Aparna Sen (née Dasgupta) (October 25, 1945 - ) is a critically acclaimed
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three
National Film AwardsThe National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India, and the country's oldest alongside the Filmfare Awards. Established in 1954, it is administrated by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973....
and eight international
film festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by...
awards.
Early life
Aparna Sen was born in Calcutta to a
BengaliThe Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
family, originally from East Bengal. Her father is the veteran critic and film-maker
Chidananda DasguptaChidananda Das Gupta, , is a Bengali Indian filmmaker, a leading film critic, a film historian and one of the founders of Calcutta Film Society with Satyajit Ray in 1947...
. Her mother Supriya Dasgupta is the cousin of renowned Bengali poet
Jibanananda DasJibanananda Das is probably the most popular Bengali poet after Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam...
. She spent her childhood in Hazaribagh and Kolkata and had her schooling initially in South Point and later mostly in Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata.
She studied her BA, English honors in Presidency College, Calcutta but did not complete the degree.
She met the
MagnumMagnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
photographer,
Brian BrakeBrian Brake was a New Zealand photographer.Born in Wellington, New Zealand, John Brian Brake was the adopted son of John Samuel Brake and his wife Jennie Brake . He was raised at Arthurs Pass, where his father owned the General Store, and Christchurch, where he attended Christchurch Boys' High...
, in Kolkata in 1961 when he was visiting India to photograph his Monsoon series. Brake used Sen as the model for what was to become one of his most well known photographs - a shot of a girl holding her face to the first drops of monsoon rain. The photo shoot was set up on a Kolkata rooftop with a ladder and a watering can. Sen described the shoot:
He took me up to the terrace, had me wear a red sari in the way a village girl does, and asked me to wear a green stud in my nose. To be helpful, I said let me wear a red one to match, and he said no - he was so decisive, rather brusque - I think a green one. It was stuck to my nose with glue, because my nose wasn't pierced. Someone had a large watering can, and they poured water over me. It was really a very simple affair. It took maybe half an hour.
Acting career
Sen made her film debut at the age of 16, when she played the role of Mrinmoyee in the Samapti portion of the 1961 film
Teen KanyaTeen Kanya is a 1961 film directed by Satyajit Ray, and based upon short stories by Rabindranath Tagore.The title means "Three Daughters", and the film's original Indian release contained three stories. However, the international release of the film contained only two stories, missing out the second...
(
Three Daughters) directed by
Satyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and letters...
(who was a long time friend of her father's). She then studied at Kolkata's
Presidency CollegePresidency College, Kolkata is a co-founding, semi-autonomous, general degree college affiliated to the University of Calcutta. Initially called Hindu College, it is the oldest college in India, set up in 1817. It continues to be one of the leading Indian educational institutions...
.
Later in life she would work with Satyajit Ray in several of his films, including the short
Pikoo (1981) where she played the role of an adulterous wife and mother.
In 1965, Sen resumed her film career in
Mrinal SenMrinal Sen is a famous Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on May 14, 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
's
Akash Kusum which was later remade into a Hindi film
ManzilManzil is the word for one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Qur'an is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week.They are:
# Al-Fatihah through An-Nisa'
...
starring Amitabh Bacchan and Moushumi Chatterjee. From then until the end of the 1970s, she worked steadily in the Bengali film industry, as leading heroine of the time. She acted in a number of Hindi films as well during this time including Imaan Dharam(1977) with Amitabh, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha.
In 1969, Sen appeared in
The GuruThe Guru is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory.-Plot synopsis:A rock star, Tom Pickle , travels to India to learn to play the sitar with the great musician Ustad Zafar Khan...
, an English-language feature by
Merchant Ivory ProductionsMerchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. Their films were for the most part directed by the former, produced by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala . The films were often based upon novels or short stories,...
. She would make two more films with Merchant-Ivory,
Bombay TalkieBombay Talkie is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory. Bombay Talkies was a film studio that made films in the early part of the Hindi film industry.-Plot synopsis:...
(1970), and
Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's PicturesHullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions set in India, starring UK great stage actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft....
(1978).
She acted with Rajinikanth in 1981
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in Malaysia, Mauritius and Réunion as well as emigrant communities around the world...
hit Thee produced by Balaji as Rajini's lover and get killed by R.S. Manohar in a plot to kill Rajinikanth. The movie was co starred by
SripriyaSripriya is an actress, who played leading roles in the 1970s and 1980's in South India. She has acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films, but her main contribution was in Tamil films where she has acted in 200 films.-Personal Life:...
and
SumanKabir Suman , is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter, musician, poet, journalist, TV presenter, and occasional film actor...
