Gandha (English: Smell) is a 2009 Marathi Indian film. The film is directed by Sachin Kundalkar and produced by Ranjit Gugle under the banner Flashbulbs Ventures. The film blends three independent stories where the main charachetrs of all stories go through experiences involving sense of smell. The stories are written by Kundalkar and his mother Archana Kundalkar. Sachin Kuldalkar won Best Screenplay Award for the film at Pune International Film Festival.^[1]

The film stars Girish Kulkarni and Amruta Subhash in the first story, Milind Soman and Sonali Kulkarni in the second story and Neena Kulkarni in the third story as lead actors. The film also marks debut of model-turned-actor Soman in Marathi cinema.^[2]

Plot[link]

Lagnaachya Vayachi Mulgi (English: A Bride To Be)

Veena is a young girl who works in a college and is now a bride to be. Her parents are looking for a suitable groom for her. But due to her dark complexion, she is not able to get any groom. Mangesh, a arts student from the college accidentally meets her and she starts loving the fragrance that he brings with himself. She hears a rumour from her colleague that Mangesh is alcoholic and hence is drowsy in his classes and comes with red-eyes. One day she follows him to his home and then comes to know of the truth that Mangesh works in an incense stick factory at night. This explains the fragrance he brings and his drowsy look. They both talk and fall in love and decide to get married.

Aushadh Ghenara Manus (English: A Man On Medicines)

Sarang is a HIV+ patient and lives on his medicines. His wife, Raavi, has abandoned him from one and half years just like his parents. One day Raavi comes to meet him to talk about their divorce. She is irritated by some disgusting smell that comes from the whole house. They both reminisce over the past and she has a thought of giving their marriage another chance. But the weird unknown smell keeps irritating her. Her irritation for the smell and Sarang's silence on how he turned out HIV+ turns her mad and she ransacks the whole house for the source of smell. She finally find a dead rat under the bed. Sarang then realizes that he has lost his sense to smell.

Baajoola Basleli Baai (English: A Woman Sitting Aside)

The story is based in a small village of Konkan when it has heavy rains pouring. Janaki has her menstrual cycle and as per the practice in various societies in India, she is refrained from domestic activities in home for 4 days. Her sister-in-law goes in labour. Due to heavy rains, the baby needs to be delivered in their home itself. Janaki's mother-in-law is left alone to do all the work at home without Janaki's help. Janaki is continuously taunted by her mother-in-law for not having her own child till now. Janaki is worried about her husband who is stuck in another town due to rains. All she can do is worry and smell things from her room upstairs as she is not allowed to be involved in the home nor see the new born baby.

Cast[link]

• Girish Kulkarni as Mangesh Nadkarni
• Amruta Subhash as Veena
• Milind Soman as Sarang
• Sonali Kulkarni as Raavi
• Neena Kulkarni as Janaki
• Yatin Karyekar as Janaki's husband
• Vidula Jawalgikar as Laxmi
• Seema Deshmukh as Janki's sister-in-law
• Leena Bhagwat as Chanda Tai

Awards[link]

Gandha bagged two National Film Awards at the 56th National Film Awards in the Best Screenplay and Best Audiography category. The award for Screenplay was given "for its remarkable integration of three different plots using the sense of smell at as a liet motif to focus sensitively on human relationships" and for Audiography "for its use of dramatically scripted sounds to heighten the mood of the film".^[3][4]

• National Film Award for Best Screenplay - Sachin Kundalkar
• National Film Award for Best Audiography - Pramod J. Thomas and Anmol Bhave
• Best Screenplay Award at Pune International Film Festival - Sachin Kundalkar

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gandha at the Internet Movie Database
• Gandha on YouTube
• Gandha at Marathimovieworld.com

Neena Kulkarni
Born	India
Other names	Neena Kulkarni Nini Kulkarni
Occupation	Actress Producer
Years active	1985–present

Neena Kulkarni is an Indian film actress and producer. she has appeared in many Hindi and Marathi movies.^[1]

Filmography[link]

Following table shows list of films^[2]

Television[link]

Nina Kulkarni appeared in Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai talk show in season 2.

Production[link]

She has produced following marathi film.

