Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, and few

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

and

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

language films. Regarded as one of the finest Indian filmmakers, along with his contemporaries

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of ...

Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was a noted Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright. Along with prominent contemporary Bengali filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen, his cinema is primarily rememb ...

, and Tapan Sinha, Sen played major role in the New Wave cinema of eastern India. Sen has received various national and international honors including eighteen Indian

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 ...

. The Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan, and the Government of France honored him with the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

, while Russian Government honored him with the Order of Friendship. Sen was also awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award for filmmakers in India. He was one of the few Indian filmmakers having won awards at the big three film festivals viz.,

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and the Berlinale. Sen was a self described "private

Marxist Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialecti ...

Influence

He directed ''

Bhuvan Shome ''Bhuvan Shome'' is a 1969 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Mrinal Sen based on the story of Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. The cast includes Utpal Dutt (Mr. Bhuvan Shome) and Suhasini Mulay (Gauri, a village belle). Sen based his fil ...

'' (''Mr. Shome'', 1969) which initiated the "New Wave Cinema Movement" in India.

Film craft, Social context and its political influence

The films that he made next were essentially political, and earned him the reputation as a

artist. This was also the time of large-scale political unrest throughout

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. Particularly in and around Calcutta, this period underwent what is now known as the Naxalite movement. This phase was immediately followed by a series of films where he shifted his focus, and instead of looking for enemies outside, he looked for the enemy within his own

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...

society. This was arguably his most creative phase.

Depiction of Kolkata

In many Mrinal Sen movies from ''Punascha'' (1961) to ''Mahaprithivi'' (1992), Kolkata features prominently. He has shown Kolkata as a character, and as an inspiration. He has beautifully woven the people, value system, class difference and the roads of the city into his movies and coming of age for Kolkata, his El-Dorado.

Recognition

In 1982 he was a member of the jury at the

32nd Berlin International Film Festival The 32nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 12–23 February 1982. The Golden Bear was awarded to the West German film ''Veronika Voss'' directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The Honorary Golden Bear (''Goldener Ehrenbär'' ...

. In 1983 he was a member of the jury at the 13th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1997 Sen became the member of the jury at the

20th Moscow International Film Festival The 20th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 19 to 29 July 1997. The Golden St. George was awarded to the American film '' Marvin's Room'' directed by Jerry Zaks. Jury * Oleg Menshikov (Russia – President of the Jury) * Georgi Dj ...

. On 24 July 2012, Sen was not invited to the function organised by

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

government to felicitate film personalities from the State. As per reports, his political views are believed to be the reason for his omission from the function.

Death

Sen had had age-related ailments for many years. He died on 30 December 2018 at the age of 95 at his home in

Bhawanipore Bhowanipore (also Bhowanipur; bn, ভবানীপুর) is a neighbourhood of South Kolkata in Kolkata district of West Bengal, India. History In 1717, the East India Company obtained the right to rent from 38 villages surrounding their s ...

, Kolkata. The cause was a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

Awards

National Film Awards

Best Feature Film Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

*1969: ''

'' *1974: ''

Chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

'' *1976: '' Mrigayaa'' *1980: '' Akaler Sandhane'' Second Best Feature Film *1972: ''

Calcutta 71 Calcutta 71 is a 1972 Bengali film directed by noted Indian art film director Mrinal Sen. This film is considered to be the second film of Mrinal Sen's Calcutta trilogy, the others being ''Interview An interview is a structured convers ...

'' *1980: ''

Kharij ''Kharij'', sometimes translated as ''The Case is Closed'', is a 1982 Bengali film by Mrinal Sen under the banner of Neelkanth Films. It is based on a novel by Ramapada Chowdhury. Plot The movie tells the story of a middle-class family whose ...

Best Direction The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly rename ...

*1969: ''

'' *1979: ''

Ek Din Pratidin ''Ek Din Pratidin'' (English title: "And Quiet Rolls the Dawn") is a 1979 Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen. The film stars Mamata Shankar, Gita Sen and Sreela Majumdar, among others. It was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. Plot Th ...

'' *1980: '' Akaler Sandhane'' *1984: ''

Khandhar ''Khandhar'' (English: ''Ruins'') is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Mrinal Sen, based on a Bengali short story, ''Telenapota Abishkar'' (Discovering Telenapota) by Premendra Mitra. The film stars Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah an ...

Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

*1974: '' Padatik'' *1983: '' Akaler Sandhane'' *1984: ''

Special Mention Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...

*1978: ''Parashuram''

Best Regional Film Awards

Best Feature Film in Bengali *1961: ''Punascha'' *1965: ''

Akash Kusum ''Akash Kusum'' is a 1965 Bengali film directed by noted Indian parallel film director Mrinal Sen. The film was remade in 1979 in Hindi as ''Manzil''. Plot It is the story of the longings of a middle class executive to rise in stature and gre ...

