Legendary Bengali filmmaker Tarun Majumdar passes away at 91

The director is known to have introduced actors Rakhee Gulzar, Tapas Paul, Moushumi Chatterjee and Mahua Roychowdhury to the film industry
Tarun Majumdar
Tarun Majumdar

Padma Shri Tarun Majumdar, considered as one of the last living legends from the golden era of Bengali cinema has passed away today, aged 91. He is survived by his wife, yesteryear actress Sandhya Roy. Majumdar first ventured into the industry as a part of the directorial trio Yatrik in 1959 with the film Chaowa Paowa, starring Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen. The director is known to have introduced multiple superstars of the Bengali industry through his works such as Rakhee Gulzar, Moushumi Chatterjee, Tapas Pal, Mahua Roychowdhury and Ayan Banerjee. After being a part of the directorial trio Yatrik alongside Sachin Mukherji and Dilip Mukherji up till 1963, he went on to make evergreen Bengali films, individually like Balika Vadhu starring Moushumi Chatterjee in 1967 which was later remade by him in Hindi starring Sachin Pilgaonkar and Rajni Sharma. He also made his mark with Shriman Prithviraj starring Ayan Banerjee and Mahua Roychowdhury, Dada'r Kirti starring Tapas Pal and Ganadevata featuring Soumitra Chatterjee. The four time National Award winning filmmaker had been suffering from kidney related complications for the past 22 years, and left for his heavenly abode today at SSKM Hospital, Kolkata.

Picture from Majumdar's marriage ceremony with Sandhya Roy
Picture from Majumdar's marriage ceremony with Sandhya Roy

Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji’s post on Facebook, remembering the late director reads “The last of the legendary constellation which included Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha as well and the person whose cinematic greatness cracked the rare alchemical code of box office success, film festival glory and awards acclaim regularly leaves us today. Nimontron, Shreeman Prithviraj, Shongshar Shimaante, Pawlatok, Knacher Shawrgo, Thogini, Gwanodebota, Chawa Pawa, Balike Bodhu, Dadar Kirti- the list is prolific and exemplary. Farewell to the ever-underrated Tarun Majumdar- travel well, Legend”

"We have lost a guardian. He was one of the very few filmmakers left in the industry who we could still look up to and take inspiration from. He was exemplary of uncomprising dedication towards his art. I consider myself lucky to have shown my film Aparajito to the last living legend of Bengali cinema. I believe our industry has failed to show him the acknowledgement and respect he deserved in his lifetime," shares director Anik Dutta from Oxford.

Still from Majumdar's <em>Balika Vadhu (1976) </em>starring Sachin Pilgaonkar and Rajni Sharma
Still from Majumdar's Balika Vadhu (1976) starring Sachin Pilgaonkar and Rajni Sharma

Veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, who debuted as a child actor in Majumdar's 1969 film Rahgir, expressed his grief on Facebook too.

Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal published an obituary declaring the demise of the filmmaker. She remembered Tarun Majumdar as a rare gem who explored varied shades of life through his films and gave Rabindranath Tagore's tunes a special place in his work. She further added that the demise of the National Awardee, Padma Shri filmmaker is an irreplaceable loss to the film industry.

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