Biswajit Chatterjee

Biswajit began his career as an extra in Theatre Company After been thrown out of the house by his father Biswajit joined a profession theatre Company Rang Mahal which like Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theater travelled around India and did stage shows. Biswajit joined the theater as an extra. Recalling his early days Biswajit said, “During theatre I learnt the skills of acting and what is most interesting is that once when I was performing on stage I was left dazed to find my father sitting in the auditorium watching me act. I was petrified but to my surprise when papa found me a good actor he hugged me and we two came together.” Eminent filmmaker Guru Dutt first noticed Biswajit’s talent While busy as a drama actor Biswajit’s play Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam’ became quite popular. Once when it was being staged in Kolkata; eminent filmmaker Guru Dutt sat in the first row and was watching it with absolute attention. Impressed by the play, Guru Dutt went backstage and hugged Biswajit for doing a marvelous act and invited him to Mumbai as he wanted to adapt the drama into film. An excited Biswajit reached Mumbai. Guru Dutt introduced him to Meena Kumari and Waheeda Rehman, whom he had selected for the lead ladies role and offered Biswajit to play the hero in film. Readers may be wondering - So what happened why Biswajit did not do the film? Well, Biswajit in an interview confessed, “Actually I was on sky nine when Guru Dutt offered me the hero’s role but along with the role he wanted me to sign a five year contract with him in his company. This was like a trap as I would not have liberty to act in outside films. Hence I declined the role, which was eventually played by Guru Dutthimself.” Music director Hemant Kumar introduced Biswajit in Bollywood After declining Guru Dutt’s offer, Biswajit lamented as both the Hindi and Bengali version of Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam were huge hit. Nevertheless he began his filmy career in Kolkata with minor roles in Bengali films like Dakharkara, Kansa. But with the film Maya Mrig, which was a box office sensation, Biswajit became a star in Bengali films. He gave many hits films when he was approached my film music director Hemant Kumar, who was planning to turn Producer with a Hindi film. Biswajit immediately nodded when Hemant Kumar said the heroine is Bollywood’s top actress Waheeda Rehman. Thus Biswajit made his debut in Hindi films with suspense murder mystery Bees Saal Baad (1962). The movie was an instant hit because for the first time it incorporated horror with suspense. In addition the biggest highpoint of the film was its hunting music that captivated the audience. Remember the hit songs - Kahin Deep Jale Kahin….; Bekarar Karke Hume…; "Zara Nazaron Se Kah Do Ji….. The movie was a box office hit! Biswajit branded as suspense film hero Soon after the success of Bees Saal Baad, filmmaker Hemant Kumar repeated the Suspense –Horror formula in his next film Kohraa. It was yet again directed by Biren Nag and like Bees Saal Baad which was adapted from foreign author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel The Hound of the Baskervilles likewise Kohraa was adapted from Hollywood filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock' as Academy Award-winning Rebecca. Kohraa too created box office history. Interestingly his other film Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi opposite Sharmila Tagore repeated suspense –horror theme and hit bull’s eye! Thus Biswajit was branded as suspense film Hero! Rise and fall of Biswajit S. Mukherjee’s April Fool changed Biswajit image and made him the hot romantic hero. The movie was followed by many super hit films like Mere Sanam, Do Dil, Shehnai, Sagai, Night in London. Further with films like Do Kaliyaan, Nai Roshni, Hare Kanch Ki Chooriyan, Ghar Ka Chirag, Vaasna, Biwi Aur Makaan (1966) Biswajit did a verity of roles. But soon with advent of Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna etc Biswajit lost his sheen and was stranded with a string of flops. Left with no option Biswajit tried his hand at film production and produced a film called Kehte Hain Mujh Ko Raja (1975) with top stars of the 70’s Dharmendra, Hema Malani, Rekha and Shatrughan Sinha. The film was even directed by Biswajit. But alas the film was a super duper flop which almost made Biswajit a bankrupt.