Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as ''Hrishi-da'', he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades, and is named the pioneer of the 'middle cinema' of India. Renowned for his

social film A social film is a type of interactive film that is presented through the lens of social media. A social film is distributed digitally and integrates with a social networking service, such as Facebook or Google+. It combines features of web video, ...

s that reflected the changing middle-class ethos, Mukherjee "carved a middle path between the extravagance of mainstream cinema and the stark realism of

art cinema An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

". He is known for a number of films, including '' Anari'', ''

Satyakam ''Satyakam'' is a 1969 Indian drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, based on a Bengali novel of the same name by Narayan Sanyal. The film stars Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjeev Kumar, and Ashok Kumar. The film was scored by Laxmikant ...

'', '' Chupke Chupke'', '' Anupama'', '' Anand'', '' Abhimaan'', '' Guddi'', '' Gol Maal'', '' Majhli Didi'', '' Chaitali'', '' Aashirwad'', ''

Bawarchi ''Bawarchi'' (translation: ''The Chef'') is a 1972 Indian Hindi musical comedy-drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Badhuri with Asrani, A.K. Hangal, Usha Kiran and Durga Khote in supporting roles. Thi ...

'', '' Khubsoorat'', '' Kissi Se Na Kehna'', and '' Namak Haraam.'' He also remained the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

honoured him with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1999 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. He received the

NTR National Award The NTR National Award is an annual award presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognize people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Cinema of India. The NTR National Award is an honorary Nandi Award in the honou ...

in 2001 and he also won eight

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

Early life and background

Hrishikesh Mukherjee was born in the city of Calcutta in pre-independence India (now

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

) to a Bengali brahmin family. He studied science and graduated in chemistry from the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every yea ...

. He taught mathematics and science for some time.

Career

Mukherjee chose to begin working, initially as a cameraman, and then film editor, in B. N. Sircar's New Theatres in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

in the late 1940s, where he learned his skills from Subodh Mitter ('Kenchida'), a well known editor of his times. He then worked with Bimal Roy in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

as film editor and assistant director from 1951, participating in the landmark Roy films '' Do Bigha Zamin'' and '' Devdas''. His debut directorial venture, '' Musafir'' (1957), was not a success, but he persisted and received acclaim for his second film '' Anari'' in 1959. The film, crew and cast won five

, with Mukherjee only losing the Best Director Award to his mentor, Bimal Roy. In the following years he made numerous films. Some of his most notable films include: '' Anuradha'' (1960), ''

Chhaya Chhaya or Chaya ( sa, छाया, Chāyā, shadow' or 'shade) is the Hindu personification and goddess of shadow, and a consort of Surya, the Hindu sun god. She is the shadow-image or reflection of Saranyu (Sanjna), the first wife of Surya. ...

'' (1961), ''

Asli-Naqli ''Asli-Naqli'' () is a 1962 Hindi film produced by L.B Lachman and L.B Thakur. The film is directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and stars Dev Anand, Sadhana, Leela Chitnis, Anwar Hussain, Sandhya Roy and Keshto Mukherjee. The film's music is by ...

'' (1962), '' Anupama'' (1966), '' Aashirwad'' (1968), ''

'' (1969), '' Guddi'' (1971), '' Anand'' (1971), ''

'' (1972), '' Abhimaan'' (1973), '' Namak Haraam'' (1973), '' Mili'' (1975), '' Chupke Chupke'' (1975), ''

Alaap ''Alaap'' ( lit. Prelude) is a 1977 Indian musical drama film produced by Hrishikesh Mukerjee and N.C Sippy and directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Asrani, Farida Jalal, Om Prakash and Manmohan. The music ...

'' (1977), '' Gol Maal'' (1979), '' Khubsoorat'' (1980) and '' Bemisal'' (1982). He was the first to introduce

Dharmendra Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 30 ...

in comedy roles, through ''Chupke Chupke'', and gave

Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...

his big break with ''Anand'' in 1970, along with

Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...

, he also introduced Jaya Bhaduri to

Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

in his film '' Guddi''.Remembering Hrishikesh Mukherjee
''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Ly ...

'', 26 August 2008 Having worked with his mentor, Bimal Roy as an editor, in films like ''

Madhumati ''Madhumati'' is a 1958 Indian Hindi-language paranormal romance film directed and produced by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The film stars Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar in lead roles, with Pran and John ...