• 2006 - Shevri

References[link]

Sonali Kulkarni
Sonali's portrait that appears on the cover of her book So Kool
Born	(1974-11-03) 3 November 1974 (age 37) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	1990–present
Spouse	Chandrakant Kulkarni (divorced) Nachiket Pantvaidya (m.2010-present; 1 child)
Children	1 daughter (b. 18 Oct 2011)
Website
http://www.sonalikulkarni.org

Sonali Kulkarni (born 3 November 1974) is an Indian actress. She was born in Pune. She has worked in Marathi and Hindi films. She is known for her roles in Dil Chahta Hai, Singham, Taxi No 9211, and Gair.

Career[link]

Sonali Kulkarni first made her appearance on the screen in a Kannada film titled Cheluvi directed by Girish Karnad. She thereafter has appeared in many films, which includes an Italian film titled Fuoco Di Su Me for which she won an award in the 2006 Milan International Film Festival.

She has received a Special Jury Award (non-feature) in the 49th National Film Awards (2002) for her role in a short film in Marathi Chaitra.^[1]

Apart from acting, she was an editor with Viva, a supplement of Marathi daily newspaper Loksatta from June 2005 till May 2007. She used to pen a weekly column called "So Kool". The columns are published in the book So Kool by Rajahansa Prakashan.^[2] Actor Nana Patekar on the release of this book said, "Whenever I read her articles, I feel she is talking to me. There is so much of simplicity in her writing."

Kulkarni showed her dancing skills in the second season of the popular celebrity-dance competition show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on Sony TV.

She has also worked with Doordarshan channel and did some films like 'Gulabari' in 1994 in Hindi which telecast in 1995 and 'Kata Rute Kunala' in 1996 in Marathi for which she has also got RAPA Award-Best television performance of the year.

She was also seen in one story (Kya Yahi Pyaar Hai-Directed by Tanuja Chaturvedi) of Star Bestsellers TV Series telecast in 1999-2000 on Star Plus.

Personal life[link]

Sonali was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family at Pune, Maharashtra. Her father is an engineer and she has two brothers: Sandeep and Sandesh. She completed her schooling from Abhinava Vidyalaya and did her graduation from Ferguson College, where she majored in Political Science and got a scholarship in Marathi literature. For her interest in acting she attended a workshop by Satyadev Dubey after which she and Sandesh formed a theater group called Samanvay. Sandesh is now a film director.

Sonali with her husband Nachiket Pantvaidya at a Star Parivaar Awards event

Sonali's first brief marriage with Chandrakant Kulkarni, film director and writer, ended in a divorce. Since May 24, 2010 she is married to Nachiket Pantvaidya.^[3][4] Pantvaidya is MD of Fox TV Studios and this is also his second marriage. Together they have one daughter born on October 18, 2011.^[5]

Awards[link]

Won[link]

• 1996: RAPA Awards, "Best television performance of the year", "Kata Rute Kunala (Marathi)"
• 1996: Filmfare Awards(Marathi), "Best Actress", Doghi
• 2002: National Film Award - Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Non-Feature Film), Chaitra
• 2004: Star Screen Awards(Marathi), "Best Actress", Devrai
• 2005: Milan International Film Festival, "Best Actress", Fuoco Di Su Me (Fire At My Heart)^[6]

Nominated[link]

• 2001: Filmfare Awards, Best Supporting Actress, Mission Kashmir
• 2001: Screen Weekly Awards Best Supporting Actress, Mission Kashmir

Filmography[link]

Reality TV shows[link]

• Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colours TV
• Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on Sony TV

References[link]

