Srijit Mukherji | |
---|---|
Born | Kolkata | 23 September 1977
Nationality | Indian |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2010–present |
Spouse | |
Relatives | Arati Mukhopadhyay (Aunt) |
Srijit Mukherji (born 23 September 1977) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Bengali cinema. His regular collaboration with veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee brought him into the limelight. His first feature film Autograph (2010), was a critical and commercial success, where he had written the script with Chatterjee in mind. His fifth film, Jaatishwar, won four national awards at India's 61st National Film Awards (2014). He won the National Film Award for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay for his sixth film, Chotushkone, at India's 62nd National Film Awards. [1] His eighth film, Rajkahini had been remade into a Hindi film titled, Begum Jaan , starring Vidya Balan in 2017. His 2018 release Ek Je Chhilo Raja won the 'Best Bengali Film' Award at India's 66th National Film Awards. His 2019 film Gumnaami won him the Best Bengali Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 67th National Film Awards. [2]
Mukherji was born and brought up in Bhawanipore in Kolkata. He completed his schooling till 10th standard from Dolna Day School, Kolkata [3] and 12th from South Point School, Kolkata, [4] before studying BA economics at Presidency College, Kolkata. He went on to complete his MA and MPhil in environmental economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, [5] parallelly working as a social scientist in the Urban Transport and Pollution Sector with TERI in New Delhi. He quit his Ph.D. while in his first year, to join IRI Symphony, Bangalore as an econometrician and business analyst. After working in Bangalore and a brief stint in Delhi, he quit his job to actively pursue theatre and films. [6]
Even while working as an economist and statistician, he was actively involved with the English professional theatre circuit in Delhi and Bangalore. He has acted in Madness, adapted from Paulo Coelho's Veronica Decides To Die ; Manoj Mitra's The Orchard of Banchharam; Badal Sircar's The Other Side of History; Sunil Ganguly's Pratidwandi – The Adversary, adapted for the stage from Satyajit Ray's film of the same name and Lucknow 76. He wrote and directed Mindgame, an Indian adaptation of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men , at the Alliance Francaise De Bangalore in 2006. In April 2008, he formed his own troupe, Pandora's Act, whose first production, Feluda Pherot! at Rangashankara in July 2008 was a runaway success and was the first ever non-canonical dramatisation of Satyajit Ray's sleuth Feluda. [5] Barun Chanda, Ray's leading man in Seemabodhho, and Parambrata Chatterjee, the screen Topshe and film youth icon, starred in this production. In 2009, he wrote, directed and acted in the English play Checkmate, a non-canonical re-interpretation of Byomkesh Bakshi, Saradindu Bandopadhyay's sleuth. [7] He was an assistant director, lyricist and actor in both Anjan Dutt's Madly Bangalee and Aparna Sen's Iti Mrinalini , in 2009. [8] He has also written lyrics for films like Cross Connection , Le Chakka and Josh, TV serials like Coffee and More and Dadagiri and non-film albums of Usha Uthup.
In 2010 Mukherji directed his debut feature film, the award-winning blockbuster – Autograph (starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta and Nandana Sen) which was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The film won 41 awards and was an official selection at Abu Dhabi International Film Festival 2010, MIAAC Film Festival in New York 2010, Glasgow International Film Festival 2011 and London Indian Film Festival 2011. [9]
In the same year he also made his acting debut on Bengali television in the Rituparno Ghosh scripted mega serial Gaaner Opare , produced by Ideas Entertainment. [10]
His work in 2011 included a major role in Anindya Banerjee's Chaplin starring Rudranil Ghosh and his second film, Baishe Srabon starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Abir Chatterjee and Gautam Ghose, who returned to acting after a hiatus of 29 years. Baishe Srabon was recently the official selection at the Dubai International Film Festival and the closing film at the London Indian Film Festival, and had a 105-day run at the box office making it the biggest blockbuster of the year. Baishe Srabon has won 41 awards. His third feature film was Hemlock Society , a romantic satire set at the backdrop of a school which teaches aspirants how to successfully commit suicide. It featured Parambrata Chatterjee and Koel Mallick and won 21 awards.
Mukherji's fourth film, Mishawr Rawhoshyo , based on Kakababu with Prasenjit Chattopadhyay playing the lead character and Indraneil Sengupta playing the role of Hani Alkadi, has been declared as one of the biggest blockbusters ever and the highest earning urban mainstream film. He has acted in films like Dutta Vs Dutta , Bapi Bari Jaa and the national award-winning Shobdo . His fifth film Jaatishwar , featuring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengupta, is generally considered to be the best in his career and most critically acclaimed. It is the musical bridge between two centuries of Bengali culture and a biopic cum a musical cum a reincarnation drama. At the 61st National Awards 2014, the highest film honour in India, it won 4 national awards for Music Direction, Playback Singing, Costume and Make up. This was the highest tally for a film in India this year, and the second highest ever for a Bengali film. It also swept the Mirchi Music Awards in 2015 winning 7 awards. The following year at the 62nd National Awards 2015, Chotushkone won him the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay awards, along with winning the Best Cinematography.
