Buddhadeb Dasgupta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Dasgupta at the IFFI 2014
Born	(1944-02-11)11 February 1944 Anara, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Purulia, West Bengal, India)
Died	10 June 2021(2021-06-10) (aged 77) Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Film maker, screenplay writer and author
Children	Alokananda Dasgupta

Buddhadeb Dasgupta (born February 11, 1944 – died June 10, 2021) was a famous Indian filmmaker and poet. He was best known for his films made in the Bengali language.

Some of his well-known films include Bagh Bahadur, Tahader Katha, Charachar, and Uttara. Many of his movies won important awards. Five of his films received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. These were Bagh Bahadur (1989), Charachar (1993), Lal Darja (1997), Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (2002), and Kaalpurush (2008).

He also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali for Dooratwa (1978) and Tahader Katha (1993). As a director, he won the National Film Award for Best Direction twice, for Uttara (2000) and Swapner Din (2005). Besides films, he wrote several poetry books like Govir Araley and Coffin Kimba Suitcase.

Early Life and Education

Buddhadeb Dasgupta was born in 1944 in a place called Anara, near Puruliya in West Bengal. He was the third of nine children in his family.

His father, Tarkanta Dasgupta, worked as a doctor for the Indian Railways. Because of his father's job, Buddhadeb spent his early childhood traveling a lot. When he was twelve, he moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata) for his studies. He attended Shibpur SSPS Vidyalaya and later Dinabandhu School.

After India became independent, his father was transferred to Kharagpur and then to Manendragarh. Buddhadeb later studied economics at the Scottish Church College and the University of Calcutta.

Career in Film and Poetry

Buddhadeb started his career as a teacher of economics. He taught at Shyamsundar College and City College, Calcutta. However, he felt that what he taught in economics did not match the real world.

In 1976, he decided to become a filmmaker. He had been going to the Calcutta Film Society since high school with his uncle. There, he watched films by famous directors like Charlie Chaplin and Akira Kurosawa. These films inspired him to tell stories through movies.

He began his film journey with a short 10-minute documentary in 1968 called The Continent of Love. His first full-length movie, Dooratwa (Distance), came out in 1978. His films are known for their poetic style. At first, he was inspired by Satyajit Ray's realistic films. Later, he developed his own unique way of filmmaking.

Filmography

Buddhadeb Dasgupta directed many films and documentaries. Here are some of them:

Feature Films

• Dooratwa (Distance) (1978)
• Neem Annapurna (Bitter Morsel) (1979)
• Grihajuddha (The Civil War) (1982)
• Andhi Gali (Blind Alley, Hindi) (1984)
• Phera (The Return) (1988)
• Bagh Bahadur (The Tiger Man) (1989)
• Tahader Katha (Their Story) (1992)
• Charachar (Shelter of the Wings) (1993)
• Lal Darja (The Red Door) (1997)
• Uttara (The Wrestlers) (2000)
• Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (A Tale of a Naughty Girl) (2002)
• Swapner Din (Chased by Dreams) (2004)
• Ami, Yasin Ar Amar Madhubala (2007)
• Kaalpurush (Memories in the Mist) (2008)
• Janala (The Window) (2009)
• Mukti (2012)
• Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa (Sniffer, Hindi) (2013)
• Tope (2017)
• Urojahaj (2018)

Documentaries and TV Work

• The Continent of Love (1968)
• Dholer Raja Khirode Natta (1973)
• Fishermen of Sundarban (1974)
• Saratchandra (1975)
• Rhythm of Steel (1981)
• Indian Science Marches Ahead (1984)
• Vigyan O Tar Avishkar (1980)
• Story of Glass (1985)
• India on the Move (1985)
• Ceramics (1986)
• Aranyak (1996)
• Contemporary Indian Sculpture (1987)
• History of Indian Jute (1990)

Awards and Recognition

Dasgupta (second from right) at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2004

Buddhadeb Dasgupta received many awards for his films and his work.

• In 2008, he was given a lifetime achievement award at the Spain International Film Festival in Madrid.
• He won the Golden Athena Award at the Athens International Film Festival in 2007.

National Film Awards (India)

He won several National Film Awards, which are very important awards in India.

• Best Film:
  • 1989: Bagh Bahadur
  • 1993: Charachar
  • 1997: Lal Darja
  • 2002: Mondo Meyer Upakhyan
  • 2008: Kaalpurush
• Best Direction:
  • 2000: Uttara
  • 2005: Swapner Din
• Best Screenplay (story writing):
  • 1987: Phera
• Best Feature Film in Bengali:
  • 1978: Dooratwa
  • 1987: Phera
  • 1993: Tahader Katha
• Best Arts/Cultural Film:
  • 1998: A Painter of Eloquent Silence: Ganesh Pyne

International Film Festival Awards

• Venice Film Festival:
  • 1982: FIPRESCI award for Grihajuddha
  • 2000: Silver Lion for Best Director for Uttara
• Berlin International Film Festival:
  • 1988: Nominated for Golden Bear for Phera
  • 1994: Nominated for Golden Bear for Charachar
• Locarno Film Festival:
  • Critic's Award for Dooratwa
  • Special Jury Award for Neem Annapurna
• Asia Pacific Film Festival:
  • Best Film for Janala
• Karlovy Vary Film Festival:
  • Special Jury Award for Neem Annapurna
• Damascus International Film Festival:
  • Golden Prize for Neem Annapurna
• Bangkok International Film Festival:
  • Best Asian Film Award (2003) for Mondo Meyer Upakhyan

Family

Buddhadeb Dasgupta's youngest daughter is Alokananda Dasgupta. She is a trained classical pianist. She composed the music for his 2013 film, Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa.

Death

Buddhadeb Dasgupta passed away on June 10, 2021, at the age of 77.