'' *1993: '' Antareen'' Best Feature Film in Telugu *1977: ''

Oka Oori Katha ''Oka Oori Katha'' (English title: The Marginal Ones; Telugu: ఒక ఊరి కథ) is a 1977 Indian Telugu-Language drama film directed by Mrinal Sen. The Pan-Indian film is based on the story ''Kafan'' by Munshi Premchand. The film was one ...

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 ...

International awards

: 4th International Film Festival of India - Jury Prize -

- 1969 : : : Berlin International Film Festival
: : : : : :

State and institutional honors

*In 1979, he was awarded the Nehru Soviet Land Award by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for his contribution to world cinema. *In 1981, 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, ...

awarded Sen with the Padma Bhushan. *In 1985, President François Mitterrand, the

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency i ...

, awarded him the Commandeur de

(Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters) *In 1993, he was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by the University of Burdwan. *In 1996, he was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by Jadavpur University. *In 1999, he was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by Rabindra Bharati University.Stellar Publishers
/ref> *Between 1998 and 2003, he was made an Honorary Member of the

Indian Parliament The Parliament of India (IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of t ...

in the

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

. *In 2000, President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

honored him with the Order of Friendship. *In 2005, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honor given to an Indian filmmaker, was awarded to him by the

for the year

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

. *In 2009, he was awarded an List of University of Calcutta honorary degree recipients honorary D. Litt. by 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 ...

. *In 2017, he was inducted as a member of the Oscar Academy

Filmography

*'' Raat Bhore'' (''The Dawn'') (1955) *''

Neel Akasher Neechey ''Neel Akasher Neechey'' (Bengali: নীল আকাশের নীচে ''Nil akasher niche'', "Under the Blue Sky") is a 1958 Bengali language drama film directed by Mrinal Sen and produced by Hemanta Mukherjee, starring Kali Bannerjee, ...

'' (''Under the Blue Sky'') (1959) *''Baishey Shravana'' (''Wedding Day'') (1960) *''Punascha'' (''Over Again'') (1961) *''Abasheshe'' (''And at Last'') (1963) *''

Pratinidhi The Pratinidhi (the Viceroy) was an important member of the ministry in the Maratha Empire. The title of ''Pratinidhi'' means ''the representative of the King,'' and such officials were entitled to sign and seal papers and to issue orders in the a ...

'' (''The Representative'') (1964) *''

'' (''Up in the Clouds'') (1965) *'' Matira Manisha'' (''Man of the Soil'') (''

Odia film The Odia film industry, colloquially known as Ollywood, is the Odia language Indian film industry, based in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack in Odisha, India. The name Ollywood is a portmanteau of the words Odia and Hollywood. Industry In 1974, the ...

'') (1966) *''

'' (''Mr. Bhuvan Shome'') (1969) *''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

'' (1971) *''

Ek Adhuri Kahani Ek Adhuri Kahani is 1972 Hindi language movie directed by Mrinal Sen, starring Utpal Dutt, Shekhar Chatterjee, Vivek Chatterjee, Aarti Bhattacharya, Shyam and Shobha Sen. It was based on a Bengali story, ''Gotrantar'' by Subodh Ghosh Subo ...

'' (''An Unfinished Story'') (1971) *''

'' (1972) *'' Padatik'' (''The Guerilla Fighter'') (1973) *''

'' (1974) *'' Mrigayaa'' (''The Royal Hunt'') (1976) *''

'' (''The Outsiders'') (1977) *''

Parashuram Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appea ...

'' (''The Man with the Axe'') (1978) *''

'' (''And Quiet Rolls the Dawn'') (1979) *'' Akaler Sandhane'' (''In Search of Famine'') (1980) *''Chalchitra'' (''The Kaleidoscope'') (1981) *''

'' (''The Case Is Closed'') (1982) *''

'' (''The Ruins'') (1983) *''

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

'' (1986) *'' Kabhi Door Kabhi Paas'' (1986–87) (12 short films made for television broadcast) *'' Ek Din Achanak'' (''Suddenly, One Day'') (1989) *'' Mahaprithibi'' (''World Within, World Without'') (1991) *'' Antareen'' (''The Confined'') (1993) *''

Aamaar Bhuvan ''Aamar Bhuvan'' is a 2002 Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen. The film depicts a place of India where people live peacefully and love each other despite the hatred and violence that scars the rest of the nation. For this film director Mrinal S ...

'' (''This, My Land'') (2002)

References

Notes

External links

* *
Mrinal Sen

Mrinal Sen
at the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Mrinal Indian autobiographers Bengali film directors Bengali Hindus 20th-century Indian film directors Indian documentary filmmakers Film directors from Kolkata Scottish Church College alumni University of Calcutta alumni 1923 births 2018 deaths Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts People from Faridpur District Indian memoirists Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha Kalakar Awards winners Best Director National Film Award winners 21st-century Indian film directors Best Original Screenplay National Film Award winners Special Mention (feature film) National Film Award winners Producers who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award