1. ^ "49TH NATIONAL FILM AWARD". Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. 26 July 2002. http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/lyr2002/rjul2002/26072002/r2607200224d.html. Retrieved 1 Dec 2011. 
2. ^ "So Kul - the book". Sonalikulkarni.org (Official website). http://www.sonalikulkarni.org/latest.htm. Retrieved 1 Dec 2011. 
3. ^ "Sonali Kulkarni Marries Second Time". Times of India. 25 May 2010. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-25/news-interviews/28300308_1_sonali-kulkarni-love-marriage-wedding/. Retrieved 1 Dec 2011. 
4. ^ "Sonali Kulkarni ties knot with Fox TV Studios MD-Nachiket Pantvaidya". Bollywoodhungama.com. 25 May 2010. http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2010/05/25/14165/index.html. Retrieved 1 Dec 2011. 
5. ^ "Sonali Kulkarni gives birth to a Baby Girl". Bollywoodhungama.com. 22 Oct 2011. http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2011/10/22/16532/index.html. Retrieved 1 Dec 2011. 
6. ^ "Sonali Kulkarni gets best actress award for "Fuoco Di Su Me"". Indiaglitz.com. 11 Apr 2006. http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/21722.html. Retrieved 1 Dec 2011. 

External links[link]

• Sonali Kulkarni at the Internet Movie Database

Uttam Kumar (3 September 1926 – 24 July 1980) is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.^[1] Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak (The great hero). He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime. A versatile actor, director, producer, singer and music director, his multifaceted talent earned him much acclaim and adulation.^[2]

Early life and family[link]

Uttam Kumar was born in Kolkata in the home of his maternal uncle at Ahiritola, while his ancestral house is on Girish Mukherjee Road, Bhowanipore, Kolkata. After his schooling in South Suburban School (Main), he went for higher studies in Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration, a college affiliated to the University of Calcutta. He could not, however, complete his studies and started working at the Kolkata Port as a clerk. During this period, he acted in amateur theatre groups. His prodigious joint family had its own theatre group, the Suhrid Samaj, which staged many amateur shows.

Uttam Kumar was the eldest of three sons (Arun, Barun and Tarun) of Satkari Chatterjee and Chapala Debi. The youngest, whose screen name was Tarun Kumar, acted in several Bengali films and grew to become an actor of considerable repute, in screen and on stage. There are several films in which Uttam Kumar and Tarun Kumar starred together like Saptapadi, Sonar Harin, Maya Mriga, Sesh Anka, Deya Neya, Jeeban-Mrityu, Dhanyi Meye,"Mon Niye" Sanyasi Raja, and Agniswar. Uttam Kumar married Gauri Debi [Chatterjee]. Their only son, Gautam, a businessman, died of cancer at the age of 53. His grandson, Gaurav is a Tollywood actor. Pulak Bandyopadhyay, a famous lyricist, was his uncle.Uttam kumar is generally perceived in Bengal as "Mahanayak' means the great actor.

Career[link]

Debut and breakthrough[link]

Uttam's first release was Drishtidan (The gift of sight) directed by Nitin Bose, though he worked in an earlier unreleased film called Mayador (Embrace of affection). He came into prominence in the film Basu Paribar and his breakthrough film was Agni Pariksha that began the roaring success of the all-time romantic pair of Uttam Kumar - Suchitra Sen; though they had first starred in Sharey Chuattor (74 and a half anna). Altogether, this pair starred in about 30 films between 1954 and 1974-75.

Coming in the wake of the Indian Partition of 1947, and unprecedented mass migration from the then East Pakistan to Kolkata (then known as Calcutta), the Uttam-Suchitra pair gave expression to the yearnings of a new, transformed city. They played out on screen the new desires of a young audience trying to come to terms with industrial modernity and a new form of urban existence. The stylized, black-and-white romanticism of landmark Uttam-Suchitra films of the 1950s like "Agni Pariksha", "Shapmochan",Sagarika (1956), Shilpi (1956), or Harano Sur, Indrani, Sabar Uparey, Surjyo Toron reflected a novel, youthful urban desire to break free from the confines of the feudal joint family and set up a nucleated, private space for the couple in love. In contrast to the earlier phase of Bengali cinema mostly dominated by the dramatised style of the New Theaters' films (in the 1940s), the Uttam-Suchitra films were marked by a more naturalistic acting style, a bit dramatic-stylized, soft-focus black-and-white cinematography with chiaroscuro effects, and a more popular and modern form of music that broke away more decisively from earlier dependence on classical types . These features were put in place by a new generation of cinematographers like Dinen Gupta and Ajoy Kar, a fresh batch of directors (Kar himself,Sudhir Mukherjee, Naresh Mitra, Sushil Majumdar, the combines of Jatrik and Agradoot) and musicians like Nachiketa Ghosh, Rabin Chattopadhyay, Anupam Ghatak, Hemanta Mukherjee Anil Bagchi, Sudhin Dasgupta and Salil Chowdhury, along with lyricists like Gauriprasanna Majumdar, Pranab Roy, Pulak Bandopadhyay. A number of them hailed from the left wing Indian People's Theater Association (IPTA) movement.

