Kanu Banerjee (Kanu Bandyopadhyay; 20 June 1905 – 27 January 1983) was an Indian actor and director of Bengali cinema and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

.Soumitra Das and Dalia Mukherje (5 August 2012)
"The matter-of-fact actor of many parts"

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, India: ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

''. He was best known for his portrayal of Harihar Ray, father of Apu, in

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...

's classic ''

Pather Panchali (, ) is a 1955 Indian Bengali language, Bengali-language Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray in his directorial debut. It is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali Pather Panchali ...

'' (1955) and ''

Aparajito ''Aparajito'' ( ''Ôporajito''; ''The Unvanquished'') is a 1956 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray, and is the second part of ''The Apu Trilogy''. It is an adaptation of the last part of Bibhutibhushan Ba ...

'' (1956), part of the

Apu Trilogy ''The Apu Trilogy'' is a celebrated series of three Indian Bengali-language drama films directed by Satyajit Ray: ''Pather Panchali'' (1955), '' Aparajito'' (1956) and '' The World of Apu'' (1959). The trilogy's evocative score was composed by R ...

. He was born in

Jodhpur Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He first appeared as an amateur artiste with

Sisir Kumar Bhaduri Shishir Kumar Bhaduri or Sisir Kumar Bhaduri (2 October 1889 – 30 June 1959) was an Indian stage actor and theatre founder, commonly referred to as the pioneer of modern Bengali theatre. He was an actor, director, playwright and scenic design ...

in ''Biraj Bou'' (1934) as Netai at Naba Natyyamandir. In 1955, he also appeared as saint

Ramakrishna Ramakrishna (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886——— —), also called Ramakrishna Paramahansa (; ; ), born Ramakrishna Chattopadhay,M's original Bengali diary page 661, Saturday, 13 February 1886''More About Ramakrishna'' by Swami Prab ...

in Prafulla Chakraborty’s biographical film ''Bhagaban Sri Sri Ramakrishna''.

Legacy

In 2012, his memoirs titled, ''Hariharer Panchali'', based on his long interview published in Sharadiya (

Durga puja Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...

) magazine ''Baro Maas'' in 1979 and other interviews was published by ''Sutradhar'' and released by

Sandip Ray Sandip Ray (born 8 September 1953) is an Indian film director and music director who mainly works in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. He is the only child of the famous Indian director Satyajit Ray and Bijoya Ray. Life and education San ...

, son of Satyajit Ray, at Nandan theater in

. Previously, on 20 June 2012, on the occasion of his 108th birth anniversary, his statue was unveiled on Banamali Chatterjee Street in Tala neighbourhood of North

, where he used to stay.

Filmography

* ''Krishnakanter Will'' (1926) * ''Durgesh Nandini'' (1927) * ''Rajgee'' (1937) - Ramjadu * ''Desher Mati'' (1938) * ''Chanakya'' (1939) - Kaulak * ''Rikta'' (1939) * ''Shap Mukti'' (1940) - Astrologer * ''Mayer Pran'' (1941) * ''Epar Opar'' (1941) - Charan * ''Nandini'' (1941) * ''Pashan Devata'' (1942) * ''Garmil'' (1942) - Nilmani Ghatak * ''Avayer Biye'' (1942) * ''Sahar Thekey Durey'' (1943) * ''Dampati'' (1943) * ''Sahadharmini'' (1943) * ''Jogajog'' (1943) - Jayanta's friend * ''Bideshini'' (1944) * ''Nandita'' (1944) * ''Pratikar'' (1944) * ''Kato Door'' (1945) * ''Bhabhi Kaal'' (1945) * ''Mane Na Mane'' (1945) - Priest * ''Grihalakhmi'' (1945) * ''Mandir'' (1946) * ''Swapna-o-Sadhana'' (1947) * ''Purabi'' (1948) * ''Jayjatra'' (1948) * ''Sadharan Meye'' (1948) * ''Abhijatya'' (1949) * ''

Kuasha ''Kuasha'' (The fog) is a Bengali language, Bengali thriller film directed by Premendra Mitra based on his own novel. This movie was released under the banner of Mahabharati Limited on 19 August 1949. Plot Cast * Dhiraj Bhattacharya * Nripat ...

'' (1949) * ''Mandanda'' (1950) * ''Baikunther Will'' (1950) * ''Digbhranta'' (1950) * ''Pandit Mashai'' (1951) * ''Bindur Chheley'' (1952) - Priyababu * ''Palli Samaj'' (1952) * ''Siraj-Ud-Dowla'' (1952) * ''Natun Yahudi'' (1953) * ''Champadangar Bou'' (1954) - Setap Moral * ''Mantra Shakti'' (1954) * ''Moner Mayur'' (1954) * ''Sadanander Mela'' (1954) - Jagadish * ''Bhangagara'' (1954) - Biren (Sulata's brother) * ''Dukhir Imaan'' (1954) * ''

Bir Hambir Hambir Malla Dev (also known as Bir Hambir, Beera Hambeera, and Veer Hambir) was the forty-ninth king of Mallabhum, primarily in the present Bankura district in Indian state of West Bengal. He ruled from 1565 to 1620 AD.Malabhum, Bishnupur-Chan ...

'' (1955) * ''Sajher Pradip'' (1955) * ''

'' (1955) - Harihar Ray * ''Upahar'' (1955) - Kangalibabu * ''Aparadhi'' (1955) * '' Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna'' (1955) * ''Tonsil'' (1956) * ''

'' (1956) - Harihar Ray * ''Saheb Bibi Golam'' (1956)In English this film is title
"King, Queen, Knave (1956)"
and there is also a West German film entitled ''King, Queen, Knave'' (1972) * ''Nabajanma'' (1956) * ''Bhola Master'' (1956) * ''Daner Maryada'' (1956) - Prasanna Babu * ''Subharatri'' (1956) * ''Punar Milan'' (1957) * ''Neelachaley Mahaprabhu'' (1957) * ''Marmabani'' (1958) * ''Pankatilak'' (1961) * ''Kathin Maya'' (1961) * ''Aaj Kal Parshu'' (1961) * ''Ke Tumi?'' (1964) * ''Mahashweta'' (1967) - Pandit Moshai (Mahashweta's father) * ''Banajyotsana'' (1969) * ''Eai Korecho Bhalo'' (1970) - Abhayankar * ''Alo Amar Alo'' (1971) - Atashi's father * ''Agnibhramar'' (1973) - (final film role)

References

External links

*
Kanu Bandopadhyay filmography
at Gomolo
Kanu Bandopadhyay moviestills slideshow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banerjee, Kanu 1905 births 1983 deaths Male actors in Bengali cinema People from Rajasthan University of Calcutta alumni Indian male stage actors Bengali theatre personalities Indian male film actors 20th-century Indian male actors