He also received the Young Achiever Award from Rotary International, the prestigious Shera Bangali Award from ABP Anando and the Shoilojanando Mukhopadhyay Memorial Award in 2012 for his contribution in the field of film direction. In 2013 he received the Uttam Kumar Memorial Award from the Government of West Bengal becoming the youngest director to achieve this. He has also received the oldest film award in India, the BFJA award, for remarkable contribution to Bengali Cinema in the last few years. [11]
Mukherji has made his directorial debut in Bollywood with the film Begum Jaan which is a remake of his earlier Bengali film Rajkahini. Vidya Balan plays the lead role of a brothel's madam during the partition of India in 1947. [12] [13] He had two releases in 2018, Uma and Ek Je Chhilo Raja. Both featured Jisshu Sengupta and were box office superhits. The former went to 10 film festivals around the world and won 6 awards while the latter won 23 awards and went to 7 film festivals around the world including Palm Springs International Film Festival. In 2018, it was reported that Mukherji will be directing a Junglee Pictures produced yet to be titled web-series in Hindi, based on the novel of noted novelist and blogger Arnab Ray, The Mahabharata Murders. This will be his first foray into web-series direction. [14] In 2019, he has three releases Shahjahan Regency, Vinci Da and Gumnaami, the last two being both critical and commercial successes along with being a festival favourite. Gumnaami won the Best Bengali Feature Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 67th National Film Awards.
He has also completed another web-series, Feluda Pherot, which is based on two Feluda stories written by Satyajit Ray, Chhinomostar Obhishaap and Darjeeling Jomjomat.[ clarification needed ] [15]
After no films in 2020 due to COVID-19, in 2021 he had 4 releases, out of which 2 were Hindi films. He directed Kakababur Protyaborton , which was based on the third film of the Kakababu franchise, it had Prosenjit Chatterjee as Kakababu, Aryann Bhowmik, Anirban Chakrabarti in the lead roles. His next release wass X=Prem . A black and white romance drama film with debutant actors, the film earned critical praise and received several awards and nominations at the 6th Filmfare Awards Bangla [16] and 6th WBFJA Awards.
His next projects that year were two Bollywood films: Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga and Shabaash Mithu . The latter was the biography of one of the most influential Indian female cricketer Mithali Raj. [17]
In 2023, he released Dawshom Awbotaar , a neo-noir crime thriller as the 4th installment Srijit Mukherji's Cop Universe. It served as the prequel crossover of his previous films Baishe Srabon and Vinci Da . It became a huge box office success emerged as one of the highest grossing Bengali films of 2023. [18] The film received multiple nomination and awards at the Filmfare Awards Bangla and WBFJA Awards. [19]
His first release in 2024 was the fantasy romantic comedy film Oti Uttam . For the first time ever in Indian Cinema, veteran actor Uttam Kumar appeared in the movie through Visual effects by using his scenes from his 56 existing old movies. [20] His next release this year was a biopic on the life of Mrinal Sen. Titled Padatik , it chronicles his active time and contributions to Bengali cinema. [21] His next thriller film titled Tekka starring Dev and Rukmini Maitra released on the occasion Durga Puja 2024 and earned an 'organic blockbuster' tag. [22] His upcoming venture is Feludar Goyendagiri (Season 2) which is scheduled to release on the occasion of Christmas 2024, digitally. Also, post-production of his next film Shotyi Boley Shotyi Kichhu Nei is currently undergoing and is scheduled for a January 2025 release.