Uttam Kumar was especially adored for his effortless naturalism in front of the camera and a distinctively urbane charisma that broke free from the prototypical Bengali screen hero of the past. He went on to form successful screen pairs with many leading ladies like Supriya Choudhuri, Sabitri Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, Sharmila Tagore, Anjana Bhaumick, Aparna Sen and Sumitra Mukherjee; apart from Sandhyarani in the 50s, Arundhati Debi and Mala Sinha in the 60s and Kaberi Bose and Tanuja in the 60s and 70s. Often hailed as the one-man industry, he dominated Bengali cinema for three decades until his death. This near-total reign was somewhat slightly disturbed during the politically turbulent era of the late sixties up to the emergency, when Uttam Kumar's regular, politically passive or relatively conservative romantic film persona sometimes found it difficult to fit into the narratives of unrest that came to the fore.

Never quite satisfied with his undisputed matinée idol status, Uttam Kumar started experimenting with character roles early in his career, as evidenced by films like Khokababur Pratyabartan, (1960), Mayamriga, (1960) or Thana Theke Aschi (1965) and Bicharak. In Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959), he essayed a mentally disturbed character. In Kuhak he was a murderous thief, while in Sesh Anka, he was a suave businessman who had murdered his wife and was romantically engaged to the daughter of a social elite and rich nobleman. In Aparichita (1969) he also played the role of a villain. Such departures were unusual in relation to set formats of stardom in Indian popular cinematic cultures, where deviating from established 'star images' were often considered to be risky. However, this brought Uttam Kumar early recognition as a genuine actor of substance apart from a box office superstar and stood him in good stead later, especially in his collaborations with Satyajit Ray in Nayak (1966) and Chiriyakhana. A perfectionist, Uttam Kumar performed on stage for a full year, opposite Sabitri Chatterjee in Star Theatre in the play "Shyamali" [On screen, he played opposite Kaberi Bose]to hone up his skill as an actor.

Stardom and legacy[link]

Apart from Bengali, Uttam Kumar also acted in some Hindi films such as Chhoti Si Mulaqat (along with Vyjayanthimala), Amanush,Anand Ashram, Dooriyaan (with Sharmila Tagore), and Kitaabwith Vidya Sinha. But his towering contribution was to Bengali cinema and the Bengali film industry on the whole.

Perhaps his most lauded appearances was in Satyajit Ray's Nayak (The Hero). It is now widely accepted that Ray wrote the script with Uttam in mind. Many people feel the film bears resemblance to Uttam Kumar's own life — the sense of anxiety and restlessness mirrored Uttam's insecurities about his phenomenal success and abiding fear that his superstardom might not last. Uttam made the role of Arindam (Mukherjee) his own and Ray later confessed that if Uttam had refused the film, he would have abandoned it. He worked with Ray the following year in Chiriyakhana (1967).^[3]

When the Indian government instituted the National Film Awards for National Film Award for Best Actor and National Film Award for Best Actress in 1967, Uttam Kumar was the first-ever recipient of the Best Actor Award for his performances in Anthony Firangee and Chiriyakhana in 1967.

He explored new avenues of film-making by trying his hand at production, singing, composing music, screenplay writing and directing. The success of his Bengali films as producer — Harano Sur, Saptapadi, Bhrantibilash, Jotugriha (1964), Grihadah — won great acclaim.^[4] Later, Uttam directed much-lauded films such as Sudhu Ekti Bochhor and Bon Palashir Padaboli. He composed music for the film Kaal Tumi Aleya in which Hemanta Mukherjee and Asha Bhonsle sang to his tune.

He came out with an autobiography Amaar Ami in 1979-80. He had a phenomenal fan base which continues even to this day.^[5] Reruns of his films on television decades after his death are still eagerly watched. Uttam Kumar’s time is considered by most as the golden era of Bengali cinema.

