Tapan Sinha, a maestro of Indian cinema, had a prolific career as a filmmaker, scriptwriter, and playwright and was a part of the legendary quartet with Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. Born on October 2, 1924, in Kolkata, He studied physics at the University of Patna and later earned an MSc at the Rajabazar Science College, University of Calcutta.
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Willum Skeener
Tapan Sinha started his career in 1946, as a sound engineer with New Theatres film production house in Kolkata, he also worked for Pinewood Studios, London in early 1950s. Sinha made his directorial debut with Ankush(1954), which was based on the Narayan Ganguly’s story Sainik. His next Upahaar (1955) featured Uttam Kumar, Manju Dey and others. In 1957 Sinha made Kabuliwala (1957) on the famous story of Rabindranath Tagore, starring the great Chhabi Biswas which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.
Louho Kopat(1957) is based on the story of the Bengali writer Jorasandho and stars Kamal Mitra, Nirmal Kumar and Anil Chaterji. Sinha’s Hatey Bazare is based on an autobiographical story by Banophool and starred Ashok Kumar and Vyjantimala Bali, his first collaboration with actors of Hindi Cinema
Known for his versatility, Sinha’s films traversed various genres, from social dramas to comedies and adaptations of literary works. His directorial ventures, including Khaniker Atithi (1959), Khudhito Pashan (1960), Jhinder Bandi (1961), Nirjan Saikate (1963), Atithi (1965), Apanjan (1968) and “Ekhoni” (1971), received acclaim for their poignant storytelling and nuanced character portrayals.
Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu play the central characters in his 1971 film Sagina Mahato which he remade later in hindi with same cast in 1974. In 1972 he made Zindagi Zindagi with Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rahman, movie fetched SD Burman a National Award for Best Music. In 1978 he made Safed Hathi, a children’s film which features Shatrughan Sinha and Mala Jaggi, He again made a children’s film ‘Aaj Ka Robinhood in 1988 to great international acclaim.
Tapan Sinha made Aadmi Aur Aurat (1982) for Doordarshan, starring Amol Palekar & Mahua Roy Choudhury .The film was critically appreciated. Tapan said, “After watching Aadmi Aur Aurat, Satyajit-babu wrote to me to say that according to him, this was not only my best film but also one of India’s best ever. He took the initiative and wrote a letter to BBC’s Channel 4 about the film and they reciprocated with a screening offer to Doordarshan … The film bagged the award for the Best Feature Film on National Integration at the 32nd National Film Awards, 1985.”
In addition to his directorial brilliance, Sinha was a distinguished screenwriter, contributing significantly to the Indian cinematic landscape. His commitment to social issues reflected in movies like “Upahaar” (1959) and “Nirjan Saikate” (1963) starring Anil Chaterji, Sharmila Tagore, Chhaya Devi & Ruma Guha Thakurta and based on the story of five widows, on a story by Kalkut, which tackled societal norms and human relationships. Sinha’s Wheelchair Starring Soumitra Chatterjee, Laboni Sarkar, Arjun Chakraborty and Ruma Guha Thakurta. Sarkar gives a performance as a handicapped character who uses a wheelchair.
Tapan Da’s finest Hindi film comes in 1990, Ek Doctor Ki Maut starring Shabana Azmi, Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan Khan and Anil Chaterji. It was based on Ramapada Chaudhuri’s Abhimanyu, a story was based on a doctor-scientist in the mould of the real-life Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay whose pioneering research produced India’s first test-tube baby.
Throughout his illustrious career, Tapan Sinha received numerous accolades, including 13 National Film Awards, Numerous State Awards, Several International Awards like Silver Bear Extraordinar in Berlin Film Festival, Silver Peacock in Sydney Film Festival, & Silver Leopard, Locarno Film Festival amonf others. He was awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2006 for his exceptional contribution to Indian cinema.
His legacy endures, and his films continue to be celebrated for their timeless narratives and artistic brilliance. He married Indian actress Arundhati Devi. Their son is Indian scientist professor, Anindya Sinha. Tapan Da passed away on January 15, 2009, leaving behind an enduring legacy in the annals of Indian cinema.
