Known for his good looks and grounded performances, Samit Bhanja was an actor and director who worked in over 75 films in both Bengali and Hindi cinema. Some of his most iconic films include Apanjan (1968), Aranyer Din Ratri (1969), Guddi (1971), Ganadevata (1978), Sabuj Dwiper Raja (1979), Ganadevata (1978), Guddi (1971), and Abar Aranye (2003).
Early Life and Career
Samit Bhanja was born on January 2, 1944, in Tamluk, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal. His parents were Pritimoy Bhanja and Shila Debi. His grandfather relocated to Tamluk from Chandrakona, Ghatal, for legal practice. Samit grew up in an affluent household. He displayed a rebellious spirit during childhood, often engaging in neighborhood disputes. He attended Hamilton High School in Tamluk for his formal education. From a young age, he showed a passion for acting, joining the local Kalpotaru Friends Club in Tamluk.
Samit’s acting journey began with theater. He joined Rupkar, a theater group led by Sabitabrata Dutta, in the early 1960s. He performed in several plays, honing his craft.
Samit Bhanja On Screen
Samit’s acting journey began with theater. He joined Rupkar, a theater group led by Sabitabrata Dutta, in the early 1960s. He performed in several plays, honing his craft. Samit made his film debut with Bolai Sen’s Bengali film Surer Agun (1965), starring Arundhati Devi, Sumita Sanyal, Kali Bandyopadhyay and Bikash Ray. In 1967 he acted in Tapan Sinha‘s Hatey Bazarey starring Ashok Kumar and Vyjayanthimala.
His breakthrough role came in Apanjan (1968), directed by Tapan Sinha, which earned him widespread recognition. In the film Samit played Chhenu, a wayward youth in this social drama about urban unrest. His performance earned him the BFJA Award for Best Actor. He again worked with Tapan Sinha in Harmonium (1976) and Sabuj Dwiper Raja (1979).
He then acted in films like Inder Sen’s “Pratham Kadam Phool (1969),” Ajoy Kar’s “Parineeta (1969),” Dinen Gupta’s “Natun Pata (1969),” and Ajit Ganguly’s “Rupasi (1970).”
Milind Gunaji A Sesoned Actor
In 1969, he worked with Satyajit Ray in “Aranyer Din Ratri,” along with Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh, Sharmila Tagore, Kaberi Bose, Aparna Sen and Simi Garewal.
“Aranyer Din Ratri,” translated as “Days and Nights in the Forest,” is an adaptation of the novel by Sunil Gangopadhyay and is celebrated for its use of the carnivalesque literary technique. The narrative revolves around four friends from the city who embark on a journey to the forests of Bihar, seeking respite from their urban existence. The characters, each from different societal strata, find themselves in the midst of a tribal world, which challenges their perceptions and confronts their inner turmoil. The film delves into themes of friendship, bourgeois moralities, societal norms, and the human condition, all set against the backdrop of the enigmatic forest.
In 1971 he made his Hindi film debut with Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s “Guddi” opposite Jaya Bachchan. He then acted in a few more Hindi films like Wahi Raat Wahi Aawaz (1973), Anjane Mehman (1975), Salaam Memsaab (1975), and Kitne Paas Kitne Door (1976).
A Multifaced Personality
In the next decade, he acted in many memorable films like Jaban (1972), Picnic (1972), Achena Atithi (1973), Chithi (1973), Fuleswari (1974), Asati (1974), Jiban Marur Prante (1976), Datta (1976), Bilwamangal (1976), Ek Bindu Sukh (1977), Kabita (1977), Golap Bou (1977), Mrigayaa (1977), Shaanaai (1977), Striker (1978) and many more.
In 1978 he acted in Tarun Majumdar’s Ganadevata with Soumitra Chatterjee, Sandhya Roy, Tapen Chatterjee and Ajitesh Bandopadhyay. The film, set in 1920s was based on Tarashankar Bandopadhyay’s iconic novel. Dwiper Raja (1979) featured Samit as an investigator sent to Andaman for a survey.
Samit wrote and directed Ora Charjan (1988) starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Debashree Roy, Abhishek Chatterjee and Chinmoy Roy. His next directorial was Dharma Yudha (1992), starring Roopa Ganguly, Tapas Pal, and Satabdi Roy. In 1994 he directed Bonophool, starring himself with Master Abhishek and Shakuntala Barua.
Later Years
In the early 2000s, he was diagnosed with cancer. He battled with the disease but continued to work occasionally. His last film was Abar Aranye (2003), which reunited him with many of his old costars. In this Goutam Ghose-directed sequel to Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri, Samit reprised his role of Harinath. Despite his illness, his performance was notable for its authenticity. A friend and frequent co-star, Soumitra Chatterjee supported Samit during Abar Aranye’s shoot, assisting him physically due to his health condition.
Samit married Ranja, his childhood sweetheart. Together they had 3 daughters, Rakhi, Bidisha and Saheli. Samit passed away on July 24, 2003, in Kolkata at age 59.
Samit Bhanja on IMDB