Filmography[link]

Late journalist Rintu Mukherjee, in his Khanojonma Uttam, explained the incredible bankability of this star. From 1947 to 1980, both in Bengali and Hindi, Uttam Kumar acted in 202 films. Among them 39 were blockbusters, 57 were superhits, 57 made profits above the average and the rest flopped.

Awards[link]

• B.F.J.A Best Actor Award for Hrod (1955)
• Recognition from the Government of India for Harano Sur (1957)
• B.F.J.A Best Actor award for Saptapadi (1961). Uttam Kumar received the award from the legendary film-maker Debaki Bose.
• B.F.J.A Best Actor award for Nayak (1966). Attended the Berlin Film Festival as a distinguished guest.
• The very first recipient of the National Film Awards in the Best Actor category for both Chiriyakhana and Antony Firingee (1967).
• B.F.J.A Best Actor award for Grihadha (1967).
• B.F.J.A Best Actor award for Ekhane Pinjar (1971).
• Best Actor award from 'Prosad' magazine for Stri (1973). He received the award from Kanan Devi.
• B.F.J.A Best Actor award for Amanush (1974).
• Best Actor Filmfare Award Nomination for Amanush (1975).
• He received the Best Actor award for the same film from the Government of West Bengal on January 26, 1975. The price was worth 5000 rupees.
• B.F.J.A Best Actor award for Bahnisikha (1976).
• Best Actor award both from the Prosad magazine and Sanonskritik Sanbadik Sanostha for Anand Ashram (1977).

Uttam-Suchitra[link]

The on-screen chemistry between Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen has always been much adored and admired.They looked like really beautiful couples. Some of Uttam's famous films co-starring Suchitra Sen include "Share Chuattor", "Agni Pariksha", "Shilpi", Saptapadi (Seven Steps),^[6][7] Pathe Holo Deri (Delay on the road), Harano Sur (Lost Music), Chaowa Paowa (Wish and Achievement), Bipasha, Jiban Trishna (Thirst for Life), Sagarika, Trijama, Indrani, Sabar Upare, Surjyo Toron, Rajlakshmi O Sreekanto, "Ekti Raat", "Grihadaha" [also starring Sabitri Chatterjee], Kamallata, Har Mana Har, Alo Amar Alo.^[8][9]

Uttam-Supriya[link]

Shonar Harin (1959) saw Supriya Devi (who would win great accolades for her performance in Ritwik Ghatak's Meghe Dhaka Tara the following year) play the lead opposite Uttam Kumar. As they began to act in more films together, the two got involved off-screen as well. In 1963, Uttam left his family home in Girish Park and stayed with Supriya for the next 17 years till his death. They starred together in several other films like Uttarayan, Chirodiner, Agni Sanskar", "Suno Baranari", "Kal Tumi Aleya", "Lal Pathor", "Andha Ateet", "Sudhu Ekti Bochhor", "Mon Niye", "Bilambita Loy", "Bhola Maira", "Sanyasi Raja, "Bon Palashir Padabali" etc.^[10]

Death[link]

A workaholic, he was rumored to have said that his preferred demise would be on the floor of a studio, doing what he loved best: acting. While filming Ogo Bodhu Shundori in 1980, he suffered a heart attack. Uttam Kumar was admitted to the Belleveue Clinic. The doctors did their best for 16 hours but he died that night on July 24, 1980 at the age of 53. As his hearse wound its way across Bhowanipur and finally to the Keoratala Burning Ghat, traffic in Kolkata came to a halt as thousands flocked the streets to pay their respects and have a last glimpse of the legend.^[11][12]

Quotes[link]

• "I prefer following my own ways of acting, like the ways we talk, get angry,that kind of natural spontaneous acting. More of portraying a character."
• "Sometimes I got scared. So much of accolade... Would they last for long? And that is why I was not ready to get carried away in the waves of admiration. I desire for more work."
• "I never fear work. Rather I derive pleasure out of work."
• "Films, Shilpi Sansad, then there was the world of my own, my privacy: I was confused. As if my every moment has been sold..."
• "Whenever I set to work, one after the other, death news hit me. Again I eased myself by realizing that death is the only truth."

