Noted Bengali film director Tarun Majumdar died in a Kolkata hospital on Monday. He was 91.
He was admitted to the state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital on June 14, due to age-related ailments. After his condition deteriorated on the evening of July 3, he was put on life support and died at 11.17am the following days.
Majumdar was a recipient of the Padma Shri honour, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. During his lifetime, he also won multiple honours including India’s coveted National Award, Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Award and Filmfare Awards (East).
Majumdar was credited for launching a number of legendary film actors and actresses like Moushumi Chatterjee, Late Tapas Paul and Debasree Roy and his own wife Sandhya Roy.
The film ‘Gandevata’ (Human god), based on the legendary novel by Bengali writer, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, was the first reflections of Majumdar’s leanings towards Marxist ideology, where he portrayed the breakdown of socio-economic structures, impact of industrialisation and non-cooperation movement in rural Bengal.
On the contrary, his films like ‘Dadar Kirti’, ‘Bhalobasha Bhalobasha’ and ‘Apan Amar Apan’ depicted the spirit of romanticism prevalent in then Bengali society. In many of his films, Majumdar had strongly advocated for maintaining the traditional culture of Bengali joint families. In his movies, he had made a perfect blending of rural and urban lives in Bengal.
The movies directed by him were specially acclaimed for extensive and sequential use of songs by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
Born on January 8, 1931, Majumdar was an acclaimed student in his academic life as well. He did his graduation in chemistry from Kolkata’s reputed Scottish Church College.
He had always been candid about his support towards the previous Left Front government. In May 2011, soon after Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal bringing an end to the 34-year Left Front rule in West Bengal, Majumdar too resigned from the post of advisor of Nandan (West Bengal film centre in Kolkata).
A pall of gloom descended over the entire Bengali silver screen world as the news of his demise spread. Many dignitories, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, expressed their condolences.
