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Srijit Mukherji
Srijit Mukherji | |
|---|---|
 Mukherji on screening of Begum Jaan | |
| Born | 23 September 1977 (aged 45) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Relatives | Arati Mukhopadhyay (Aunt) |
Srijit Mukherji is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Bengali cinema. His regular collaboration with veteran superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee brought him into the limelight. His first feature film Autograph (2010), was a critical and commercial success, where he had written the script with Chatterjee in mind. His fifth film, Jaatishwar, won four national awards at India's 61st National Film Awards (2014). He won the National Film Award for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay for his sixth film, Chotushkone, at India's 62nd National Film Awards.[1] His eighth film, Rajkahini had been remade into a Hindi film titled, Begum Jaan, starring Vidya Balan in 2017. His 2018 release Ek Je Chhilo Raja won the 'Best Bengali Film' Award at India's 66th National Film Awards. His 2019 film Gumnaami won him the Best Bengali Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 67th National Film Awards[2]
Early life[edit]
Mukherji completed his schooling from Dolna Day School, Kolkata[3] and South Point High School, Kolkata,[4] before studying economics at Presidency College, Kolkata. He went on to complete his MA and M.Phil in environmental economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University,[5] parallelly working as a social scientist in the Urban Transport and Pollution Sector with TERI in New Delhi. He quit his Ph.D while in his first year, to join IRI Symphony, Bangalore as an econometrician and business analyst. After working in Bangalore and a brief stint in Milan, he quit his job to actively pursue theatre and films.[6]
Career[edit]
Even while working as an economist and statistician, he was actively involved with the English professional theatre circuit in Delhi and Bangalore. He has acted in Madness, adapted from Paulo Coelho's Veronica Decides To Die; Manoj Mitra's The Orchard of Banchharam; Badal Sircar's The Other Side of History; Sunil Ganguly's Pratidwandi – The Adversary, adapted for the stage from Satyajit Ray's film of the same name and Lucknow 76. He wrote and directed Mindgame, an Indian adaptation of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men, at the Alliance Francaise De Bangalore in 2006. In April 2008, he formed his own troupe, Pandora's Act, whose first production, Feluda Pherot! at Rangashankara in July 2008 was a runaway success and was the first ever non-canonical dramatisation of Satyajit Ray's sleuth Feluda.[5] Barun Chanda, Ray's leading man in Seemabodhho, and Parambrata Chatterjee, the screen Topshe and film youth icon, starred in this production. In 2009, he wrote, directed and acted in the English play Checkmate, a non-canonical re-interpretation of Byomkesh Bakshi, Saradindu Bandopadhyay's sleuth.[7] He was an assistant director, lyricist and actor in both Anjan Dutt's Madly Bangalee and Aparna Sen's Iti Mrinalini, in 2009.[8] He has also written lyrics for films like Cross Connection, Le Chakka and Josh, TV serials like Coffee and More and Dadagiri and non-film albums of Usha Uthup.
2010–2012[edit]
In 2010 Mukherji directed his debut feature film, the award-winning blockbuster – Autograph which was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The film won 41 awards and was an official selection at Abu Dhabi International Film Festival 2010, MIAAC Film Festival in New York 2010, Glasgow International Film Festival 2011 and London Indian Film Festival 2011.[9]
In the same year he also made his acting debut on Bengali television in the Rituparno Ghosh scripted mega serial Gaaner Opare, produced by Ideas Entertainment.[10]
His work in 2011 included a major role in Anindya Banerjee's Chaplin starring Rudranil Ghosh and his second film, Baishe Srabon starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Abir Chatterjee and Gautam Ghose, who returned to acting after a hiatus of 29 years. Baishe Srabon was recently the official selection at the Dubai International Film Festival and the closing film at the London Indian Film Festival, and had a 105-day run at the box office making it the biggest blockbuster of the year. Baishe Srabon has won 41 awards. His third feature film was Hemlock Society, a romantic satire set at the backdrop of a school which teaches aspirants how to successfully commit suicide. It featured Parambrata Chatterjee and Koel Mallick and won 21 awards.