Denotes films or web series that have not yet been released |
Year | Film | Director | Writer | Language |
2010 | Autograph | Yes | Yes | Bengali |
2011 | Baishe Srabon | Yes | Yes | |
2012 | Hemlock Society | Yes | Yes | |
2013 | Mishawr Rawhoshyo | Yes | No | |
2014 | Jaatishwar | Yes | Yes | |
Chotushkone | Yes | Yes | ||
2015 | Nirbaak | Yes | Yes | |
Rajkahini | Yes | Yes | ||
2016 | Zulfiqar | Yes | Yes | |
2017 | Begum Jaan | Yes | Yes | Hindi |
Yeti Obhijaan | Yes | No | Bengali | |
2018 | Uma | Yes | Yes | |
Ek Je Chhilo Raja | Yes | Yes | ||
2019 | Shahjahan Regency | Yes | Yes | |
Vinci Da | Yes | Yes | ||
Gumnaami | Yes | Yes | ||
2020 | Dwitiyo Purush | Yes | Yes | |
2022 | Kakababur Protyaborton | Yes | No | |
X=Prem | Yes | Yes | ||
Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga | Yes | Yes | Hindi | |
Shabaash Mithu [23] | Yes | Yes | ||
2023 | Dawshom Awbotaar | Yes | Yes | Bengali |
2024 | Oti Uttam | Yes | Yes | |
Padatik | Yes | Yes | ||
Tekka | Yes | Yes | ||
2025 | Shotyi Boley Shotyi Kichhu Nei | Yes | Yes | |
Lawho Gouraanger Naam Re | Yes | Yes | ||
Winkle Twinkle | Yes | No |
Year | Film | Director | Writer | OTT | Notes |
2012 | East India Pharmaceuticals Works Limited (Documentary) | Yes | No | Goutam Ghosh | |
2020 | Feluda Pherot (Chhinnamastar Abhishap) | Yes | No | Addatimes | Released |
2021 | Ray (Season 1) | Yes | No | Netflix | Anthology, Segment- Behrupiya,Forget me not |
Rabindranath Ekhane Kokhono Khete Asenni | Yes | No | Hoichoi | Based on the Bengali book of the same name | |
2022 | Feludar Goyendagiri (Season 1) | Yes | No | Hoichoi | Released (Based on Feluda series by Satyajit Ray) |
2023 | Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke | Yes | No | ZEE5 | Released |
Durgo Rawhoshyo | Yes | No | Hoichoi | Released | |
2024 | Feludar Goyendagiri (Season 2) | Yes | No | Hoichoi | Released (Based on Feluda series by Satyajit Ray) |
Shekhar Home | Yes | No | Jio Cinema | Released | |
2025 | Don-Boithok | Yes | No | TBA | Filming |
Feluda Pherot (Jawto Kando Kathmandute) | Yes | No | Addatimes | postponed |
Year | Film | Lyricist | Actor |
2009 | Cross Connection | Yes | No |
Madly Bangalee | Yes | Yes | |
2010 | Le Chakka | Yes | No |
Josh | Yes | No | |
Gaaner Oparey | No | Yes | |
2011 | Iti Mrinalini | Yes | Yes |
Flop-e | No | Yes | |
Ghente Ghaw | Yes | No | |
Chaplin | No | Yes | |
2012 | Dutta Vs Dutta | No | Yes |
Bapi Bari Jaa | No | Yes | |
Shabdo | No | Yes | |
2013 | Maach Mishti & More | Yes | No |
2018 | Ahare Mon | Yes | No |
Kabir | No | Yes | |
2019 | Shantilal O Projapoti Rohoshyo | No | Yes |
2023 | Manobjomin | No | Yes |
Dilkhush | No | Yes | |
Also as an Actor(Cameo Roles) in all the films he directed
International Awards
National Awards (Govt. of India)
Filmfare Awards
State Awards (Govt. Of West Bengal)
WBFJA Awards (Oldest Film Awards in India)
Mukherji was in a relationship with actress Swastika Mukherjee; they broke up after filming Jaatishwar in 2014. [24] Later he dated Ritabhari Chakraborty around 2017 for a brief period. [25] Media reports speculated a romantic affair between him and actress Jaya Ahsan during the filming of Bishorjan (2017). [26] Mukherji did not address the rumours directly, but described their relationship being "much more than love". [27] [28]
On 6 December 2019, Mukherji married actress Rafiath Rashid Mithila. [29] [30]
Prosenjit Chatterjee is an Indian actor and producer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading actors of modern Bengali cinema. He predominantly works in Bengali cinema. He is the son of veteran Bollywood actor Biswajit Chatterjee.
Jaya Maswood, popularly known as Jaya Ahsan, is a Bangladeshi film actress, model, producer and playback singer. Starting her career as a model and, later, as a film actress, she works mostly in Bangladeshi and Indian Bengali films. She won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress six times for her performances in the films Guerrilla (2011), Chorabali (2012), Zero Degree (2015), Debi (2018), Alatchakra (2021), and Beauty Circus (2022). She also earned four Filmfare Awards East, Zee Cine Awards, and Meril-Prothom Alo Awards.
Atanu Ghosh Ghosh is a National-Award-winning Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, author and teacher. His Bengali film Mayurakshi (2017) was awarded the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali. His film Shesh Pata, Angshumaner Chhobi, Mayurakshi, Binisutoy, Abby Sen and Rupkatha Noy, bagged multiple awards.Atanu started his career as a scriptwriter and director for documentary films in 1996. For his work in Aar Ek Bampi, he received the Doordarshan National Award for Best Children's Telefilm.
