Victor Banerjee (born 15 October 1946) is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 100 films in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Assamese cinema. He has worked with directors such as Roman Polanski, James Ivory, Sir David Lean, Jerry London, Ronald Neame, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, and Montazur Rahman Akbar. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Ghare Baire. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2022 for his contribution to cinema by the Indian Government.
Early life and Education
Victor Banerjee (born October 15, 1946) is a renowned Indian actor born into a distinguished Zamindari Bengali Hindu family in Calcutta, with lineage from the Raja of Uttarpara and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first president of the Indian National Congress. He was educated at St. Edmund's School, Shillong, graduated in English Literature from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta, and pursued post-graduate studies in Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University.
Personal life
While in Calcutta, Banerjee performed in plays. He also performed during his time in Bombay.
He has a daughter who was a VFX supervisor for 16 years.
Art aficionado
Banerjee established The Calcutta Art Gallery in the late 1970s which was the first commercial art gallery in the city.
Film career
In 1984, Banerjee portrayed Dr. Aziz Ahmed in David Lean's film of A Passage to India, bringing him to the attention of western audiences.
He acted in Merchant Ivory Productions Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures, Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari and Ghare Baire and in Mrinal Sen's Mahaprithivi. On the set of Gunday starring Priyanka Chopra, Banerjee has said that he feels "all work is a challenge and therefore fun."
He was also cast in the critically acclaimed role of God in the 1988 production of the York Mystery Plays, by director Steven Pimlott. He was the first Asian to play a lead role in British Theatre.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Civilian Awards
- 2022 — Padma Bhushan — India's third highest civilian award.
Film awards
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Award
!Film
!Category
!Result
!Ref.
|-
! 1986
| BAFTA Awards
| A Passage to India
| Best Actor in a Leading Role
|
|
|-
! 1986
| rowspan="2"|Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards
| Ghare Baire
| rowspan="2"|Best Actor
|
|
|-
! 1997
| Lathi
|
|
|-
! 1985
| Evening Standard British Film Awards
| rowspan="2"|A Passage to India
| Best Actor
|
|
|-
! 1984
| National Board of Review Awards
| Best Actor
|
|
|-
! 1985
| National Film Awards
| Ghare Baire
| Best Supporting Actor
|
|
|-
|}
Political career
Banerjee unsuccessfully contested the 1991 Lok Sabha election in Calcutta North West from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
As an active member of the BJP, he was critical of Mulayam Singh Yadav's order to shoot the Karsevaks who had once climbed the Babri Masjid prior to its demolition.
He has been highly critical of what he called Navjot Singh Sidhu's pacifist attitude to terrorism exported from Pakistan.