Buddhadeb Dasgupta (Born 1944)

Buddhadeb Dasgupta began his film career with documentaries. His first was a ten-minute documentary called The Continent of Love (1968) followed by several more till his did several more including King of Drums (1974) which won the Best Documentary Award. His first feature film Dooratwa (1968) was shot within 16 days. Then came Andhi Galli (1978). Neem Annapurna (Bitter Morsel) in 1979 placed him on the map of international cinema. The film received awards at the Karlovy Vary and Locarno International Film Festivals. Sheet Grishmer Smriti (Season's Memoirs) (1982), produced by Doordarshan, was based on a Dibyendu Palit story and so was Grihajuddha (1982). Phera (1986). Bagh Bahadur, Tahader Katha, Charachar, Lal Darja, Uttara, Mondo Meyer Upakhyan and Swapner Din mark the evolution of the director from literary narratives to post-modern non-narratives. Buddhadeb Dasgupta has tried to re-define the auteur in cinema. From Dooratwa to The Voyeurs, the stamp of his individuality is marked both cinematographically and through his literary source.

(Mini Biography by journalist and author Shoma A Chatterji. She has authored 16 published books of which seven are on cinema, five are on gender issues, three are short fiction and one is urban history. Shoma has won the National Award for the Best Writing on cinema twice. Her lucid narratives reflect her immense knowledge and passion for movies.)