Basu Bhattacharya (1934–19 June 1997) was an Indian film director of
Hindi films
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 ...
. He is perhaps best known for his 1966 film ''
Teesri Kasam'', starring
Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of ...
and
Waheeda Rehman (based on the short story "Maare Gaye Gulfam" by
Phanishwar Nath 'Renu'), which won the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film
The National Award for Best Feature Film is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of se ...
in 1967. The most popular and critically acclaimed film which he directed remains ''
Avishkaar'', starring
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 recor ...
and
Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore (also known as Begum Ayesha Sultana; born 8 December 1944) is a retired Indian actress, primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema, Tagore is the recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award, and the ...
, which received five stars in Bollywood Guide ''Collections'' and for which Khanna received the
Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1975.
In 1979, he produced ''
Sparsh'', which won the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several ...
and the film also won the
Filmfare Best Movie Award. He served as president of the Indian Film Directors' Association from 1976 to 1979. In 1981 he was a member of the jury at the
12th Moscow International Film Festival.
None of his works were successful after 1983.
He started his career in 1958 by assisting
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as '' Do Bigha Zamin'', ''Parineeta'', '' Biraj Bahu'', '' Devdas'', '' Madhumati'', '' Sujata'', '' ...
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 ...
'' and ''
Sujata'' and later married Bimal Roy's daughter,
Rinki Bhattacharya, much to Bimal Roy's disapproval. This created a rift between him and his mentor. The couple had a son, the director
Aditya Bhattacharya, and two daughters: Chimmu and Anwesha Arya, a writer. Later after much domestic abuse, his wife Rinki moved out in 1983, and the couple formally divorced in 1990. Rinki went on to edit an anthology on domestic violence in India, titled, ''Behind Closed Doors – Domestic Violence in India'' and became a successful writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker.
Early life
Basu Bhattacharya hailed from an orthodox
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...
family from a small town,
Cossimbazar, in
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 four ...
Filmography
As director
* Uski Kahani (1966)
*
Teesri Kasam (1966) - Won
National Film Award for Best Feature Film
The National Award for Best Feature Film is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of se ...
*
Anubhav Anubhav may refer to:
* ''Anubhav'' (1971 film), a Hindi film
* ''Anubhav'' (1986 film), a Bollywood romantic comedy
* ''Anubhav'' (2009 film), a Bollywood film See also
* Anubhav Plantations
{{disambiguation ...
(1971) - Won
National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film
*
Avishkaar (1973)
*
Daku (1975)
*
Tumhara Kalloo (1975)
*
Sangat (1976)
*
Known Yet Not Known (1977)
* Anand Mahal (1977)(Unreleased)
*
Madhu Malti (1978)
*
Griha Pravesh (1979)
*
Madhuman (1981)
*
Horký podzim s vuní manga (1984)
* Anveshan (1985) (TV)
* Solar Energy (1986)
* Science India (1986)
*
Panchavati
Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashik ...
(1986)
*
Ek Saas Zindagi (1991)
*
Aastha: In the Prison of Spring (1997).
Critical Appreciation
Avishkaar was featured in Avijit Ghosh's book, 40 Retakes: Bollywood Classics You May Missed
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhattacharya, Basu
Film directors from Kolkata
Indian male screenwriters
Hindi-language film directors
Filmfare Awards winners
1934 births
1997 deaths
Bengali Hindus
University of Calcutta alumni
20th-century Indian film directors
Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award
20th-century Indian screenwriters
20th-century Indian male writers