Veteran Filmmaker and screenwriter Basu Chatterjee, best known for directing films like Choti Si Baat, Rajnigandha, Baaton Baaton Mein, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla and Chameli Ki Shaadi among more, passed away on Thursday in Mumbai, following age-related ailments. He was 93.
Celebrities such as Shabana Azmi, Shoojit Sircar, Madhur Bhandarkar and more took to social media to mourn the demise of Basu Chatterjee.
Director Madhur Bhandarkar shared, “Sad to hear the demise of Veteran Filmmaker Shri.Basu Chatterjee. Will be always remembered for his Light Hearted comedies & Simplistic Films. #OmShanti”
Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar wrote, “My 1st job as an assistant director was with Basu Chatterjee for a Bengali tv serial shot in CR park, New Delhi.. May his soul Rest In Peace”
Actress Azmi Shabana wrote, “Deeply saddened to hear about Basu Chatterjee’s passing away. A prolific filmaker, he was the pioneer of what came to be regarded as middle of the road cinema. I was fortunate to have done 3 lovely films with him Swami Apne Paraye and Jeena Yahan. All lifelike characters. RIP”
Basu Chatterjee, along with filmmakers like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya, were pioneers of the middle-of-the-road cinema.
Chatterjee worked in Hindi as well as Bengali cinema. His films, which were considered to be more realistic, stood out as the 70s was the era of the ‘angry young man’ and action movies. He collaborated with Amol Palekar on films like Choti Si Baat, Rajnigandha and Chitchor among more.
Basu Chatterjee also collaborated with the superstars of the era but presented them in unique avatars – Amitabh Bachchan in Manzil, Rajesh Khanna in Chakravyuh, Dev Anand in Man Pasand AND Mithun Chakraborty in Shaukeen and Pasand Apni Apni.
His 1986 film Ek Ruka Hua Faisla was an Indian adaptation of Twelve Angry Men, and is remembered till date. In 1992, he was awarded National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare for his film Durga.