Mohit Chattopadhyay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mohit Chattopadhyay
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| Native name |
মোহিত চট্টোপাধ্যায়
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| Born | 1 June 1934 Barisal, now in Bangladesh |
| Died | 12 April 2012 (aged 77) Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Occupation | Playwright, screenwriter, dramatist and poet |
| Language | Bengali |
| Education | Masters in Bengali literature |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta |
Mohit Chattopadhyay (born June 1, 1934 – died April 12, 2012) was a famous writer from India. He wrote many plays, movie scripts, and poems in the Bengali language. He was a very important person in modern Indian theater. Mohit Chattopadhyay passed away in 2012 after battling an illness.
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Mohit Chattopadhyay's Early Life
Mohit Chattopadhyay was born in a town called Barisal, which is now part of Bangladesh. When he was thirteen, his family moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. He loved reading from a young age and started writing when he was still a boy.
In Kolkata, he often visited the Chaitanya Library. There, he found a play called Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello. This was his first experience with an "absurd play," which is a type of play that doesn't always make logical sense.
He finished high school in 1950 and went to City College, Kolkata. At college, he met other young people who also loved culture and art. Many of them became famous poets, writers, and artists later on. He became good friends with people like Sunil Gangopadhyay, Soumitra Chatterjee, and Shakti Chattopadhyay. He later earned a master's degree in Bengali literature from the University of Calcutta. He also worked as a teacher at Jangipur College and later at City College.
Mohit Chattopadhyay's Writing Career
Mohit Chattopadhyay first started his writing journey as a poet. He enjoyed writing poetry that didn't rhyme, which was called prose poetry. His poems were published in magazines and later in books.
After a while, he stopped writing poems and focused completely on writing plays. He didn't write plays that were super realistic. Instead, his plays were often deep and sometimes about political ideas. Even though he didn't like to be called an "Absurdist playwright," many people saw his plays as part of Indian Absurd Drama. This is because his plays sometimes had a mysterious feel, making critics wonder, "What is it?"
Plays and Their Impact
Mohit Chattopadhyay wrote over one hundred plays. Many of his plays have been translated into different languages. Theater groups all over India have performed them regularly. Besides full-length plays, he also wrote shorter plays, plays in verse, and even very short plays. He also changed and translated plays from other languages into Bengali.
One of his most famous plays is Raajrakto (which means Guinea Pig). This play is considered a very important work in Bengali political drama. It was first performed in Kolkata by a group called Theatre Workshop. Later, Raajrakto was translated into many languages. Famous actors like Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Amrish Puri performed in its Hindi versions. Amol Palekar acted in the Marathi version. The Indian Government even banned one production of the play for political reasons.
Working in Film and Television
In 1973, Mohit Chattopadhyay began working on movie scripts. He worked closely with the famous director Mrinal Sen on the film Chorus. He also wrote the songs for this movie.
Over the years, he wrote scripts for four more films directed by Mrinal Sen:
- Mrigaya (1976)
- Poroshuraam (1980)
- Oka Uri Katha (1977)
- Genesis (1986)
All these movies won many awards at film festivals in India and around the world. In 1997, he wrote the script and songs for the children's film Damu. This film won a National Award for being the best children's film.
Directing a Children's Film
In 1980, Mohit Chattopadhyay directed his first and only movie, Megher Khela (The Play of The Clouds). It was a film for children, and he wrote both the story and the script. The movie was praised by critics and shown at many film festivals. It even received an honorable mention at the Bucharest Children's Film Festival. Austrian National Television bought the rights to the film and showed it on their channel.
Writing for Television
Later, Mohit Chattopadhyay started writing scripts for TV shows. Many of his early TV scripts were directed by Raja Sen. Shows like Subarnolata, Arogyonikatan, and Adorsho Hindu Hotel became very popular and well-loved on Kolkata's Doordarshan channel. He continued to write scripts for television, working with different directors.
Other Contributions
Mohit Chattopadhyay also wrote many essays and articles about theater, making films, and writing scripts. He wrote some thought-provoking essays about how literature and drama are connected. He also took part in many discussions and workshops about literature and performing arts. He was also an Executive Member of the Paschimbanga Natya Academy.
Awards and Recognition
Mohit Chattopadhyay received many awards for his work. In 1991, he was given the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, which is a very high honor in India for performing arts. He also received the Girish Award, the West Bengal State Award, and the BFJA Award. He was also honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna, a special award given to celebrate the 150th birthday of the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Selected Works
Mohit Chattopadhyay created a large body of work across different forms. Here are some examples of his plays, films, and poetry:
Plays
He wrote over a hundred plays, exploring various themes and styles. Some of his notable plays include:
- Kantha Nalite Surjo (1963)
- Neel Ranger Ghora (1964)
- MrityuSambad (1969)
- RaajRakto/ Guniepig (1974)
- Mahakalir Baachha (1977)
- Galileo-r Jwibon (1981)
- Socrates (1989)
- Octopus Limited (1997)
- Jambo (2001)
- Mr. Right (2003)
Verse Plays
He also wrote plays in verse, which means they were written like poems. Some of these include:
- Wrikbaidik (1986)
- Podoshbdo
- Maharaaj
Films
Mohit Chattopadhyay contributed to several films, often as a screenwriter or lyricist:
- Megher Khelaa (1980) - He directed and wrote the screenplay for this children's film.
- Chorus (1974) - He co-wrote the script and lyrics.
- Mrigaya (1976) - Co-scripted with Mrinal Sen.
- Damu (1997) - He wrote the screenplay and lyrics for this award-winning children's film.
Television Series
He wrote scripts for many popular television series:
- Subranalata (1987)
- Adarsha Hindu Hotel (1989)
- Arogya Niketan (1993)
Poetry Collections
His early career included publishing several collections of poetry:
- Ashare Srabon (1956)
- Golaaper Birudhe Joodhyo (1961)
- Shobadhare Jyotsna (1965)
