Bollywood mourns death of veteran Basu Chatterjee

Bollywood’s veteran filmmaker-screenwriter Basu Chatterjee, the torch-bearer of the Hindi middle-of-the-road cinema of the 70s and the 80s, passed away in Mumbai on Thursday morning due to age related heath complications. He was 93.

Chatterjee started his career as an illustrator and cartoonist with the weekly tabloid Blitz published in Mumbai, where he worked for 18 years, before shifting career paths to filmmaking, when he assisted Basu Bhattacharya in the Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman starrer Teesri Kasam (1966). In 1992, he won National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare for his film Durga.

Apart from Bengali films such as Hothat Brishti, Hochcheta Ki and Hothat Shei Din, Chatterjee also directed popular television series such as Byomkesh Bakshi and Rajani for Doordarshan.

Chatterjee, along with Hrishikesh Mukherjee, was at the helm of the light-hearted, middle class, family dramas that emerged as a parallel narrative to the more mainstream Angry Young Man movies. Some of his popular films like Piya Ka Ghar (1972) and Baton Baton Mein (1979) were all about the skein of relationships within families, seemingly complicated but simple at heart. They often they dealt with intelligent women negotiating personal or relationship conundrums, like in Rajnigandha (1974), Chhoti Si Baat (1975) and Priyatama (1977). He also dealt with issues of social and political relevance in Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986), an Indian adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s Twelve Angry Men and Kamla Ki Maut (1989). His last directed film was Gudgudee in 1997, starring Anupam Kher and Pratibha Sinha.

Born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, on January10, 1927, he is survived by daughter Rupali Guha who has directed films such as Aamras and Porichoi, and produced TV serials like Tumhari Disha, Rakhi, Dil Se Diya Vachan and Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se.

Chatterjee's demise was confirmed by filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, who is also the President of Indian Film and TV Directors Association.

"I am extremely grieved to inform you all the demise of Legendary Filmmaker Basu Chatterjeeji. It''s agreat loss to the industry. Will miss you Sir. #RIPBasuChaterjee," tweeted Pandit.

Since his death news, the condolences messages are pouring in. Bollywood has lost another gem.