National Award-winning filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta, the poet on celluloid, is no more

Known for lyrical films, Dasgupta's films won over a dozen National Awards apart from several accolades globally
Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Buddhadeb Dasgupta

Maverick filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta known as a poet on screen, passed away peacefully in his sleep today early morning. He was not keeping well since yesterday according to his close ones.

Known for surrealism, Dasgupta, the last of the maverick Bengali filmmakers, was known for his poetic work on screen. His last film, Urojahaj that was screened in the theatres in 2019, had actor Chandan Roy Sanyal in the lead. His last Hindi film, Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Ananya Chatterjee and Pankaj Tripathi was made in 2013 but got released as late as last year November on OTT platform Eros Now. 

Dasgupta's films won over a dozen National Awards with him winning best director trophy for Uttara (2000) and Swapner Din (2005). His films Bagh Bahadur (1989), Charachar (1993), Lal Darja (1997). Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (2002) and Kaalpurush (2008) won National Awards for best film.

His debut feature film Dooratwa (1978), Phera (1987) and Tahader Kotha (1993) won National Award for the Best Feature film in Bengali.

<em>Buddhadeb Dasgupta with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi during the shoot of Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa</em>
Buddhadeb Dasgupta with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi during the shoot of Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa

Third of nine siblings, Dasgupta, who was born in Purulia, started to go to school when he was 12 and graduated from Scottish Church College in Economics. He started his career as a lecturer of economics but soon was disenchanted. Having been exposed to the works of Charlie Chaplin, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rosselini and Michaelangelo Antonioni as a member of Calcutta Film Society, Buddhadeb got inspired to make films. His debut feature film was Dooratwa (1978) which he made a decade after making his first 10-minute documentary The Continent of Love in 1968.

Softspoken and humble, he was loved and respected by his colleagues and juniors alike in the film industry.

Dasgupta was suffering from kidney ailments for a long time and was under dialysis for several years. In fact, his dialysis was scheduled for today morning too.

He is survived by his wife and filmmaker Sohini Dasgupta, who was there beside him till his last breath. He has two daughters from his previous marriage, both of whom are in Mumbai currently. His youngest daughter Alokanandan Dasgupta is a well-known music composer in Bollywood.

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