Tributes and appreciations[link]

There is a theatre (Uttam Mancha) named after him in Kolkata. A life-size statue has been erected near Tollygunj metro station which has recently been renamed after the iconic actor by the Central Railway Ministry.^[13] Besides, Shilpi Sansad, the actor's pet project of safegurading the artistes especially the poor and the old, is active still. Celebrating the 83rd birth anniversary of Uttam Kumar, the Department of Posts in 2009, released a series of new postal stamps featuring the actor on them.The Department of Posts also released a brochure on the Uttam Kumar Stamp release with a note that says 'Uttam Kumar – The Legend of Indian Cinema'.^[14]

Distinguished names paying homage to Uttam[link]

• Satyajit Ray

"It is the demise of a leading light of the Bengali film industry...There isn't - there won't be another hero like him."

• Tapan Sinha

"I personally felt that the acting of Uttam Kumar could be compared to the best actor of any country. His great attribute is his diligence...Many are born with talent, but the talent gets eclipsed due to the lack of diligence. Uttam Kumar has both of them. Perhaps, that is the reason why he still sparkles."

• Suchitra Sen

"Uttam is my friend. In a word, he is a great,great artist. But still sometimes i feel as if he is not properly exploited."

• Vyjayanthimala

"Uttam Kumar was the most gifted actor I ever worked with. His first Hindi film, Chhoti Si Mulaqat, was opposite me in 1967...Uttam Kumar was thoroughly professional, cooperative and lip-synced perfectly, especially on "Aye Chand" and "Tujhe Dekha". He lip-synched songs rendered by Hemant Kumar, Manna Dey and Mohammed Rafi as if he was singing them. I was criticised for Chhoti Si Mulaqat but Uttam Kumar never criticised me"^[15]

• Shakti Samanta

"Uttam was a great human being...it can easily be underscored -- actor of his class is a rare kind"

• Madhabi Mukherjee

"...slowly Uttam Kumar got popular. And a fairy tale was born. I was never bothered to know the individual self of the romantic hero of this fairy tale. I would never want to. What if the dream gets shattered! Let the beautiful spell be alive! Long live Uttam Kumar -- The evergreen romantic hero."

• Kanan Devi

"It feels good to see all praising one. Uttam is one such person...He never had any pose or pretension...God gave him everything but a friend."

• Samaresh Basu

"Uttam Kumar, the numero uno hero of Bengal, the most loving."

• Bimal Mitra

"Sri Uttam Kumar is not merely the actor, I regard him as the creator of character. May be as the creator of character, he has achieved such stupendous popularity."

• Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay

"He is the hero and life of many of my fictions."

• Ashapoorna Devi

"Uttam! An extraordinary artist! The artistic self of Uttam Kumar never dies down! Oh God give him Uttam health, Uttam strength, Uttam longevity" (in Sanskrit and in Bengali, 'Uttam' means 'Good')

• Mithun Chakraborty

"Uttam Kumar is my guru. From my childhood, I am a diehard Uttam fan"

• Soumitra Chatterjee

"Many think that I have always been a sharp critic of Uttam Kumar's acting. This is not true. I have rarely seen actor of his stature. I have been fan of his acting, his admirer."

• Rajesh Khanna

"I have seen so many dhuti, kurta-clad Bengalis both on screen and in reality. But Uttam Kumar as the Bengali babu is unique. What I believe is that there is no one who can ever represent the Bengali community like Uttamda did."

• Shatrughan Sinha

"Usually, what we find is that the good-looking guys lack substance, or the reverse. But Uttam Kumar had the both...I have always respected that man...when I was at Pune Film Institute, we used to argue on Dilip Kumar-Uttam Kumar-Raj Kapoor."

• Shashi Kapoor

"My first real meet with Uttam Kumar was in Calcutta and the occasion was the release of Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai. Hemen Ganguly happened to be the distributor of that film. He used to be the 'common friend' of elder brother (Raj Kapoor) and Uttam Kumar. It was my pleasure to see the two greats together. I was awestruck by the royal gaits of the both...I like Uttam Kumar like any common Bengali."

