Dhritiman Chatterjee

Dhritiman Chatterjee
"Chai n Chat" session-A section for the first time @ IFFI. A Platform to meet & discuss the world of cinema with the eminent film personalities with Kabir Bedi, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Vinay Pathak and Nirupama Kotru.jpg
Chatterjee at the IFFI, 2012
Born (1945-05-30) 30 May 1945 (age 79)
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Occupation(s)Film, TV & Stage Actor, Ad & Short filmmaker, Literary Performer & Reciter

Dhritiman Chatterjee is an Indian actor. He began his acting career in 1970 as the protagonist of Satyajit Ray's Pratidwandi (The Adversary).[1] Most of his acting work has been in India's "parallel", or independent, cinema with filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Aparna Sen, among others and is noted for his acting skills.[2][3] He has also worked in English films with well-known filmmakers such as Deepa Mehta and Jane Campion.

Early life

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Dhritiman is his screen name. He is otherwise known as Sundar Chatterjee and is quite active on the English stage in Chennai. Born on 30 May 1945, he was educated at Kolkata's St Xavier's Collegiate School and Presidency College, and the Delhi School of Economics. Chatterjee went on to pursue a parallel career in advertising, social communications and documentary filmmaking.

Career

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In 2019, Chatterjee lent his voice for narration in If Not for You, a documentary about Kolkata's long lasting love affair with legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. About his acting qualities, Satyajit Ray once remarked, "I do not know what definition of a star these filmmakers have been using, but mine goes something like this. A star is a person on the screen who continues to be expressive and interesting even after he or she has stopped doing anything. This definition does not exclude the rare and lucky breed that gets lakhs of rupees per film; and it includes everyone who keeps his calm before the camera, projects a personality and evokes empathy. This is a rare breed too but one has met it in our films. Dhritiman Chatterjee of Pratidwandi is such a star." - (Our Films Their Films)[4]

Never a part of mainstream "Bollywood", he's made an astonishingly small number of films. In recent years he's taken roles with filmmakers as diverse as Jane Campion and hugely successful Mumbai directors Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Mani Ratnam.[5] Dhritiman has received several acting awards in India and has been on the Jury of the Indian National film Awards.

He is currently the anchor of Pradhanmantri in Bengali on ABP Ananda from 14 December 2013.

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Pratidwandi Siddhartha Chaudhuri - a.k.a.

Siddharta and the City - a.k.a. The Adversary

1972 Picnic
1973 Padatik Political Activist - a.k.a. The Guerilla Fighter
1974 Jadu Bansha
1980 Akaler Sandhane a.k.a. Akaler Sandhaney - a.k.a. In Search of Famine
1981 36 Chowringhee Lane Samaresh Moitra
1989 Ganashatru Nishrith Gupta - a.k.a. An Enemy of the People (UK)
1991 Agantuk Prithwish Sen Gupta - a.k.a. The Stranger - a.k.a.

The Visitor (International: English title) - a.k.a. Visiteur, Le (France)

1993 Sunya Theke Suru Professor Bhishmadev Sharma - a.k.a. A Return to Zero (India: English title)
1997 Kahini
2005 15 Park Avenue Psychiatrist Dr. Kunal Barua
2008 Chaturanga Uncle
2009 Joy Lies Venkat
Hitlist
2010 Ekti Tarar Khonje Land Lord uncle
Gorosthaney Sabdhan Mahadev Chowdhury
2011 Noukadubi Hemnalni's father
2012 Maya Bazaar
2014 Ek Phaali Rodh Dr. Somshankar Roy
2015 Naxal Shiddhartha Chowdhury
Agantuker Pore Prithwish Sen Gupta
Shajarur Kanta Byomkesh Bakshi
2016 Double Feluda Dr. Nihar Dutta
2019 Professor Shonku O El Dorado Professor Shonku [6]

Hindi

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 Black Paul McNally
2007 Guru Contractor Sahaab
2009 13B Mr.Thyagarajan/ Mr.Kamdhar Yavarum Nalam
Ek: The Power of One DIG Sheirgill
2012 Kahaani Bhaskaran K, Director Intelligence Bureau
2012 Agent Vinod Sir Jagadishwar Metla
2014 Kick Raj Bhai
2015 Wedding Pullav Sid Kapoor
2016 Pink Judge Satyajit Dutt
Chauranga Pandit
Sanam Teri Kasam Sanjay Pandit
2017 Poorna: Courage Has No Limit Alexandar
2021 Chehre Justice Jagdish Acharya

English

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Year Title Role Notes
1999 Holy Smoke Chidaatma Baba - a.k.a. Holy Smoke! (USA: video box title)
2000 Perfumed Garden Sage Vaisyzyana - a.k.a. Tales of Kama Sutra (USA: video title)
2013 Carnival Master
2015 The Man Who Knew Infinity Narayana Iyer
If Not for You

Sinhala

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Let Her Cry Professor

Malayalam

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi Birmalda (Village head, Gouri's father)
2018 Captain (2018 film) Mr.Sinha

Web series

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Year Title Role Language Network Notes
2020 Forbidden Love Dr Harold Fernandez Hindi ZEE5
2020 Feluda Pherot Mahesh Chowdhury Bengali Addatimes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dhritiman Chatterjee: I never wanted to be an actor". Archived from the original on 25 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Satyajit Ray's actors remember his genius". Archived from the original on 31 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Satyajit Ray in 100 Anecdotes". Archived from the original on 28 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Dhritiman Chatterjee finds Satyajit Ray's film relevant during ongoing second surge". Archived from the original on 18 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Dhritiman Chatterjee: 5 iconic roles of the actor in Bengali cinema". Archived from the original on 25 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Dhritiman Chatterjee to play Professor Shonku, a Satyajit Ray hero". Archived from the original on 3 August 2018.
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