Anjan Dutt

Last updated

Anjan Dutt
Anjan Dutt in premiere of The Bong Connection.jpg
Dutt performing in 2006
Background information
Born (1953-01-19) 19 January 1953 (age 71) [1]
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • actor
  • film director
  • theatre personality
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1981–present
LabelsRPG, Sagarika Musics Pvt Ltd.
Children Neel Dutt [3]

Anjan Dutt (born 19 January 1953) is an Indian film director, actor, and singer-songwriter known for his work in the Bengali alternative music genre anyodharar gaan. As an actor, Dutta began his career in Bengali cinema in the Mrinal Sen film Chaalchitra, for which he won the best newcomer actor award at the Venice Film Festival. He acted in Aparna Sen's hit film, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer . In 2018 he featured in Swapnasandhani's new play Taraye Taraye, as Vincent van Gogh, under the direction of Kaushik Sen.

Contents

He is also a national award-winning filmmaker and is one of the most prominent directors of Bengali cinema, directing Dutta Vs Dutta , Madly Bangalee , The Bong Connection , Chalo Let's Go , and Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona . In recent years, he has directed a Byomkesh film series.

Early years

Anjan Dutta was raised in the mountains of North Bengal. He had his schooling from St. Paul's School in Darjeeling. [4]

In the late seventies, he joined a group called Open Theatre and in the early eighties performed plays translated from the works of renowned foreign playwrights like Sartre, Peter Weiss, Jean Genet and Bertold Brecht. The group clearly drew inspiration from Nandikar, a highly active and already famous theatre group at the time. Due to politically sensitive content, they faced many obstructions in producing and performing their work, and eventually, the group discontinued its repertoire.

Dutta was first selected for the feature film Chalachitro, directed by renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen. The film and his performance were critically acclaimed at the Venice Film Festival, but for unknown reasons, was never released commercially. Dutt said that he was more interested in doing art cinema than commercial mainstream cinema. After doing a few art films that were not so commercially successful, including the critically well-received Juganto, scarcity of job opportunities forced him to take up jobs in advertising and later as a journalist for the Kolkata-based daily, The Statesman .

Singing career

At that time, Dutta was greatly influenced by the music of Bob Dylan, Kabir Suman who had heralded a new era in Bengali music through his songs. These songs and lyrics, commonly referred to as Jeebonmukhi (জীবনমুখী )(literally meaning "towards life"), were concerned with the tough reality of Bengali middle-class social life, in and around Kolkata.

Personal life

Anjan Dutt is married to Chanda Dutt. They have a son together- Neel Dutt, who is a music director in the Indian industry.

Discography

Albums

Singles (1996–2011)

