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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]
Sinha's 5 part feature filmDaughter of this Century marked a new beginning in Indian Cinema. StarringShabana Azmi,Jaya Bachchan,Nandita Das,Deepa Sahi, andSulabha Deshpande in central roles.
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.
Death
editOn 15 January 2009, he died ofpneumonia andsepticaemia.[8]
Legacy
editIn 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.
Television career
editAadmi 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.
Awards
edit- Civilian award
- Padma Shri (1992)[22]
- 1956:National Film Award for Best Feature Film –Kabuliwala[23]
- 1956:National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali –Kabuliwala[23]
- 1957:National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali –Louha-Kapat[24]
- 1960:National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film –Kshudhita Pashan[25]
- 1965:National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film –Atithi
- 1967:National Film Award for Best Feature Film-Hatey Bazarey
- 1968:National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali-Apanjan
- 1971:Best Screenplay –Ekhonee
- 1977:National Film Award for Best Children's Film -Safed Haathi
- 1981:National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali-Adalat o Ekti Meye
- 1984:Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration -Aadmi Aur Aurat
- 1990:Best Direction –Ek Doctor Ki Maut
- 1990:National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film-Ek Doctor Ki Maut
- 1994:National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues-Wheelchair
- 2006:Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- International Awards
- Best Film-Cork festival, Ireland forKhudhita Pashan
- Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at 7thBerlin International Film Festival forKabuliwala
- Jury Award-Sanfransisco Film Festival forHansuli Banker Upokotha
- Silver Peacock-2nd best film, International Film Festival of India & Audience Award,Sydney Film Festival forNirjan Saikate
- International Certificate of Merit,Venice Film Festival forAtithi
- Diploma of Merit,London Film Festival for Aarohi
- Silver Leopard,Locarno Film Festival for Aarohi
- Award for Best Film-Royal Cup, Cambodia Asian Film festival forHatey Bazarey
- Award for Best film in 13thAsia Pacific Film Festival forHatey Bazarey
- Silver trophy (Cup of honour) in Phnom Penh Film Festival forHatey Bazarey
- Afro-Asian Award, Moscow Film Festival forSagina Mahato
- Golden Crown for Best Music,Seoul Asian Film Festival forHarmonium
- Special Award 'Child of our Time',Vii Film Festival, Milano forSafed Haathi
- UNICEF Award(Honorable Mention), Berlin Film festival forAaj Ka Robin Hood
Filmography
edit- Ankush (1954)
- Upahaar (1955)
- Tonsil (1956)
- Kabuliwala (1957)
- Lauha Kapat (1958)
- Kala Mati (1958)
- Khaniker Atithi (1959)
- Kshudhita Pashan (1960)
- Jhinder Bandi (1961)
- Hansuli Banker Upakatha (1962)
- Aamar Desh (1962, Documentary)
- Nirjan Saikate (1963)
- Jatugriha (1964)
- Arohi (1964)
- Atithi (1965)
- Galpo Holeo Satti (1966)
- Hatey Bazarey (1967)
- Apanjan (1968)
- Sagina Mahato (1970)
- Ekhoni (1971)
- Zindagi Zindagi (1972)
- Aandhar Periye (1973)
- Sagina (1974, Hindi)
- Raja (1975)
- Harmonium (1976)
- Ek Je Chhilo Desh (1977)
- Safed Haathi (1978)
- Sabuj Dwiper Raja (1979)
- Banchharamer Bagan (1980)
- Adalat o Ekti Meye (1982)
- Aadmi Aur Aurat (1982)
- Manush (1983)
- Didi (1984)
- Baidurya Rahasya (1985)
- Atanka (1986)
- Aaj Ka Robin Hood (1987)
- Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1991)
- Antardhan (1992)
- Wheel Chair (1994)
- Ajana Shatru (1994, Documentary)
- Hutumer Naksha (1998, TV)
- Ajab Gayer Ajab Katha (1998)
- Anokha Moti (2000)
- Daughters of This Century (2001)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Award-winning Indian film-maker influenced by Capra and Wilder".The Guardian. 12 May 2009.
- ^"Tapan Sinha's first film 'Ankush' was based on which story?".www.gktoday.in. Retrieved24 April 2024.
- ^Gokulsing, K. Moti;Dissanayake, Wimal (2004).Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change (New rev. ed.). Stoke-on-Trent, UK: Trentham Books. p. 17.ISBN 978-1-85856-329-9.
- ^Sharpe, Jenny (2005). "Gender, Nation, and Globalization in Monsoon Wedding and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge".Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism.6 (1): 58–81 [60 & 75].doi:10.1353/mer.2005.0032.S2CID 143666869.
- ^Gooptu, Sharmistha (July 2002). "Reviewed work(s):The Cinemas of India (1896–2000) by Yves Thoraval".Economic and Political Weekly.37 (29):3023–4.
- ^"Never Have I Made the Same Kind of Film: An Interview With Tapan Sinha (Part-I) – Learning and Creativity".Learning and Creativity. 2 October 2014. Retrieved3 March 2016.
- ^"Ankush (1954)".Indiancine.ma. Retrieved24 April 2024.
- ^ab"Top Indian filmmaker Sinha dies".BBC News.
- ^"Saluting Indomitable Human Spirit: Tribute to Tapan Sinha". Learning and Creativity. 29 August 2013. Retrieved3 February 2014.
- ^"Master-prints of Tapan Sinha's classics go missing".The Indian Express. 9 April 2010. Retrieved24 April 2024.
- ^"7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)".MIFF. Archived fromthe original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved23 December 2012.
- ^"Sinha's never-seen-before stories, script thrill cinephiles".The Times of India. 2 November 2023.ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved24 April 2024.
- ^"Tension with Suman palpable on dais".The Times of India. 9 January 2010.Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved18 March 2013.
- ^"Remakes of Bengali films: What's new in this trend? - Times of India".The Times of India. 27 November 2019.
- ^Narayan, Hari (15 August 2016)."The family as a microcosm of the nation".The Hindu.
- ^Mathur, Arti (30 December 2001)."Sony closes Hindi film distrib biz".Variety. Retrieved18 March 2022.
- ^"Film Director Raja Sen Speaks About His New Movie (Interview)".VOA News. 29 October 2007.
- ^চিরতরুণ.Ei Samay (in Bengali).Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved3 January 2021.
- ^Nag, Amitava (8 November 2023)."Revisiting Bengali master Tapan Sinha's undervalued Hindi movies".Scroll.in. Retrieved24 April 2024.
- ^"Eight segments to showcase Indian Films at IFFI - 07" (Press release).Press Information Bureau. 15 November 2007.Archived from the original on 1 March 2012.
- ^"A number of golden oldies at IFFI for movie buffs".The Navhind Times. 21 November 2007. Archived fromthe original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved30 December 2007.
- ^"Padma Awards"(PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved21 July 2015.
- ^ab"4th National Film Awards"(PDF).Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved2 September 2011.
- ^"5th National Film Awards"(PDF).Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved2 September 2011.
- ^"8th National Film Awards".International Film Festival of India. Archived fromthe original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved7 September 2011.