Tapan Sinha

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For the Indian Navy vice admiral, see Tapan Sinha (admiral).

Tapan Sinha
Sinha on a 2013 stamp of India
Born(1924-10-02)2 October 1924
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
(present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Died15 January 2009(2009-01-15) (aged 84)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Alma materUniversity of Patna (B.Sc.)

Rajabazar Science College (M.Sc.)

University of Calcutta
Years active1946–2001
SpouseArundhati Devi
ChildrenAnindya Sinha
AwardsDadasaheb Phalke Award (2006)
Signature
Tapan Singa signature

Tapan Sinha (2 October 1924 – 15 January 2009)[1] was one of the most prominent Indian film directors of his time forming a legendary quartet with Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. He was primarily a Bengali filmmaker who worked both in Hindi cinema and Bengali cinema, directing films like Kabuliwala (1957), Louha-Kapat, Sagina Mahato (1970), Apanjan (1968), Kshudhita Pashan and children's film Safed Haathi (1978) and Aaj Ka Robinhood. Sinha started his career in 1946, as a sound engineer with New Theatres film production house in Kolkata, then in 1950 left for England where he worked at Pinewood Studios for next two years,[2] before returning home to start his six decade long career in Indian cinema, making films in Bengali, Hindi and Oriya languages, straddling genres from social realism, family drama, labor rights, to children's fantasy films. He was one of the acclaimed filmmakers of Parallel Cinema movement of India.[3][4][5]

Personal life and background[edit]

Sinha was born in Kolkata, West Bengal. His empathy for films began from his student life. He was admitted in the Durgacharan M. E. School of Bhagalpur in the fifth standard. Later it went on to become a secondary school. His Principal was Surendranath Gangopadhyay who happened to be Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's maternal uncle.[6] He studied physics at the University of Patna and later earned an M.Sc at the Rajabazar Science College, University of Calcutta.[7]

He married Indian actress Arundhati Devi. Their son is Indian scientist professor, Anindya Sinha.

On 15 January 2009, he died of pneumonia and septicaemia.[8]

Career[edit]

Charles Dickens's novel, A Tale of Two Cities and the cinematic adaptation featuring Ronald Colman inspired Sinha to get involved in film-making. Tapan Sinha went to London in the 1950s to learn film-making. On reaching London, he contacted CryHearsth, Manager of Pinewood Studios. Through his help, he managed to obtain his first assignment. He got to work in director Charles Crichton's unit as a sound engineer. Cryton, who made some British comedies like The Lavender Hill Mob etc. was then working for a film called The Hunted. Sinha started as a sound recording engineer and gradually shifted to directing.

Tapan Sinha was greatly influenced by contemporary American and British Cinema, in his youth. Among his favourite directors were John Ford, Carol Reed, and Billy Wilder. He used to think that he had to make films on the lines of his favourites. Rabindranath Tagore's work had been a great source of inspiration to him as well. Different Tagore works had special significance to him in various moments of his life.[9]

Sinha's first film, Ankush, is based on the Narayan Ganguly's story Sainik, which had an elephant as the central character.[10] Sinha's Ek Je Chilo Desh is a fantasy film, based on a story by Shankar. He made a few documentaries, including a biographical film on scientist Jagadish Bose. He also used Rabindrasangeet in other films. Sinha's Sagina Mahato might be categorized as a political film, although it was reactionary in nature and was a direct attack on left-wing politics. It tried to disrepute organized struggle by championing the individual heroism of a worker. The Hindi version of the film, named "Sagina", also stars Dilp Kumar as the central character. The film was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival.[11]

Sinha's 5 part feature film Daughter of this Century marked a new beginning in Indian Cinema. Starring Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Nandita Das, Deepa Sahi, and Sulabha Deshpande in central roles.

Raja Sen's documentary on Tapan Sinha is entitled Filmmaker for Freedom.

Sinha's wife, filmmaker Arundhuti Devi, died in 1990.