.
Currently, Sen ,
Sharmila TagoreSee Tagore for disambiguationSharmila Tagore is a Indian film actress from Bengal. She has won several National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has lead the Indian Film Censor Board...
and
Rahul BoseRahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jhankaar Beats. Time Asia magazine named him "the superstar of Indian arthouse cinema" for his work in parallel cinema films like...
are working together for Annirudh Roy-Chowdhary's Bengali film
AntaheenAntaheen is a 2009 Bengali film directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. The film stars Radhika Apte, Rahul Bose, Mita Vashisth, Aparna Sen, and Sharmila Tagore.-Plot:...
.
Aparna as director
In 1981, Sen made her debut as a film director with
36 Chowringhee Lane36 Chowringee Lane is a film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. The film was very well received upon release. It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role and Debashree Roy.-Plot:...
. She also wrote its
screenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. A play for television is known as a teleplay.- Format and style :...
. The film, about an aged
Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry. The British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent ....
teacher living in Calcutta, won positive reviews from critics. For her debut feature, Sen won the
Best Director awardThe National Film Award for Best Direction winners:...
at the Indian National Film Awards.
36 Chowringhee Lane also won the Grand Prix (the Golden Eagle) at the Manila International Film Festival.
She followed up this early success with several other films, notably
ParomaParoma or is an award-winning Indian Bengali feature film directed by Aparna Sen.-Plot:The movie is about a 40-year-old married woman, Paroma who falls in love with Rahul , an expatriate photo-journalist working for glossy magazines who photographs her making her look glamorous...
(1984),
SatiSati is a Bengali movie released in 1989 directed by Aparna Sen.The movie featured Shabana Azmi.- Synopsis :The young Brahmin girl in this story has a disastrous horoscope. In an Indian village in 1828, this can be a real handicap. The fact that she is mute only compounds her difficulties. Her...
(1989) and
YugantYugant is a 1995 Bengali movie directed by Aparna Sen. The movie featured Anjan Dutta and Rupa Ganguly.-Plot:Deepak and Anasuya are an estranged couple, now leading separate lives in Cuttack and Bombay. They meet again after 18 months of separation, at a small fishing village where they had...
(1995). These examined the feminine condition in modern-day India from different perspectives. She also starred in
Unishe AprilUnishe April is an award-winning feature film directed by Rituparno Ghosh. The film is in Bengali. It stars Aparna Sen, Debashree Roy, Prasenjit Chatterjee and Dipankar Dey. The film's music is composed by Jyotishka Dasgupta. It won 2 National Film Awards in 1995, including the Golden Lotus Award...
(1994), the film by Bengali cinema's
Rituparno GhoshRituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won a National Film Award in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad.- Biography :...
.
Sen's next directorial effort
Paromitar Ek DinParomitar Ek Din or is an award-winning Indian Bengali feature film directed by Aparna Sen.-Plot:This film is exploring the dual themes of friendship and loneliness...
(2000) was a critical hit and recalled the success of her first film. The film explored the relationship between a divorced woman (
Rituparna SenguptaRituparna Sengupta , born on 7 November, 1971 in Calcutta , is a leading Bengali actress and lately, she has been getting accolades for her Hindi films in Mumbai.-Life and career:...
) and her mother-in-law, played by Aparna herself. It won a number of awards on the international festival circuit.
Mr. and Mrs. IyerMr. and Mrs. Iyer is an Indian drama film, written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by N. Venkatesan. The film features Aparna Sen's daughter Konkona Sen Sharma as Meenakshi Iyer, a Tamil Iyer Brahmin who is a Hindu. Rahul Bose portrays the character of Raja Chowdhury, a Muslim wildlife...
(2002), was a love story set against the harsh backdrop of Hindu-Muslim sectarian violence in India. The film won a National Film Award for Sen's direction, and an acting award for
Konkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen Sharma , born December 3, 1979, is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of filmmaker Aparna Sen...
, the director's daughter. The film won more awards at the
LocarnoThe Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. The main feature of the festival is the open-air screening space in Piazza Grande, with room for over 8,000 spectators. The top prize is the Golden Leopard awarded to the best...
, Hawaii and Manila film festivals.
15, Park Avenue15 Park Avenue is a 2005 National Film Award winning English-language Indian film directed by Aparna Sen.-Synopsis:The film is the story of the relationship between a girl, Meethi, who suffers from schizophrenia, and her sister Anjali .Meethi hails from an upper middle class family, fraught with...
