# Basu Chatterjee

Basu Chatterjee (10 January 1927 – 4 June 2020) was an Indian film director and screenwriter in Hindi Cinema. Through the 1970s and 1980s, he became associated with what came to be known as middle cinema or middle-of-the-road cinema filmmakers, such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya, whom he assisted on Teesri Kasam (1966). Like their films, his films dealt with light-hearted stories of middle-class families often in urban settings, focusing on marital and love relationships.
The exceptions such as Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986) and Kamla Ki Maut (1989), which delved into social and moral issues. He is best known for his films Us Paar, Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Chitchor (1976), Rajnigandha (1974), Piya Ka Ghar (1972), Khatta Meetha, Swami (1977), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Priyatama (1977), Man Pasand, Hamari Bahu Alka, Shaukeen (1982), and Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986).
Chatterjee directed the Bengali film Hothath Brishti (1998), which featured actors from both Bangladesh and India. The film featured Ferdous Ahmed from Bangladesh, and Priyanka Trivedi and Sreelekha Mitra from West Bengal. Chatterjee continued to cast Ahmed in subsequent Indian-Bengali films, including Chupi Chupi (2001), Tak Jhal Mishti (2002) and Hotath Shedin (2012), another joint production of Bangladesh and India. He wrote the script for the Bangladeshi film Ek Cup Cha, directed by Noyeem Imtiaz Neamul.

## Early life

Basu Chatterjee was born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, in a Bengali family. His middle class upbringing reflected in his movies that explored areas which were far removed from the glitz and glamour of the blockbusters of the time.

## Career

In 1950s, Chatterjee arrived in Bombay (now Mumbai) and started his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for the weekly tabloid Blitz published by Russi Karanjia. He worked there for 18 years before changing career paths to filmmaking, when he assisted Basu Bhattacharya in the Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman starrer Teesri Kasam (1966), which later won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Eventually, he made his directorial debut with Sara Akash in 1969, which won him the Filmfare Best Screenplay Award.
Some of his most critically acclaimed films are Sara Akash (1969), Piya Ka Ghar (1971), Us Paar (1974), Rajnigandha (1974), Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Chitchor (1976), Swami (1977), Khatta Meetha, Priyatama, Chakravyuha (1978 film), Jeena Yahan (1979), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Apne Paraye (1980), Shaukeen and Ek Ruka Hua Faisla.
Other films include Ratnadeep, Safed Jhooth, Man Pasand, Hamari Bahu Alka, Kamla Ki Maut and Triyacharitra.
He has also directed many Bengali films such as Hothat Brishti, Hochcheta Ki and Hothat Shei Din.
Chatterjee directed the television series Byomkesh Bakshi and Rajani for Doordarshan. He was a member of the jury at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival in 1977 and a member of the International Film And Television Club of the Asian Academy of Film & Television. A retrospective of Chatterjee's work was held as part of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival Mumbai in February 2011.
A book on the work of Basu Chatterji, titled Basu Chatterji: And Middle of the road cinema, written by author and music historian Anirudha Bhattacharjee, has been published by Penguin Random House in 2023.

## Awards

* 2007: IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award
* 1992: National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare - Durga
* 1991: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award – Kamla Ki Maut
* 1980: Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie – Jeena Yahan
* 1978: National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Swami
* 1978: Filmfare Best Director Award – Swami
* 1977: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award - Chitchor Nominee
* 1976: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award – Chhoti Si Baat
* 1975: Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie – Rajnigandha
* 1972: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award – Sara Akash

