Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades, and is named the pioneer of the 'middle cinema' of India. Renowned for his social films that reflected the changing middle-class ethos, Mukherjee "carved a middle path between the extravagance of mainstream cinema and the stark realism of art cinema".
He is known for a number of films, including Anari, Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, , Guddi, Gol Maal, Majhli Didi, Chaitali, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Khubsoorat, , and .
He also remained the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). He studied science and graduated in chemistry from the University of Calcutta. He taught mathematics and science for some time before taking up filmmaking as a career.
Career
Mukherjee initially worked as a cameraman, and then film editor, in B. N. Sircar's New Theatres in Calcutta in the late 1940s, where he learned his skills from Subodh Mitter ('Kenchida'), a well known editor at the time. He later worked with Bimal Roy in Mumbai as a film editor and assistant director in 1951, participating in the landmark Roy films Do Bigha Zamin and Devdas.
His debut directorial venture, Musafir (1957), was not a success, but he later received acclaim for his second film Anari in 1959. The film, crew and cast won five Filmfare Awards, with Mukherjee only losing the Best Director Award to his mentor, Bimal Roy.
In the following years, he made numerous films. Some of his most notable films include: Anuradha (1960), Chhaya (1961), Asli-Naqli (1962), Anupama (1966), Aashirwad (1968), Satyakam (1969), Guddi (1971), Anand (1971), Bawarchi (1972), (1973), (1973), Mili (1975), Chupke Chupke (1975), Alaap (1977), Gol Maal (1979), Khubsoorat (1980) and Bemisal (1982). He was the first to introduce Dharmendra in comedy roles, through Chupke Chupke, and gave Amitabh Bachchan his big break with Anand in 1970, along with Rajesh Khanna, he also introduced Jaya Bhaduri to Hindi cinema in his film Guddi. Having worked with his mentor, Bimal Roy as an editor, in films like Madhumati, he was much sought after as an editor as well.
Later life
In 1999, Mukherjee was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award by the Government of India. Mukherjee was the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and of the National Film Development Corporation. In 2001, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award for his contribution to Indian cinema by the Government of India. The International Film Festival of India honoured him with a retrospective of his films in November 2005. He holds the distinction of working with many of the top Indian stars since the independence of India in 1947.
His last film was Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate. Since his original hero, Amol Palekar, had grown old, he opted to cast Anil Kapoor. He has directed TV serials including Talaash.
Death
In later life, Mukherjee suffered from chronic kidney failure and would go to Lilavati Hospital for dialysis. He was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai early on Tuesday, 6 June 2006 after he complained of uneasiness. Mukherjee died a few weeks later on 27 August 2006.
Personal life
Mukherjee was married and has three daughters and two sons. His wife died over three decades before him.
His younger brother, Dwarkanath Mukherjee, helped write the screenplay for many of his films.
He was an animal lover and had many dogs and occasionally cats at his residence in Bandra, Mumbai. In his final years, Mukherjee was exclusively staying with his servants and pets. Family members and friends would visit him regularly.
Awards
- 2001: Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India
- 2001: NTR National Award
- Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh for 1997-1998
;Berlin International Film Festival
- 1961: Golden Bear: Nomination: Anuradha
;Filmfare Awards
- 1956: Filmfare Best Editing Award: Naukari
- 1959: Filmfare Best Editing Award: Madhumati
- 1970: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award:
- 1972: Filmfare Best Movie Award: Anand shared with N. C. Sippy
- 1972: Filmfare Best Editing Award: Anand
- 1972: Filmfare Best Story Award: Anand
- 1981: Filmfare Best Movie Award: Khubsoorat shared with N. C. Sippy
- 1994: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1994)
;Kerala State Film Awards
- 1970: Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor: Priya
- 1974: Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor: Nellu
;National Film Awards
- 1957: Certificate of Merit for Third Best Feature Film in Hindi – Musafir
- 1959: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Anari
- 1960: President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film – Anuradha
- 1966: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Anupama
- 1968: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Aashirwad
- 1969: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Satyakam
- 1970: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Anand
- 1999: Dada Saheb Phalke Award
Filmography
Films as director
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year !!Film !!Starring
|-
|1957
|Musafir
|Dilip Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Suchitra Sen and Usha Kiran.
|-
|1959
|Anari
|Raj Kapoor, Nutan, Lalita Pawar and Motilal.
