Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the "Little Theatre Group" in 1949. This group enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period now known as the "Epic theatre" period, before it immersed itself completely in highly political and radical theatre. His plays became an apt vehicle for the expression of his Marxist ideologies, visible in socio-political plays such as Kallol (1965), Manusher Adhikar, Louha Manob (1964), Tiner Toloar and Maha-Bidroha. He also acted in over 100 Bengali and Hindi films in a career spanning 40 years, and remains most known for his roles in films such as Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969), Satyajit Ray’s Agantuk (1991), Gautam Ghose’s Padma Nadir Majhi (1992) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's breezy Hindi comedies such as Gol Maal (1979) and Rang Birangi (1983). He also did the role of a sculptor, Sir Digindra Narayan, in the episode Seemant Heera of Byomkesh Bakshi on Doordarshan in 1993, shortly before his death.
Tarun Majumdar was an Indian film director, documentary filmmaker, author, illustrator and screenwriter who is known for his work in Bengali cinema. He received five National Awards, seven BFJA Awards, five Filmfare Awards and an Anandalok Award. In 1990, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award. He is recognized as one of the greatest influential filmmakers of India. His few movies were restored and digitized by the National Film Archive of India, along with his Contemporaries Arabinda Mukhopadhyay, Goutam Ghose. He is Legendary filmmaker for Ganadevata in 1978, Nimantran in 1971,Palatak in 1963.
Prosenjit Chatterjee is an Indian actor and producer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading actors of modern Bengali cinema. He predominantly works in Bengali cinema. He is the son of veteran Bollywood actor Biswajit Chatterjee.
Antarjali Jatra, also known as Antarjali Yatra, is a 1987 film directed by Kolkata-based Indian film director Goutam Ghose based on a novel, Mahayatra, by Kamal Kumar Majumdar. It documents the institution of Kulin Brahmin polygamy in nineteenth-century Bengal. The film opens with Seetaram, a rich Kulin Brahmin, being brought to the bank of the Ganga for a virtuous death in contact with the holy river's waters, as suggested by his family priest. He did not die, even after waiting for a few days. An astrologer suggested that he would not die without a companion, i.e., a wife. An old Brahmin takes this opportunity to get rid of the burden of his young daughter Yashobati, without dowry, knowing that Seetaram is on his deathbed. Baiju, a kind-hearted chandala tried to reason with Yashobati, a newlywed, to run away. He narrates his inability to be a part of sin by making a funeral pyre for the newlywed and burning a young widow. He tried to reason with her that glory in sati is hollow. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali in 1988. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.
Abar Aranye (2003) is an Indian Bengali-language drama film directed by Goutam Ghose.
Shubhendu Chattopadhyay was an Indian physician and actor, who is known for acting in Bengali television and films. A contemporary of actors Uttam Kumar and Soumitra Chatterjee, with whom he played second hero in many films, Chatterjee graduated into character roles.
Padma Nadir Majhi is an Indo-Bangladesh joint production feature drama film directed by Goutom Ghosh from the novel of the same name, Manik Bandopadhyay's Padma Nadir Majhi, shows life of fishermen of the Padma River.
Samit Bhanja was an Indian actor and director known for his work in the Bengali cinema. He was one of the most promising actors of his time, working in both Bengali and Hindi cinema.
Paoli Dam is an Indian actress who started her career with the Bengali television serial Jibon Niye Khela (2003). She then worked in Bengali television serials such as Tithir Atithi and Sonar Harin; the former ran for six years on ETV Bangla. Dam spent her childhood in Kolkata, earning a postgraduate degree in chemistry from Rajabazar Science College. Initially, she wanted to become a chemical researcher or a pilot. Her debut Bengali film—Teen Yaari Katha, directed by Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha—began in 2004, but was not released until 2012. Dam's first film release was Agnipariksha, directed by Ravi Kinagi. Between 2006 and 2009, she appeared in five Bengali films, coming into prominence with the 2009 Kaalbela, directed by Goutam Ghose.