Filmography

YearFilmCreditsComment
DirectorActor
1981ChaalchitraYes
1982 Kharij Yes
1982 Grihajuddha Yes
1988 The Bengali Night Yes
1989 Ek Din Achanak Yes
1991City of HopeYes
1992 Mahaprithibi Yes
1992City of JoyYes
1993Sunya Theke SuruYes
1993 Shilpi Yes
1993 Antareen Yes
1995 Yugant Yes
1998 Badadin Yes Hindi directorial debut
2001 Dekha Yes
2002 Mr. and Mrs. Iyer Yes
2004 Bow Barracks Forever Yes Bengali directorial debut
2006 The Bong Connection Yes
2008 Chalo Let's Go Yes
2009 Madly Bangalee YesYes
2009Chowrasta: Crossroads of LoveYes
2010 Byomkesh Bakshi Yes
2010 Mahanagar @ Kolkata Yes
2011 Ranjana Ami Ar Asbona YesYesAbani
2011UrochithiYes
2011Jani Dekha HobeYes
2012 Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish Yes
2012 Abar Byomkesh Yes
2012 Dutta Vs Dutta YesYesBiren Dutt
2013 BBD YesUnreleased
2013 Ganesh Talkies Yes
2014Sesh Bole Kichhu NeiYesYes
2014 Byomkesh Phire Elo Yes
2015 Nirbaak Yes
2015 Byomkesh Bakshi Yes
2015MonbakshoYesYesYet to release
2015 Saheb Bibi Golaam YesJimmy Luke
2016 Hemanta Yes
2016 Byomkesh O Chiriyakhana YesYesKokonad Gupta (cameo)
2016 The Bongs Again Yes
2017 Byomkesh O Agniban YesYesKokonad Gupta
2018 Ami Ashbo Phirey YesYes
2018 Uma YesBrahmanamda Chakraborty
2018 Ahare Mon Yes
2018 Byomkesh Gotro Yes
2018 Ek Je Chhilo Raja Yes
2019 Shah Jahan Regency Yes
2019 Finally Bhalobasha YesYes
2019 Shankar Mudi Yes
2019 Satyanweshi Byomkesh YesScreenplay
2019 Ghawre Bairey Aaj Yes
2019If Not for You [5] YesHimself
2020 Saheber Cutlet YesYes
2021 Murder In The Hills YesYesWeb Series
2021 Rabindranath Ekhane Kokhono Khete Asenni YesWeb Series
2021 Bony Yes
2021 Danny Detective Inc. YesYesWeb Series
2022 Murder by the Sea YesYesWeb Series
2022 Haami 2 Yes
2023 Revolver Rohoshyo YesYes
2023SevenYesYesWeb Series
2023 Palan YesSequel to Kharij
2024Chalchitra AkhonYesYes
2024Ei Raat Tomar AmaarYes
2025Shriman Vs ShrimatiYes

Awards

For chalchitra akhon.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrinal Sen</span> Indian film director (1923–2018)

Mrinal Sen was an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and a few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Indian filmmakers, along with his contemporaries Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, and Tapan Sinha, Sen played a major role in the New Wave cinema of eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabir Suman</span> Indian musician (born 1949)

Kabir SumanBengali pronunciation:[kobiɾʃumon] is an Indian singer-songwriter, musician, music director, music composer, writer, actor, politician, and former journalist.

<i>Jukti Takko Aar Gappo</i> 1974 film by Ritwik Ghatak

Jukti Takko Aar Gappo is a 1974 Bengali film directed by auteur of Indian cinema Ritwik Ghatak. Jukti Takko Aar Gappo was Ritwik Ghatak's last film. The film was believed to have a cinematography way ahead of its time. The film won National Film Award's Rajat Kamal Award for Best Story in 1974.

<i>Kharij</i> 1982 Indian film

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 the 1974 Ramapada Chowdhury novel of the same name. The film was hit at the box-office.

Anandalok Puraskar or Anandalok Awards ceremony is an award ceremony for Bengali film in India. The Anandalok, only film magazine in Bengali language, published from Ananda Publishers and Ananda Bazar Patrika presents this award (Puraskar). The magazine was started on 25 January 1975 and the awards ceremony was started in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of West Bengal</span>

Cinema of West Bengal, also known as Tollywood or Bengali cinema, is an Indian film industry of Bengali-language motion pictures. It is based in the Tollygunge region of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The origins of the nickname Tollywood, a portmanteau of the words Tollygunge and Hollywood, dates back to 1932. It was a historically important film industry, at one time the centre of Indian film production. The Bengali film industry is known for producing many of Indian cinema's most critically acclaimed global Parallel Cinema and art films, with several of its filmmakers gaining prominence at the Indian National Film Awards as well as international acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lopamudra Mitra</span> Musical artist

Lopamudra Mitra is an Indian Bengali-language singer who started the trend of singing " Kobitar Gaan" or music set to poems. She is a doyen in this genre. Her most notable Kobitar Gaan, or poem set to tune, is Benimadhob by Joy Goswami. She is a popular singer in other genres like Folk, Modern Bengali Songs, and Rabindra sangeet.