Sinha's final venture, the children's filme Anokha Moti, was incomplete. The film stars Arjun Chakravorty, and is being made in Hindi.[12]

Death[edit]

On 15 January 2009, he died of pneumonia and septicaemia.[8]

Legacy[edit]

In January 2010, the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee, laid the foundation stone of the Tapan Sinha Memorial Metro Hospital, at Tollygunge, Kolkata.[13] Tapan's works left an impact and influence on Bollywood filmmakers like Hemen Gupta, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar,[14] Ashutosh Gowariker[15][16] and Bengali filmmakers like Raja Sen, Kamaleshwar Mukherjee.[17] His work highly influence and impact and popular culture by Bengali filmmaker Tarun Majumdar and Nowadays, Suman Ghosh (director). While in London, he was exposed to the works of Italian directors Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini. Tapan Sinha has also served as a member of the jury in the popular film festivals at Tashkent and San Francisco among others.[18] Tapan Sinha has been selected for the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2006 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

Television career[edit]

Aadmi Aur Aurat is based on a story by Prafulla Roy. Amol Palekar and Mahua Roy Choudhury act in this piece. Sinha's telefilm Aadmi Aur Aurat was remade in Bengali as Manush (starring Samit Bhanja and Devika Mukherjee) by the director himself.[19] Sinha made another telefilm Didi with Deepti Naval as the central character.[20][21] Sinha made a detective TV serial Hutumer Naksa.

Awards[edit]

Civilian award
National Film Awards
International Awards
  1. Best Film-Cork festival, Ireland for Khudhita Pashan
  2. Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at 7th Berlin International Film Festival for Kabuliwala
  3. Jury Award-Sanfransisco Film Festival for Hansuli Banker Upokotha
  4. Silver Peacock-2nd best film, International Film Festival of India & Audience Award, Sydney Film Festival for Nirjan Saikate
  5. International Certificate of Merit, Venice Film Festival for Atithi
  6. Diploma of Merit, London Film Festival for Aarohi
  7. Silver Leopard, Locarno Film Festival for Aarohi
  8. Award for Best Film-Royal Cup, Cambodia Asian Film festival for Hatey Bazarey
  9. Award for Best film in 13th Asia Pacific Film Festival for Hatey Bazarey
  10. Silver trophy (Cup of honour) in Phnom Penh Film Festival for Hatey Bazarey
  11. Afro-Asian Award, Moscow Film Festival for Sagina Mahato
  12. Golden Crown for Best Music, Seoul Asian Film Festival for Harmonium
  13. Special Award 'Child of our Time', Vii Film Festival, Milano for Safed Haathi
  14. UNICEF Award(Honorable Mention), Berlin Film festival for Aaj Ka Robin Hood

Filmography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Award-winning Indian film-maker influenced by Capra and Wilder". The Guardian. 12 May 2009.
  2. ^ "Tapan Sinha's first film 'Ankush' was based on which story?". www.gktoday.in. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  3. ^ K. Moti Gokulsing, K. Gokulsing, Wimal Dissanayake (2004). Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change. Trentham Books. p. 17. ISBN 1-85856-329-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Sharpe, Jenny (2005). "Gender, Nation, and Globalization in Monsoon Wedding and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge". Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism. 6 (1): 58–81 [60 & 75]. doi:10.1353/mer.2005.0032. S2CID 143666869.
  5. ^ Gooptu, Sharmistha (July 2002). "Reviewed work(s): The Cinemas of India (1896–2000) by Yves Thoraval". Economic and Political Weekly. 37 (29): 3023–4.
  6. ^ "Never Have I Made the Same Kind of Film: An Interview With Tapan Sinha (Part-I) – Learning and Creativity". Learning and Creativity. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Ankush (1954)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Top Indian filmmaker Sinha dies". BBC News.
  9. ^ "Saluting Indomitable Human Spirit: Tribute to Tapan Sinha". Learning and Creativity. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Master-prints of Tapan Sinha’s classics go missing". The Indian Express. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2024. {{cite web}}: C1 control character in |title= at position 29 (help)
  11. ^ "7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Sinha's never-seen-before stories, script thrill cinephiles". The Times of India. 2 November 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Tension with Suman palpable on dais". The Times of India. 9 January 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Remakes of Bengali films: What's new in this trend? - Times of India". The Times of India. 27 November 2019.
  15. ^ Narayan, Hari (15 August 2016). "The family as a microcosm of the nation". The Hindu.
  16. ^ Mathur, Arti (30 December 2001). "Sony closes Hindi film distrib biz". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Film Director Raja Sen Speaks About His New Movie (Interview)". VOA News. 29 October 2007.
  18. ^ চিরতরুণ. Ei Samay (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  19. ^ Nag, Amitava (8 November 2023). "Revisiting Bengali master Tapan Sinha's undervalued Hindi movies". Scroll.in. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Eight segments to showcase Indian Films at IFFI - 07" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 15 November 2007. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012.
  21. ^ "A number of golden oldies at IFFI for movie buffs". The Navhind Times. 21 November 2007. Archived from the original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  22. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  23. ^ a b "4th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  24. ^ "5th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  25. ^ "8th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2011.

External links[edit]

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