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Besides launching new actors like Amol Palekar, Basu Chatterjee directed Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand

Senior journalist Chaitanya Padukone pays tribute to the Khatta Meetha filmmaker Basu Chatterjee

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By  Chaitanya  Padukone

Iconic filmmaker-screen-play and dialogue-writer Basu Chatterjee,, 90 years,  best known for directing simple realistic musical family-entertainers films like Chitchor, Rajnigandha, Chhoti Si Baat,  Baaton Baaton Mein, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla  and many more movies passed away peacefully today in Mumbai, following age-related ailments.

Not confining himself only to the silver-screen Basu-da made  made such memorable milestone TV shows including the trouble-shooter Rajani and  period detective thriller Byomkesh Bakshi . Like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya,  Basu-da was among the revered pioneers of the middle-of-the-road cinema. The multi-tasking Chatterjee worked in Hindi as well as Bengali cinema. His films, which were considered to be more realistic, were conspicuously different as the 70s and 80’s was the era of the ‘angry young man’ and violence-action masala movies.

For those detractors who felt that Basu-da was perhaps  competent to handle only upcoming newcomers, he proved them wrong . The maverick Basu Chatterjee also collaborated with the superstars of the era but presented them in unique down-to-earth screen-avataars . Yes, the same Basu-da who directed Amol Palekar in movies like ‘Rajnigandha’ also directed Amitabh Bachchan in Manzil, Rajesh Khanna in Chakravyuh, Dev Anand in Man Pasand, Mithun Chakraborty in Shaukeen and Pasand Apni Apni.Neetu Singh-Asha Sachdev in ‘Priyatama’ and Dharmendra-Hema in ‘Dillagi’

Recently, Byomkesh Bakshi was re-telecast as a retro rewind classic series during the ongoing lockdown. Veteran actor Amol Palekar, who has worked with Basu Chatterjee in six films including Rajnigandha and Chitchor, has shared, “Have had the privilege to  feature in six of Basu Chatterjee’s films. With his unique style Basu-da dared to be different from other directors with sheer simplicity of narration characterization, great music sense and not falling a prey to the conventional stereotypes.

Yet with an emotional common-man-connect,and  an undercurrent of  subtle classy humour,” Palekar said. Meanwhile  noted senior actress Asha Sachdev who won the Award for her supporting performance in ‘Priyatama’ directed by Basu-da, was emotionally upset as she reacted. “Defying my hot glam-girl image Basu-da cast me as a bubbly girl who wears ‘glasses’ in his movie ‘Priyatama’(1977), which won the Filmfare award for me. Lively,yet simple Basu-da had a breezy sense of humour and he had this habit of putting his handkerchief towards his mouth while on the sets. Very lovable light-hearted person. We will all miss him, RIP,” reacted Asha speaking exclusively to CineBlitz.  Meanwhile, continuing her father’s  tradition, Basu-da’s talented producer-director daughter Rupali Guha is currently active in telly-biz and the OTT web-zone having co-produced ‘Mentalhood;’ starring Karisma Kapoor.

( The writer Chaitanya Padukone is an eminent  senior entertainment journalist-author)

Let us know in the comment section below and stay tuned to CineBLitz for updates on this front as well as other Bollywood news. https://cineblitz.in/

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