(2005), is Sen's latest released venture, starring her daughter and the actors
Shabana AzmiShabana Azmi is one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema. She is a film actress as well as a social activist, and her performances in films in a variety of genres have generally earned her praises and awards including five wins of National Film Award for Best Actress...
,
Dhritiman ChaterjiDhritiman Chatterjee is an Indian actor. He began his acting career in 1970 as the protagonist of Satyajit Ray's Pratidwandi . Most of his acting work has been in the India's "parallel", or independent, cinema with filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Aparna Sen, among others...
,
Waheeda RehmanWaheeda Rehman , born on May 14, 1936 is a famous Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood movies.-Early life:One of the most prominent actressses of the golden era, Waheeda Rehman was born into a traditional Muslim family in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India. Her father a District Magistrate.In...
,
Rahul BoseRahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jhankaar Beats. Time Asia magazine named him "the superstar of Indian arthouse cinema" for his work in parallel cinema films like...
and
Soumitra ChatterjeeSoumitra Chatterjee is a Bengali actor from India, known among other things for his frequent collaborations with the great Bengali film director Satyajit Ray.-Background:...
. The film deals with a girl (Sharma) who is a schizophrenic and her relations with her elder stepsister, played by Azmi.
Her next film named
The Japanese WifeThe Japanese Wife is a forthcoming Indian film directed by the acclaimed Bengali film director Aparna Sen. It stars Rahul Bose, Raima Sen and Moushumi Chatterjee, and Japanese actress Chigusa Takaku in the title role...
(2008), stars
Raima SenRaima Sen is an Indian film actress.-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the grand-daughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry....
,
Rahul BoseRahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jhankaar Beats. Time Asia magazine named him "the superstar of Indian arthouse cinema" for his work in parallel cinema films like...
and a Japanese actress. This film focuses on two women. It is based on a short story by West Bengal author
Kunal BasuKunal Basu is an Indian author of English fiction who has written three acclaimed novels - The Opium Clerk , The Miniaturist , and Racists...
.
In 2009, Sen announced her first Hindi film
GulelGulel is an upcoming Hindi film, directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment. It will reportedly star Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar. Earlier, Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were rumored to be a part of the film, but they declined...
, which will star
Ranbir KapoorRanbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies. He first appeared in the 2007 film Saawariya for which he won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award.- Personal life :...
,
Farhan AkhtarFarhan Akhtar , is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer, and television host....
,
Bipasha BasuBipasha Basu is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films and a former model. She was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest for 1996 and is currently one of the mainstream actresses in Bollywood...
,
Urmila MatondkarUrmila Matondkar is an Indian Bollywood actress.Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha...
and
Konkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen Sharma , born December 3, 1979, is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of filmmaker Aparna Sen...
.
Personal life
Sen has been married three times. Her first marriage, to Sanjay Sen, was when she was quite young. Her second husband was the science writer and journalist, Mukul Sharma. They later divorced amicably. Sen is presently married to Kalyan Ray, an author and professor of English who teaches at County College of Morris in Randolph,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She has two daughters, Kamalini and
KonkonaKonkona Sen Sharma , born December 3, 1979, is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of filmmaker Aparna Sen...
- who is also an actress- and two grandchildren.
Other achievements
In 2008, Sen was elected into the International Jury of the
Asia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Queensland Events Corporation, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of...
. The highly credentialed Jury, headed by a president of international distinction, determine winners from all nominations in each award category.
From 1986 to 2005, Sen was editor of the fortnightly
SanandaSananda is a Bengali magazine published by Ananda Publishers from Kolkata, India. The magazine is a women's magazine. The periodocal is usually published on 15th and 30th of every month....
, a Bengali women's magazine (published by the Ananda Bazar Patrika group) that enjoys equal popularity in
West BengalWest Bengal is a state in eastern India. With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of Orissa...
and
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. From November 2005 to December 2006, she was associated with the Bengali 24x7 infotainment channel
Kolkata TVKolkata TV is a 24x7 news Bengali channel, launched by SST Media in the year 2006.It is one of the Bangla language based news channels in India.Now it is taken by R.P group....
as Creative Director.
In 1986, the then-President of India bestowed the
Padma ShriPadma Shri is an award given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including the Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and public life...
to Sen in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema. Since then, she has received several lifetime achievement awards, and served on juries at film festivals around the world.
External links