|-
|1960
|Anuradha
|Balraj Sahni, Leela Naidu
|-
|rowspan="2"|1961
|Chhaya
|Sunil Dutt, Asha Parekh
|-
|Memdidi
|David, Jayant, Lalita Pawar, Asit Sen, Tanuja
|-
|rowspan="2"|1962
|Asli-Naqli
|Dev Anand, Sadhna
|-
|Aashiq
|Raj Kapoor, Padmini
|-
|1964
|Saanjh Aur Savera
|Guru Dutt, Meena Kumari
|-
|rowspan="4"|1966
|Anupama
|Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore
|-
|Gaban
|Sunil Dutt, Sadhana
|-
|Do Dil
|Biswajit, Mumtaz
|-
|Biwi Aur Makan
|Biswajit, Kalpana Mohan, Mehmood
|-
|1967
|Majhli Didi
|Dharmendra, Meena Kumari
|-
|rowspan="2"|1968
|Aashirwad
|Ashok Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar
|-
|Chotto Jigyasa
|Prosenjit Chatterjee, Biswajit Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee
|-
|rowspan="2"|1969
|Satyakam
|Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjeev Kumar
|-
|Pyar Ka Sapna
|Mala Sinha, Biswajeet, Ashok Kumar, Helen, Johnny Walker
|-
|rowspan="3"|1971
|Anand
|Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan
|-
|Guddi
|Dharmendra, Jaya Bhaduri, Utpal Dutt
|-
|Buddha Mil Gaya
|Om Prakash, Navin Nischol, Deven Verma
|-
|rowspan="2"|1972
|Bawarchi
|Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bhaduri
|-
|
|Vijay Arora, Asrani
|-
|rowspan="2"|1973
|
|Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Asrani
|-
|
|Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha
|-
|1974
|Phir Kab Milogi
|Biswajit, Mala Sinha, Deven Verma
|-
|rowspan="3"|1975
|Chupke Chupke
|Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri
|-
|Mili
|Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri
|-
|Chaitali
|Dharmendra, Saira Banu
|-
|1976
|Arjun Pandit
|Sanjeev Kumar, Ashok Kumar
|-
|rowspan="2"|1977
|Alaap
|Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha
|-
|Kotwal Saab
|Shatrughan Sinha, Aparna Sen
|-
|1978
|Naukri
|Rajesh Khanna, Zaheera, Raj Kapoor
|-
|rowspan="2"|1979
|Gol Maal
|Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt, Bindiya Goswami
|-
|Jurmana
|Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Vinod Mehra
|-
|1980
|Khubsoorat
|Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Ashok Kumar
|-
|1981
|Naram Garam
|Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt, Swaroop Sampat, Shatrughan Sinha
|-
|1982
|Bemisal
|Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Vinod Mehra
|-
|rowspan="3"|1983
|Rang Birangi
|Amol Palekar, Parveen Babi, Deepti Naval, Farooq Sheikh
|-
|Kissise Na Kehna
|Utpal Dutt, Deepti Naval, Farooq Sheikh
|-
|Achha Bura
|Raj Babbar, Anita Raj
|-
|rowspan="1"|1985
|Jhoothi
|Rekha, Raj Babbar, Amol Palekar, Supriya Pathak, Deven Verma
|-
|rowspan="1"|1988
|Namumkin
|Sanjeev Kumar, Raj Babbar, Zeenat Aman, Vinod Mehra
|-
|rowspan="1"|1998
|Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate
|Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Amrish Puri, Reema Lagoo
|-
|}
Films as editor, writer or assistant director
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year !! Film !!Production<br>Function !!Notes
|-
|1947
|Tathapi
|
|
|-
|1950
|Pehla Aadmi
|Editor, Assistant Director
|
|-
|1952
|Maa
|Editor, Assistant Director
|
|-
|1953
|Do Bigha Zamin
|Scenario, editor, Assistant Director
|
|-
|1953
|Parineeta
|Editor
|
|-
|1954
|Biraj Bahu
|Editor
|
|-
|1955
|Devdas
|Co-editor with Das Dhaimade
|
|-
|1955
|Garam Coat
|Editor
|
|-
|1958
|Madhumati
|Editor
|
|-
|1959
|Heera Moti
|||
|-
|1961
|Char Diwari
|Editor
|
|-
|1961
|Ganga Jumna
|Co-editor with Das Dhaimade
|
|-
|1965
| Chemmeen
|Editor
|
|-
|1968
| Mere Hamdam Mere Dost
|Editor
|
|-
|1974
| Nellu
|Editor
|
|-
|1970
|Dastak
|Editor
|
|-
|1977
|Alaap
|Story, producer
|
|-
|1977
|Anuroopa
| One and only Kannada Film as editor||
|-
|1981
|Professor Pyarelal
|Editor||
|-
|1983
| Coolie
|Editor
|
|-
|}
TV serials
- Hum Hindustani (1986)
- Talaash (1992)
- Dhoop Chhaon
- Rishte
- Ujaale Ki Or
- Agar Aisa Ho Toh
Further reading
- Great Masters of Indian Cinema: The Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners, by D. P. Mishra, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 2006. . page 122.
References
External links
- Hrishikesh Mukherjee at AllMovie