2013–2016[edit]
Mukherji's fourth film, Mishawr Rawhoshyo, based on Kakababu with Prasenjit Chattopadhyay playing the lead character has been declared as one of the biggest blockbusters ever and the highest earning urban mainstream film. He has recently acted in films like Dutta Vs Dutta, Bapi Bari Jaa and the national award-winning Shobdo. His fifth film Jaatishwar is generally considered to be the best in his career and most critically acclaimed. It is the musical bridge between two centuries of Bengali culture and a biopic cum a musical cum a reincarnation drama. At the 61st National Awards 2014, the highest film honour in India, it won 4 national awards for Music Direction, Playback Singing, Costume and Make up. This was the highest tally for a film in India this year, and the second highest ever for a Bengali film. It also swept the Mirchi Music Awards in 2015 winning 7 awards. The following year at the 62nd National Awards 2015, Chotushkone won him the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay awards, along with winning the Best Cinematography.
He also received the Young Achiever Award from Rotary International, the prestigious Shera Bangali Award from ABP Anando and the Shoilojanando Mukhopadhyay Memorial Award in 2012 for his contribution in the field of film direction. In 2013 he received the Uttam Kumar Memorial Award from the Government of West Bengal becoming the youngest director to achieve this. He has also received the oldest film award in India, the BFJA award, for remarkable contribution to Bengali Cinema in the last few years.[11]
2017–2020[edit]
Mukherji has made his directorial debut in Bollywood with the film Begum Jaan which is a remake of his earlier Bengali film Rajkahini. Vidya Balan plays the lead role of a brothel's madam during the partition of India in 1947.[12][13] He had two releases in 2018, Uma and Ek Je Chhilo Raja. Both were box office superhits. The former one went to 10 film festivals around the world and won 6 awards while the latter won 23 awards and went to 7 film festivals around the world including Palm Springs International Film Festival. In 2018, it was reported that Mukherji will be directing a Junglee Pictures produced yet to be titled web-series in Hindi, based on the novel of noted novelist and blogger Arnab Ray, The Mahabharata Murders. This will be his first foray into web-series direction.[14] In 2019, he has three releases Shahjahan Regency, Vinci Da and Gumnaami, the last two being bith critical and commercial successes along with being a festival favourite. Gumnaami won the Best Bengali Feature Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 67th National Film Awards.
He has also completed another web-series, Feluda Pherot, which is based on two Feluda stories written by Satyajit Ray, Chhinomostar Obhishaap and Joto Kando Kathmandute.[clarification needed][15]
Filmography[edit]
As director[edit]
| Denotes films or web series that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Director | Writer |
| 2010 | Autograph | Yes | Yes |
| 2011 | Baishe Srabon | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | Hemlock Society | Yes | Yes |
| 2013 | Mishawr Rawhoshyo | Yes | No |
| 2014 | Jaatishwar | Yes | Yes |
| Chotushkone | Yes | Yes | |
| 2015 | Nirbaak | Yes | Yes |
| Rajkahini | Yes | Yes | |
| 2016 | Zulfiqar | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | Begum Jaan | Yes | Yes |
| Yeti Obhijaan | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Uma | Yes | Yes |
| Ek Je Chhilo Raja | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | Shahjahan Regency | Yes | Yes |
| Vinci Da | Yes | Yes | |
| Gumnaami | Yes | Yes | |
| 2020 | Dwitiyo Purush | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Kakababur Protyaborton | Yes | No |
| X=Prem | Yes | Yes | |
| Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga | Yes | Yes | |
| Shabaash Mithu[16] | Yes | No | |
| Oti Uttam | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | Lawho Gouranger Naam Re | Yes | Yes |
Web Series[edit]
| Year | Film | Director | Writer | OTT | Notes |