• Hindustan Standard (on Uttam Kumar's directorial debut)

"In Uttam Kumar, we have found a director who shows his brilliance on diverse levels."

Respects[link]

The Tollygunge metro station of Kolkata Metro was renamed as "Mahanayak Uttam Kumar" and decorated the station by movie pictures of Uttam Kumar by Indian Railways.

Kolkata Film Festival 2011 has a special screening of the Mahanayak's "Nayak" and a documentary on him.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Uttam Kumar at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography, filmography at Calcuttaweb

Aparna Sen অপর্ণা সেন
Aparna Sen in 2010
Born	Aparna (1945-10-25) 25 October 1945 (age 66) Calcutta, India
Occupation	actor, film director, screenwriter
Awards	Cinemanila Film Festival - Best Film 1982 36 Chowringhee Lane Cinemanila Film Festival - Best Screenplay 2003 Mr. and Mrs. Iyer Mumbai International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize 2000 Paromitar Ek Din Karlovy Vary Film Festival - Ecumenical Jury Award 2000 Paromitar Ek Din Hawaii Film Festival - Best Feature Film 2002 Mr. and Mrs. Iyer Locarno Film Festival - Netpac Award 2003 Mr. and Mrs. Iyer Locarno Film Festival - Youth Jury Award 2003 Mr. and Mrs. Iyer Philadelphia Film Festival - Best Feature 2003 Mr. and Mrs. Iyer

Aparna Sen (née Dasgupta) (Bengali: অপর্ণা সেন Ôporna Shen; born 25 October 1945) is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.

Biography[link]

Aparna Sen was born in Calcutta to a Bengali family, originally from East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Her father is the veteran critic and film-maker Chidananda Dasgupta. Her mother Supriya Dasgupta is the cousin of renowned Bengali poet Jibanananda Das. She spent her childhood in Hazaribagh and Kolkata and had her schooling initially in South Point and later mostly in Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata.

She studied her B.A. English honors in Presidency College..

She met the Magnum photographer, Brian Brake, in Kolkata in 1961 when he was visiting India to photograph his Monsoon series. Brake used Sen as the model for what was to become one of his most well known photographs — a shot of a girl holding her face to the first drops of monsoon rain. The photo shoot was set up on a Kolkata rooftop with a ladder and a watering can. Sen described the shoot:

He took me up to the terrace, had me wear a red sari in the way a village girl does, and asked me to wear a green stud in my nose. To be helpful, I said let me wear a red one to match, and he said no — he was so decisive, rather brusque — I think a green one. It was stuck to my nose with glue, because my nose wasn't pierced. Someone had a large watering can, and they poured water over me. It was really a very simple affair. It took maybe half an hour.^[1]

Acting career[link]

Sen made her film debut at the age of 16, when she played the role of Mrinmoyee in the Samapti portion of the 1961 film Teen Kanya (Three Daughters) directed by Satyajit Ray (who was a long time friend of her father's). She then studied at Kolkata's Presidency College.

Later in life she would work with Satyajit Ray in several of his films, including the short Pikoo (1981) where she played the role of an adulterous wife and mother.

In 1965, Sen resumed her film career in Mrinal Sen's Akash Kusum which was later remade into a Hindi film Manzil starring Amitabh Bachchan and Moushumi Chatterjee.Later she also brought out the different nuances of a widow in Mrinal Sen's Mahaprithibi'. From then until the end of the 1970s, she worked steadily in the Bengali film industry, as leading heroine of the time. She acted in a number of Hindi films as well during this time including Imaan Dharam (1977) with Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha. Aparna Sen was equally successful in the mainstream Bengali films.Her chemistry both with Soumitra Chatterjee in films such as Basanta Bilap, Baksa Badal, Chutir Fande were loved as much as her films with Uttam Kumar in Joy Jayanti, Alor Thikana etc.

In 1969, Sen appeared in The Guru, an English-language feature by Merchant Ivory Productions. She would make two more films with Merchant-Ivory, Bombay Talkie (1970), and Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures (1978).