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Producer | Notes |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
| 1969 | Sara Akash | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1971 | Piya Ka Ghar | Yes | | Tarachand Barjatya | |
| 1974 | Rajnigandha | Yes | Yes | Suresh Jindal, Kamal Saigal | |
| 1974 | Us Paar | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1976 | Chitchor | Yes | | Tarachand Barjatya | |
| 1976 | Chhoti Si Baat | Yes | | B. R. Chopra | |
| 1977 | Safed Jhooth | Yes | Yes | Ashim Kumar | |
| 1977 | Swami | Yes | | Jaya Chakravarthy | |
| 1977 | Priyatama | Yes | | T C Dewan | |
| 1978 | Khatta Meetha | Yes | Yes | Gul Anand, Romu Sippy | |
| 1978 | Dillagi | Yes | Yes | Bikram Singh Dehal, Kanwar Ajit Singh | |
| 1978 | Tumhare Liye | Yes | Yes | Raj Tilak | |
| 1979 | Do Ladke Dono Kadke | Yes | | Jayant Mukherjee, Hemant Kumar | |
| 1979 | Manzil | Yes | | | |
| 1979 | Chakravyuha | Yes | | | |
| 1979 | Prem Vivah | Yes | | | |
| 1979 | Ratnadeep | Yes | | | |
| 1979 | Baton Baton Mein | Yes | | Yes | |
| 1980 | Man Pasand | Yes | | Amit Khanna | |
| 1980 | Apne Paraye | Yes | | Mushir Alam | |
| 1981 | Jeena Yahan | Yes | | N.P. Ali | |
| 1982 | Hamari Bahu Alka | Yes | Yes | Shyamsunder Seksaria | |
| 1982 | Shaukeen | Yes | Yes | Senmit Movie Visuals | |
| 1983 | Pasand Apni Apni | Yes | | Yes | |
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1986 | Ek Ruka Hua Faisla | Yes | | Yes | |
| 1986 | Kirayadar | Yes | | B. R. Chopra | |
| 1986 | Chameli Ki Shaadi | Yes | Yes | Ramesh Ningoo, Sushil Gaur | |
| 1986 | Sheesha | Yes | | Sattee Shourie | |
| 1989 | Kamla Ki Maut | Yes | Yes | NFDC | |
| 1990 | Hamari Shadi | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1997 | Triyacharittar | Yes | | | |
| 1997 | Gudgudee | Yes | | Mahesh Bhatt | |
| 1998 | Hothat Brishti | Yes | | Bangladesh and India joint production | Bengali language film |
| 2001 | Chupi Chupi | Yes | | | Bengali language film |
| 2002 | Tak Jhal Mishti | Yes | | | Bengali language film |
| 2007 | Prateeksha | Yes | | | |
| 2007 | Kuch Khatta Kuch Meetha | Yes | | | |
| 2008 | Hochheta Ki | Yes | | | Bengali language film |
| 2011 | Kalidas o Chemistry | Yes | | | Bengali language film |
| 2011 | Trishanku | Yes | | | Bengali language film |

### Dialogue writer

Dialogue writer :
| Year | Film | Producer |
| 1972 | Piya Ka Ghar | Tarachand Barjatya |
| 1974 | Rajnigandha | Suresh Jindal, Kamal Saigal |
| 1978 | Khatta Meetha | Gul Anand, Romu Sippy |
| 1978 | Dillagi | Bikram Singh Dehal, Kanwar Ajit Singh |
| 1982 | Hamari Bahu Alka | Shyamsunder Seksaria |
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Basu Chatterjee |

### Screenplay

Screenplay :
| Year | Film | Producer |
| 1969 | Sara Akash | Basu Chatterjee |
| 1974 | Rajnigandha | Suresh Jindal, Kamal Saigal |
| 1974 | Us Paar | Self |
| 1977 | Safed Jhooth | Ashim Kumar |
| 1978 | Khatta Meetha | Gul Anand, Romu Sippy |
| 1978 | Dillagi | Bikram Singh Dehal, Kanwar Ajit Singh |
| 1982 | Hamari Bahu Alka | Shyamsunder Seksaria |
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Basu Chatterjee |

### Producer

Producer :
| Year | Film | Director | Notes |
| 1979 | Baton Baton Mein | Self | |
| 1983 | Pasand Apni Apni | Self | |
| 1984 | Lakhon Ki Baat | Basu Chatterjee | |
| 1986 | Ek Ruka Hua Faisla | Self | TV film |

### Director (TV series)

Director TV series or film :
| Year | Show | Channel | Notes |
| 1985 | Rajani | DD National | |
| 1985 | Darpan | DD National | |
| 1986 | Ek Ruka Hua Faisla | DD National | (TV film) |
| 1988 | Kakaji Kahin | DD National | |
| 1988 | Jodi Emon Hoto | DD Bangla | |
| 1990-91 | Bheem Bhavani | DD National | |
| 1993 & 1997 | Byomkesh Bakshi | DD National | 2 seasons 32 episodes |
| 2005 | Ek Prem Katha | DD National | 26 episodes |

### Assistant director

Assistant director :
| Year | Film | Producer | Notes |
| 1966 | Teesri Kasam | Shailendra | Directed by Basu Bhattacharya |
| 1968 | Saraswatichandra | Vivek | Directed by Govind Saraiya |

## Death

Chatterjee died due to an age-related illness at his house in Mumbai on 4 June 2020. He was 93 years old.