Sailajananda Mukherjee (1901-76)

Bengali director born in Andal, Burdwan District. Noted Bengali novelist and contemporary of Kallol Group. Closely associated in early youth with writer-musician Kazi Nazrul Islam. Worked in Raniganj collieries, the location of his first major literary work, Koila Kuthi, published in the journal Basumati (1922). The story later gave its name to a sub-genre of literary realism: a starkly realist manner, relying on personal experience and dialects (commonly those of the Dhanbad and Raniganj collieries and of Birbhum) violating the novelistic tradition that valued linguistic purity. Early writings include Atmaghatir Diary (Diary of a Suicide) published in Bansari journal, viewed as a violation of the prevailing norms of literary decency. Went to Calcutta where he met Premendra Mitra, Probodh Kumar Sanyal, Achintyakumar Sengupta and Kallol writer and film-maker Dinesh Ranjan Das. Briefly edited the Kalikalam journal. Later also edited the journals Shahana and Bioscope. Started in films as scenarist for Hemchandra Chunder (Anath Ashram, 1937). Also wrote scripts, in collaboration with Binoy Chatterjee, for New Theatres while assisting Nitin Bose (e.g. Dushman/Jiban? Maran, 1938). Directed works are early instances of a commercially successful cinema set among peasantry and urban working class, mostly based on his own writings (e.g. Mane Na Mana). During shooting, he would often close his eyes, only listening to the dialogues in the long, static takes, permitting no deviation from the script. Published autobiography, Je Katha Bola Hoy Ni (1968). Scripted his own films as well as contributing stories or scripts to Ae To Jiban and Santi (1946), the Oriya film Lakhmi (1962), Rup Sanatan (1965) and Anand Ashram (1977).

FILMOGRAPHY: 1941: Nandini; 1942: Bondi; 1943: Shahar Theke Dooray; 1945: Abhinay Nay; Mane Na Mana; Stree Durga; 1947: Roy Choudhury; 1948: Ghumiye Ache Gram; Rang Berang; 1950: Sandhya-Belar Rupkatha; Eki Gramer Chhele; 1953: Blind Lane; 1954: Banglar Nari; Mani-Aar-Manik; 1955: Katha Kao; 1957: Ami-Baro-Habo.

Director

Writer