| 2020 | Feluda Pherot (Season 1) | Yes | No | Addatimes | One of the most watched Bengali web series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Ray (Season 1) | Yes | No | Netflix | Anthology, Segment- Behrupiya,Forget me not |
| Rabindranath Ekhane Kokhono Khete Asenni | Yes | No | Hoichoi | Based on the Bengali book of the same name | |
| 2022 | Feluda Pherot (Season 2) | Yes | No | Addatimes | Postponed |
| Feludar Goyendagiri (Season 1) | Yes | No | Hoichoi | Released | |
| 2023 | Padatik The Foot Soldier | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Pre-Production |
As lyricist and actor[edit]
| Year | Film | Lyricist | Actor |
| 2009 | Cross Connection | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madly Bangalee | Yes | Yes | |
| 2010 | Le Chakka | Yes | No |
| Josh | Yes | No | |
| Gaaner Oparey | No | Yes | |
| 2011 | Iti Mrinalini | Yes | Yes |
| Flop-e | No | Yes | |
| Ghente Ghaw | Yes | No | |
| Chaplin | No | Yes | |
| 2012 | Dutta Vs Dutta | No | Yes |
| Bapi Bari Jaa | No | Yes | |
| Shabdo | No | Yes | |
| 2013 | Maach Mishti & More | Yes | No |
| 2018 | Ahare Mon | Yes | No |
| Kabir | No | Yes | |
| 2019 | Shantilal O Projapoti Rohoshyo | No | Yes |
| 2022 | Manabjomin | No | Yes |
Personal life[edit]
Mukherji married Rafiath Rashid Mithila on 6 December 2019.[17][18]
References[edit]
- ↑ "62nd National Film Awards: Complete list of winners". News18. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ↑ "66th National Film Awards: Full winners list". India Today. Ist. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ↑ "Srijit Mukherji goes back to school with Zulfiqar". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ↑ "Did you know Srijit and Sujoy were classmates! – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sen, Jaideep. "Retirement Holmes". Time Out Bengaluru. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ Das, Mohua (21 January 2009). "Think like a sleuth". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ Das, Mohua (15 May 2009). "Playpreview". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ Chakrabarty, Pooja. "Autograph is not a remake of Nayak". ILK. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ "Interview – SRIJIT MUKHERJEE". Washington Bangla Radio. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ Sen, Zinia (28 October 2010). "Acting is my first love: Srijit". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ "Hemlock is far from a morbid film: Srijit Mukherji". The Times of India. 24 March 2012. p. 3. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ↑ "Vidya Balan on the write track with Kamala Das". Mumbai Mirror. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ↑ "Srijit Mukherji makes his acting debut with 'Begum Jaan' – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ↑ "Raazi co-producer Junglee Pictures to adapt The Mahabharata Murders for digital debut; Srijit Mukherji will helm web series". Firstpost. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ↑ "Director Srijit Mukherji to launch 'Feluda Pherot' on OTT platform this Christmas". Deccan Herald. 22 November 2020.
- ↑ "Just in! Director Srijit Mukherji has replaced Rahul Dholakia as the director of Taapsee Pannu-starrer 'Shabaash Mithu'". The Times of India. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ↑ Staff Correspondent. "Mithila marries Srijit finally". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ↑ "Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji marries Bangladeshi actress Mithila". The New Indian Express. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
External links[edit]
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- Living people
- Male actors from Kolkata
- 1977 births
- University of Calcutta alumni
- Jawaharlal Nehru University alumni
- Bengali film directors
- 21st-century Indian male actors
- 21st-century Indian film directors
- Bengali screenwriters
- Screenwriters from Kolkata
- Bengali male actors
- 21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
- Best Director National Film Award winners
- Film directors from Kolkata
- Best Original Screenplay National Film Award winners
- 21st-century screenwriters