SVF Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company, founded by Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni in 1995. Apart from producing and distributing Bengali films in West Bengal, Bangladesh, Assam and Tripura, SVF also distributes Bollywood and Hollywood films in East India. The other divisions of the company include Exhibition, TV Content Production, Digital Cinema, Music, New Media and IPR syndication. SVF was in Anandabazar Patrika's powerlist for 2008 and 2010.
Jisshu Sengupta is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter, who predominantly works in Bengali, Hindi and Telugu films alongside a few Kannada films.
Cinema of West Bengal, also known as Tollywood or Bengali cinema, is the segment of Indian cinema, dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Bengali language widely spoken in the state of West Bengal. 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.
Anupam Roy is an Indian Bengali singer-songwriter, music director, composer, songwriter, guitarist, playback singer, engineer from Kolkata, India. He made his debut with Amake Amar Moto Thakte Dao & Benche Thakar Gaan, which appeared on the soundtrack of the 2010 Bengali film Autograph. Since then, he has gone on to compose, write lyrics and sing for many Bengali films.
Autograph is a 2010 Indian Bengali drama film by debutant director Srijit Mukherji. The movie is a tribute to Satyajit Ray's 1966 film Nayak and yesteryear Bengali actor Uttam Kumar, who portrayed the title role in the film. This was the first collaboration between Srijit Mukherjee and Prosenjit Chatterjee. The movie is being remade in Malayalam.
Abir Chatterjee is an Indian actor who mainly works in Bengali cinema. He is the son of theatre personalities Phalguni Chatterjee and Rumki Chatterjee. He started his career with Bengali television and made his debut in Bengali cinema in 2009 as a lead with Cross Connection. He is well known for appearing as famous Detective Byomkesh Bakshi in a separate movie series.He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian Bengali cinema.
Indraadip Dasgupta is an Indian composer whose range of music is well known in various Bengali Films.
Baishey Srabon is a 2011 Indian Bengali neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Srijit Mukherji. It is the first installment of the Srijit Mukherji Cop Universe. It was his second film. The cast consists of Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Abir Chatterjee and director Gautam Ghose, making a comeback after a 29-year absence.
Hemlock Society is an Indian Bengali romantic dark comedy released on 22 June 2012, directed by Srijit Mukherji, who is also the director of Autograph and Baishe Srabon. The film's cast consists of Parambrata Chatterjee, Koel Mallick, and Soumitra Chatterjee. The name is inspired by the erstwhile Hemlock Society, a society which was based in Santa Monica, US. The primary missions of this society included providing information to dying persons and supporting legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide. The movie was remade in Marathi in 2015 as Welcome Zindagi. A box-office success.
Rupankar Bagchi, also known mononymously Rupankar, is a Bengali singer-songwriter, playback singer and actor from Kolkata, India.
Chotushkone is an Indian Bengali thriller film directed by Srijit Mukherji, starring Aparna Sen, Goutam Ghose, Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Parambrata Chatterjee and Payel Sarkar. The film received positive reviews from critics. Srijit Mukherji won the National Film Award for Best Direction at India's 62nd National Film Awards.
Many films, television and comic book adaptation has been made with Sunil Gangopadhyay's Kakababu character. Here are the list of some other media adaptation.
Gumnaami is a 2019 Indian Bengali-language mystery film based on the true events directed by Srijit Mukherji, which deals with the mystery of Netaji's death, based on the Mukherjee Commission hearings and the book Conundrum written by Anuj Dhar and Chandrachur Ghose. It has been produced by Shrikant Mohta, Pranay Ranjan, and Mahendra Soni under the banner of Shree Venkatesh Films. Prosenjit Chatterjee plays the roles of Subhas Chandra Bose and Gumnaami Baba.
Dwitiyo Purush is a 2020 Indian Bengali language psychological action thriller film, directed by Srijit Mukherjee and produced by Shree Venkatesh Films. The film stars Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, and Anirban Bhattacharya. It is a spin-off sequel to the 2011 crime thriller, Baishe Srabon. The film follows the pursuit of a new serial killer, Khoka, by Abhijit Pakrashi.
The West Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Director is given yearly by WBFJA as a part of its annual West Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards for Bengali films, to recognize the best director of the previous year.
Dawshom Awbotaar...For God's Sake is an Indian Bengali-language neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Srijit Mukherji and produced by Shree Venkatesh Films and Jio Studios. The film stars Jisshu Sengupta in the titular role and Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, and Jaya Ahsan in lead roles. The film went on floors on 21 July 2023.
Srijit Mukherji's Cop Universe is an Indian media franchise and shared universe created by Srijit Mukherji, consisting of media focusing on police officers who predominantly solve cases of serial killers. The universe was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)Also starring Swastika Mukherjee and Rukmini Maitra, the film will release in theatres on October 8