Basu Bhattacharya – A pioneer of parallel cinema in Bollywood best known for ‘Teesri Kasam’

Basu Bhattacharya (1934–1997 was an acclaimed and National award winning filmmaker from Bollywood. He directed a total of 18 movies, of which his debut release Teesri Kasam (1966) is his masterpiece which won National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Anubhav (1971), Avishkaar (1973), Griha Pravesh (1979) and last film, Aastha: In the Prison of Spring (1997) are his major works. He was formerly married to director Bimal Roy’s daughter, Rinki Bhattacharya, and their son Aditya Bhattacharya, a film director had a brief married life with Shashi Kapoor’s daughter, Sanjana Kapoor. A pioneer of parallel cinema in Bollywood and a director of sensitive films, only a few movies met with commercial success.

He started his career as an assistant under Bimal Roy in 1958

Basu Bhattacharya was born in Kolkata and moved to Mumbai to pursue his acting dreams. In 1958 he joined as assistant director to Bimal Roy, the top director of 1950s. He worked as an assistant director for Roy’s masterpiece works – Madhumati and Sujata. In fact his association with Roy began in Kolkata before Roy moved to Mumbai in the early 1950s. When Roy turned successful in Bollywood, his team comprising of Basu Bhattacharya, directors – Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar, art director Sudhendhu Roy and actor Nazir Hussain also moved to Mumbai.

In the early 1960s Basu fell in love with Roy’s daughter, Rinki Bhattacharya and got married against Bimal Roy’s wishes in 1963. It caused a drift with his mentor, and Roy passed away in 1966. Rinki Bhattacharya started her career as a freelance journalist publishing articles in different periodicals exactly the same year. However after living together for 2 decades, his wife Rinki left him in 1983 because of domestic violence, after which Basu’s career also trembled, and no more box office hits for a long period. They legally separated in 1990. The couple has three children.

He was hired by lyricist Shailendra to direct his first film, Teesri Kasam

His debut film, Teesri Kasam (1966) was a masterpiece. However the movie starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rahman was a commercial failure. Ironically his father-in-law and the lyricist turned producer Shailendra passed away the same year. In fact the movie’s failure caused huge financial losses to the lyricist. Totally broken he took to drinking and died at the age of only 43. Basu had one more release same year, Uski Kahani. The movie had Tarun Ghosh and Anju Mahendru in the lead role, and Satyendra Athaiya, Dina Pathak etc in supporting roles.

In the 1970s he became famous through the trilogy based on man-woman relationship

Meri Jaan song from Anubhav

He directed three low-budget films in the 1970s, which can be grouped as a trilogy based on man-woman relationship set up in urban culture – Anubhav, Avishkar and Griha Pravesh. Read a few interesting facts about the classic tunes of Anubhav and its recording. His last release, Aastha: In the Prison of Spring too dealt with same subject of man-woman relationship.

Apart from many movies, he also directed one TV series, Anveshan in 1985. His last release, Aastha: In the Prison of Spring got into a few controversies as it included some explicit love scenes of Rekha with her co-stars Om Puri as well as Navin Nischol and also explored woman’s sexuality outside marriage, a taboo to Bollywood cinema till then. The movie was a hit, and Basu even planned to remake the movie in English. Unfortunately he passed away the same year. The director was 63 and suffered from acute pancreatitis.

Basu Bhattacharya – Some interesting and less-known facts

Basu Chatterjee with his mentor Basu Bhattacharya on the film sets of Teesri Kasam

1. He is related to Kapoor family as his son Aditya Bhattacharya had a brief married life with Shashi Kapoor’s daughter, Sanjana Kapoor.

2. Ace filmmaker Basu Chatterjee, best known for telling stories related to Indian middle class, started his filmy journey as an assistant under Basu Bhattacharya, working for the movie, Teesri Kasam. Interestingly Basu Chatterjee is 4 years older to Bhattacharya, and it was the first movie for Bhattacharya as a director.

3. His production venture Sparsh (1979) won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Filmfare best movie award.

4. He served as president of the Indian Film Directors’ Association from 1976 to 1979.

5. He was a jury member at the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.

6. After divorce his ex-wife Rinki Bhattacharya turned a successful writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker.

7. His trilogy in the 1970s reflected his personal life too. Many of his works were influenced by the work of Bimal Roy, under whom he started his career as an assistant.

8. Anand Mahal, Akhari Daku, Asampanna Kavita, Black Friday, Solar Energy etc are some of his unreleased films.

9. Actor Uttam Kumar was first approached for the movie, Griha Pravesh. Following a fallout with the director, the actor left the project and the role eventually went to Sanjeev Kumar, who was a part of his movie, Anubhav, belonging to the same series.