Hemen Gupta, (1914-67)

Bengali-Hindi director born in Rajasthan. Degree in literature from Calcutta University. Private secretary of Subhashchandra Bose; fulltime radical activist in 1930-2 Civil Disobedience movement and in terrorism around Midnapore Dist., Bengal. Arrested, jailed (1932-8) and allegedly sentenced to death. This period is commemorated in two of his best-known films, Bhuli Naai and ’42. His film project on the Bengal famine (1945) was banned by the British government. Moved to Bombay in 1951 and made several Hindi films for Filmistan and for Bimal Roy, e.g. the classic adaptation of Tagore’s Kabuliwala. His Insaaf Kahan Hai was never released. Raj Kamal was left incomplete (1957), as was his last film, Anamika (1967).

FILMOGRAPHY: 1943: Dwanda; 1944: Takraar; 1947: Abhiyatri; 1948: Bhuli Naai; 1949: ’42; 1952: Anandmath; 1954: Kashti; Meenar; 1956: Taksaal; 1959: Insaaf Kahan Hai; 1960: Babar; 1961: Kabuliwala; 1966: Netaji Subhashchandra Bose.

Director