In 2009, Sen appeared with Sharmila Tagore and Rahul Bose in Annirudh Roy-Chowdhary's Bengali film Antaheen. The film went on to win four National Film Awards.^[2]

Aparna as director[link]

In 1981, Sen made her debut as a film director with 36 Chowringhee Lane. She also wrote its screenplay. The film, about an aged Anglo-Indian teacher living in Calcutta, won positive reviews from critics. For her debut feature, Sen won the Best Director award at the Indian National Film Awards. 36 Chowringhee Lane also won the Grand Prix (the Golden Eagle) at the Manila International Film Festival.

She followed up this early success with several other films, notably Paroma (1984), Sati (1989) and Yugant (1995). These examined the feminine condition in modern-day India from different perspectives. She also starred in Unishe April (1994), the film by Bengali cinema's Rituparno Ghosh.

Sen's next directorial effort Paromitar Ek Din (2000) was a critical hit and recalled the success of her first film. The film explored the relationship between a divorced woman (Rituparna Sengupta) and her mother-in-law, played by Aparna herself. It won a number of awards on the international festival circuit.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), was a love story set against the harsh backdrop of Hindu-Muslim sectarian violence in India. The film won a National Film Award for Sen's direction, and an acting award for Konkona Sen Sharma, the director's daughter. The film won more awards at the Locarno, Hawaii and Manila film festivals.

15, Park Avenue (2005) starred her daughter and the actors Shabana Azmi, Dhritiman Chaterji, Waheeda Rehman, Rahul Bose and Soumitra Chatterjee. The film deals with a girl (Konkona Sen Sharma) who is a schizophrenic and her relations with her elder stepsister, played by Shabana Azmi.

Her next film named The Japanese Wife (2010), stars Raima Sen, Rahul Bose and Chigusa Takaku. This film focuses on two women and is based on a short story by West Bengal author Kunal Basu.

Aparna has made selective films and in the last three decades of her career, she has made only nine films.

In 2009, Sen announced her next Bengali film Iti Mrinalini, which stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Aparna Sen, Rajat Kapoor, Koushik Sen, and Priyanshu Chatterjee. Sen's last Bengali film was Paromitar Ek Din (2000). First-time screenwriter Ranjan Ghosh has co-authored Iti Mrinalini. This was the first time that Aparna Sen collaborated with any film writer or became attached to the curriculum of a film institute. The screenplay of Iti Mrinalini was an assignment in the Screenwriting syllabus at the Mumbai-based film school Whistling Woods International.^[3] It was also a major first in Indian screenwriting whence any screenplay from any Indian film institute was actually filmed.^[4] The film is released on July 29, 2011.

Personal life[link]

Sen has been married thrice. Her first marriage, to Sanjay Sen, was when she was quite young. Her second husband was the science writer and journalist, Mukul Sharma. They later divorced amicably. Sen is presently married to Kalyan Ray, an author and professor of English who teaches at County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey, in the United States. She has two daughters, Kamalini and Konkona—who is also an actress—and two grandchildren.

Other achievements[link]

In 2008, Sen was elected into the International Jury of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The highly credentialed Jury, headed by a president of international distinction, determine winners from all nominations in each award category.

From 1986 to 2005, Sen was editor of the fortnightly Sananda, a Bengali women's magazine (published by the Ananda Bazar Patrika group) that enjoys equal popularity in West Bengal and Bangladesh. From November 2005 to December 2006, she was associated with the Bengali 24x7 infotainment channel Kolkata TV as Creative Director.

In 1986, the then-President of India bestowed the Padma Shri to Sen in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema. Since then, she has received several lifetime achievement awards, and served on juries at film festivals around the world.

Filmography[link]

Actress[link]

Writer/director[link]

Further reading[link]

• Parama and other outsiders: the cinema of Aparna Sen, by Shoma A. Chatterji. Parumita Publications, 2002. ISBN 81-87867-03-5.
• Aparna Sen calls the shots (Women in Indian film), by Rajashri Dasgupta. Zubaan, 2009.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Aparna Sen at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with Aparna Sen
• Profile at calcuttaweb.com
• MyBindi.com interview
• Rediff interview, 2002
• Rediff profile, 1999
• Rediff interview, 1998