Basu Bhattacharya (1934-97)

Bengali director born in Murshidabad, West Bengal, into Brahmin family which provided hereditary priests to the Cossimbazar royal family. Educated in Behrampore. Moved to Calcutta to attend college, then to Bombay in the early 50s. Started as assistant to Bimal Roy (1958); married Roy’s daughter Rinki, a noted critic. First film, the Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman musical Teesri Kasam, has several major 60s song hits. Anubhav and Avishkar represent stereotypical Hindi New Indian Cinema products of the 70s, a ‘realist’ emphasis being reduced to a concern with marital problems of upper-class couples. Served on several influential governmental committees concerning film policy, including the Working Group on National Film Policy (1980) and the board of the NFDC. Produced Sai Paranjpye’s Sparsh (1979). President of Indian Film Directors Association (1976-9). Father of director Aditya Bhattacharya (Raakh, 1988).

FILMOGRAPHY: 1966: Teesri Kasam; Uski Kahani; 1971: Anubhav; 1973: Avishkar; 1975: Daku; Tumhara Kalloo; Sangat; 1977: Known Yet Not Known (Doc); 1978: Madhu Malati; 1979: Grihapravesh; 1982: Science India (Doc); 1983: Horky Podzim S Vuni Manga (co-d Jiri Sequens); 1985: Anveshan (TV); 1986: Panchavati; Solar Energy (Doc); 1991: Ek Saas Zindagi; 1996: Astha.