Antara Chowdhury is an Indian singer and composer. She is the daughter of the late renowned Composer and Poet Salil Chowdhury and the famous singer Late Sabita Chowdhury. She started singing at the age of 7. Her first playback was in the Hindi film 'Minoo' along with greats like Manna Dey and Asha Bhonsle. Songs like 'Teri galiyon mein hum aaye', a duet with Manna Dey, and a solo 'O Kali Re Kali Re' became very popular.
Moner Manush is a 2010 India-Bangladesh joint venture Bengali-language biographical musical drama film based on the life and philosophy of Lalon, a noted spiritual leader, poet and folk singer of Bengal in the 19th century. Directed by Goutam Ghose, who also wrote the screenplay, the film has Prosenjit as the lead actor portraying the character of Lalan Fakir. Paoli Dam plays the character of Komli, the key female disciple of Lalan. Moner Manush has been critically and commercially successful.
Manoj Mitra was an Indian theatre, film and television actor, director, and playwright.
Asaduzzaman Mohammad Raisul Islam is a Bangladeshi freedom fighter and an actor in radio, theatre, television and film. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor four times for his roles in the films Padma Nadir Majhi (1992), Anya Jibon (1995), Dukhai (1997) and Lalsalu (2001). Besides, he won Best Supporting Actor award twice for the roles in Ghani: The Cycle (2006) and Mrittika Maya (2013). As of 2016, he acted in more than 50 films. He was a member of the Crack Platoon an elite urban guerrilla, intelligence and commando unit of the Mukti Bahini.
Dekha is a 2001 Bengali drama film directed by Goutam Ghose. This was Ghose's ninth feature film and it was a successful one. At the 48th National Film Awards, the film was awarded Best Feature Film in Bengali, while Soumitra Chatterjee was awarded the Special Jury Award.
Prosenjit Chatterjee is an Indian actor, producer and television presenter, who works predominantly in Bengali and Hindi language films. He debuted as a child actor in the Hrishikesh Mukherjee-directorial Chotto Jigyasa, for which he has won the Bengal Film Journalists' Association – Most Outstanding Work of the Year Award. After a string of films where he acted as a child actor, he made his debut as a lead actor in Duti Pata, which was a critically and commercially unsuccessful.
Arka Sinha/Orko Sinha is an Indian film maker, actor, writer, lyricist, singer, composer, producer and a former computer science engineer from the movie industry of West Bengal, Kolkata. He marked his debut with Aamar Aami in December 2013. The script-screenplay-lyrics-dialogues and direction of the film were all by Orko.
Shankhachil is a 2016 India-Bangladesh joint venture Bengali-language historical Drama film, written by Sayantani Putatunda, starring Prosenjit, Kusum Sikder, Shajbati and directed by Goutam Ghose. This film is named after the bird Brahminy kite which is used by many Bengali poets like Jibanananda Das.
Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya was an Indian folk singer and researcher. He was born and raised in Silchar, Assam. He went on to study comparative literature at Jadavpur University. His musical inspiration was his uncle Ananta Bhattacharya. In 1999, he co-founded the band Dohar with the intent to revive the folk music tradition of Northern and Eastern Bengal. He also contributed music to a number of movies. His last movie was Bhuban Majhi (2017). He was associated with the popular Zee Bangla Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, a renowned Bengali music reality show. His last concert was in the Baguihati Krishi Mela.
The 41st International Film Festival of India was held from 22 November – 2 December 2010 in Goa. Veteran director Yash Chopra was the chief guest for this edition. The "Cannes Kaleidoscope 2010" was the highlight of the 41st edition. The "Best Actress" and "Best Actor" awards were re-instituted from this edition. The 41st edition paid homage to veteran French filmmaker Eric Rohmer. Six of his feature films were part of the festival. The platinum jubilee of Oriya Cinema was Commemorated and 26 Feature Films were screened. The edition also marked the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Film & Television Institute of India.
Raja Mitra was an Indian film director and music director who mainly worked in Bengali cinema. His first feature film, Ekti Jiban, won the National Award for Best Debut Film of a Director in 1987 at the 35th National Awards. He received a Swarna Kamal for "a very courageous first attempt of a director in tackling the subject of an individual unwavering in his conviction in the cultural value of his language and singlehandedly making available its enriching value to the generation of his people who will come after him".
