Bhanu Bandopadhyay

Bhanu Bandyopadhyay

Bhanu Banerjee
Born Samyamoy Bandyopadhyay
August 26, 1920(1920-08-26)
Dhaka, Bengal,
British Raj
Died 4 March 1983(1983-03-04) (aged 62)
Calcutta, India
Occupation Actor, Comedian, Singer
Years active 1945–1983
Spouse Nilima Mukhopadhyay
(1946–1983)
Website
http://sites.google.com/a/bhanubanerjee.com/bhanubanerjee/

Bhanu Bandyopadhyay (26 August 1920 – 4 March 1983), also known as Bhanu Banerjee, was a Bengali actor and comedian. He acted in over 300 movies, in numerous plays and performed frequently on the radio.

Contents

Early life

He was born as Samyamoy Bandyopadhyay on 26 August 1920 at Bikrampur, Dhaka. Having studied at St. Gregory's High School (Dhaka) followed by Jagannath College (Dhaka), he moved to Calcutta in the 40's. In his initial years Bandyopadhyay worked at the Steel Control Board.

Career

He started his acting career as a stand-up comedian in Dhaka, giving performances at office parties and then moving on to larger venues. In 1943, he released his first major comic gramophone record Dhakar Gadoane. Its success prompted him to release a new record every year during Durga Puja.[1] Bandyopadhyay's breakthrough film role was in Nirmal Dey's Basu Parivar (1952) where he played a Bangal businessman. The next year his role as Kedar in Share Chuattar made him into a star. His line in the film "Mashima malpo khamu" (Aunty, I want malpo) became a popular catchphrase.[1] He went on to act in over 300 movies like Bhrantibilash and Pasher Bari. In most of his films he played comedic roles in which he exaggerated Bengali accents and mannerisms for comic effect.[2] He teamed up with his best friend comedian Jahor Roy for many films like Bhanu Pelo Lottery and the humorous detective story Bhanu Goenda Johar Assistant.[3] Typically, in the pair's films Bandyopadhyay would take the role of the Bangal and Roy would be the comical Ghoti character.[4] Although chiefly known as a comedian, Bandyopadhyay played serious roles in the films Galpa Holeo Satyi, Buro kaku, Chhabi jethu, and Tapan kaku. He also played the lead roles in Jomaloyer Jibonto Manus, Personal Assistant, Miss Priyambada and Ashite Asio na. Later in his career Bandyopadhyay founded his own Jatra group called Mukto Mancha. He produced, directed and acted in his own productions, traveling around the country with the troupe.

Bandyopadhyay died of a heart-related illness on 4 March 1983. He left behind his wife, former playback singer Nilima Mukhopadhyay, and their three children, Basabi Ghatak (née Bandyopadhyay), Gautam and Pinaki.[3][5]

On 26 August 2011 Bandyopadhyay's lost film Nirdharito Shilpir Onupasthitite (1959) will be released on DVD. Gautam Bandyopadhyay, his son, has confirmed the release which will coincide with his father's 91st birth anniversary.

Works

Filmography

Records: (Comedy audio clips)

References

  1. ^ a b Gooptu, Sharmistha (2010). Bengali Cinema: An Other Nation. Taylor & Francis. pp. 128–38. ISBN 0415570069. 
  2. ^ Sarkar, Bhaskur (2009). Mourning the nation: Indian cinema in the wake of Partition. Duke University Press. pp. 159–60. ISBN 0822344114. 
  3. ^ a b Priyanka Dasgupta (December 17, 2010). "Baba thought no one would cry...". Times of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-17/news-interviews/28229384_1_baba-father-bangal. Retrieved March 10, 2011. 
  4. ^ Chakrabarty, Dipesh (2002). Habitations of modernity: essays in the wake of subaltern studies. University of Chicago Press. p. 140. ISBN 0226100391,. 
  5. ^ Priyanka Dasgupta. "Bhanu Bandyopadhyay". Times of India. http://test3.timesofindia.com/Bhanu-Bandyopadhyay/speednewsbytopic/keyid-500693.cms. Retrieved March 10, 2011. 

External links