Koushik Sen is an Indian actor in Film, Television, OTT and Theatre, based in Kolkata, India. He is the founder and the director of the theatre group Swapnasandhani. He won the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for best supporting actor for his performance in the Mrinal Sen directed film Aamar Bhuvan. He was awarded Girish Purashkar 2023 by the Cultural Department of the Government of West Bengal for his extraordinary contributions to theatre. In 2024 he was also awarded Telly Academy Best Actor Award for Godhuli Alap series.

<i>Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona</i> 2011 Indian film

Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona is a 2011 Bengali language Indian rock musical drama film directed by Anjan Dutt. It won three national film awards in 2011 including best music direction and best feature film in Bengali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riddhi Sen</span> Indian actor

Riddhi Sen is an Indian film actor who predominantly works in Bengali films along with a few Hindi films. He is the youngest actor in India to receive the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film Nagarkirtan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parno Mittra</span> Indian actress

Parno Mitra is an Indian actress who appears in Bengali films. Mitra started her career on television. Her acting assignment was Ravi Ojha's Bengali TV series Khela (2007). She was catapulted to stardom after she enacted Ranjana in Anjan Dutta's National Award winning Bengali film Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ushasie Chakraborty</span> Bengali film actress

Ushasie Chakraborty is an Indian actress and academic who works in Bengali language films. She has played the role of Satyabati in Anjan Dutt's film adaptations on Byomkesh Bakshi. She currently plays the role of June Guha in the Bengali television show Sreemoyee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neel Dutt</span> Indian composer

Neel Dutt is an Indian composer and singer from Kolkata. He received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction from the Govt. of India in 2012 for the soundtrack of the Bengali film Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona. Dutt is the third person from West Bengal to win the Best Music Direction award. He is arguably the first music director in India to rearrange a Rabindranath Tagore composition with modern electronic music.

<i>Dutta Vs Dutta</i> 2012 Indian film

Dutta Vs Dutta is a 2012 Indian Bengali film directed by Anjan Dutt. This is Anjan Dutt's semi-autobiographical film. Most of the film has been shot in a house of Amherst Street in Kolkata. Anjan has described this house resonated feel of his old house of Beniapukur.

Antareen is a 1993 Bengali-language Indian film directed by Mrinal Sen. Although based on the 1950 Saadat Hasan Manto story Badshahat Ka Khatimah, the screenplay has a different ending. It stars Anjan Dutt and Dimple Kapadia. Antareen was the first non-Hindi project Kapadia took part in since Vikram (1986). She played a woman caught in a loveless marriage. Insisting on playing her part spontaneously, Kapadia refused to enroll in a crash-course in Bengali as she wrongly felt that she would be able to speak it convincingly. Her voice was eventually dubbed by actor Anushua Majumdar, something Kapadia was unhappy with.

<i>Aami Ashbo Phirey</i> 2018 Indian film

Aami Ashbo Phirey is a 2018 India Bengali-language drama film directed by Anjan Dutt and produced by Shree Venkatesh Films. The film stars Anjan Dutt, Kaushik Sen, Swastika Mukherjee, Anindya Chatterjee, Darshana Banik, Sauraseni Maitra, and Anjana Basu. Dutt collaborated on the music with his son Neel Dutt, who composed the music to his father's lyrics. The film was released on 13 April 2018.

Mahaprithibi is a 1991 Bengali social drama film directed by Mrinal Sen. The film was released under the banner of G. G. Films and received BFJA Awards in 1992.

The West Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Male Playback Singer is given yearly by WBFJA as a part of its annual West Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards for Bengali films, to recognize the best male singer of the previous year.

References

  1. "Kolkata's band musicians celebrate Anjan Dutt's b'day today". Debolina Sen. The Times of India. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  2. "Anjan Dutt celebrates 20 years of his music". Sutapa Singha. The Times of India. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  3. "Neel wished father Anjan Dutt at midnight". Zinia Sen. The Times of India. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  4. "Anjan Dutt sticks to his roots". Ritujaay Ghosh. Hindustan Times. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  5. "If Not for You (2019)". IMDb . 24 May 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.