'', he was much sought after as an editor as well.

Later life

Mukherjee was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award by the

, in 1999. Mukherjee was chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and of the National Film Development Corporation. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award for his contribution to Indian cinema by government of India in 2001 . The

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common p ...

honoured him with a retrospective of his films in November 2005. He holds the distinction of working with almost all the top Indian stars since independence of India in 1947. His last film was ''

Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate () is a 1998 Indian Hindi comedy film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Amrish Puri, Reema Lagoo, Anupam Kher and Sajid Khan. The film was the last film of Hrishikesh Mukherjee a ...

''. Since his original hero

Amol Palekar Amol Palekar (born 24 November 1944) is an Indian actor, director and producer of Hindi and Marathi cinema. Career Palekar studied fine arts at the Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, and commenced his artistic career as a painter. As a painter, h ...

had grown old he had to cast

Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi films, besides television and international films and television. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a producer, Kapo ...

. He has also directed TV serials like ''Talaash''.

Death

In later life, Mukherjee suffered from chronic

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

and would go to

Lilavati Hospital The Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre is a private hospital located in Bandra, Mumbai, India. The hospital was established in 1978 by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust. History In 1978, Kirtilal Manilal Mehta—a diamond ...

for dialysis. He was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in

early on Tuesday, 6 June 2006 after he complained of uneasiness. Mukherjee died few weeks later on 27 August 2006.Hrishikesh Mukherjee is dead
''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest s ...

'', 27 August 2006.

Personal life

Mukherjee was married and has three daughters and two sons. His wife died more than three decades before him. His younger brother Dwarkanath Mukherjee helped write the screenplay for many of his films. He was an animal lover and had many dogs and sometimes an odd cat at his residence in

Bandra Bandra ( æːɳɖɾa also known as Vandre ( �aːn̪d̪ɾe is an upscale coastal suburb located in Mumbai (Bombay) area of the Konkan division, Maharashtra, India. The suburb is located to the immediate north of River Mithi, which separates B ...

, Mumbai. He was staying with only his servants and pets in the last phase of his life. Family members and friends would visit him regularly.

Awards

* 2001: Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India * 2001:

* Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh for 1997-1998 ;

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

: Golden Bear: Nomination: '' Anuradha'' ;

* 1956:

Filmfare Best Editing Award The Filmfare Best Editing Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Superlatives Most Awards * Sreekar Prasad – 4 * Hrishikesh Mukherjee – 3 * Raj Kapoor – 3 * Sanjay Verma – 3 ...

: ''Naukari'' * 1959: Filmfare Best Editing Award: ''

'' * 1970: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award: '' Anokhi Raat'' * 1972: Filmfare Best Movie Award: '' Anand'' shared with N. C. Sippy * 1972: Filmfare Best Editing Award: ''Anand'' * 1972: Filmfare Best Story Award: ''Anand'' * 1981: Filmfare Best Movie Award: '' Khubsoorat'' shared with N. C. Sippy * 1994:

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South ceremony. Recipients Notes References General * Specific External links 55th Filmfare Awards South Winners {{DEFA ...

(1994) ;

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Ch ...

* 1970: Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor: '' Priya'' * 1974: Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor: '' Nellu'' ;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

* 1957: Certificate of Merit for Third Best Feature Film in Hindi – '' Musafir'' * 1959: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – '' Anari'' *

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

: President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film – ''Anuradha'' *

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – '' Anupama'' *

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...

: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – '' Aashirwad'' *

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – ''

'' * 1970: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – ''Anand'' *

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

: Dada Saheb Phalke Award

Notable films

Films as director

Films as editor, writer or assistant director

TV serials

*''Hum Hindustani'' (1986) * ''Talaash'' (1992) *''Dhoop Chhaon'' *''Rishte'' *''Ujaale Ki Or'' *''Agar Aisa Ho Toh''

References

External links

*
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
at

AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cul ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mukherjee, Hrishikesh Bengali Hindus Bengali film directors Film directors from Kolkata University of Calcutta alumni 20th-century Indian film directors Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in arts 1922 births 2006 deaths Deaths from kidney failure Hindi-language film directors Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients Kerala State Film Award winners Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Producers who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award