{"id":1317,"date":"2014-04-25T12:45:27","date_gmt":"2014-04-25T12:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=1317"},"modified":"2020-06-04T12:01:04","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T06:31:04","slug":"manzil-memories-rare-memorabilia-basu-chatterjis-films","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/manzil-memories-rare-memorabilia-basu-chatterjis-films\/","title":{"rendered":"A Manzil of Memories: Rare Memorabilia Of Basu Chatterji’s Films"},"content":{"rendered":"

(All pictures of film stills and memorabilia used in this article are courtesy SMM Ausaja, Rupali Guha, Supratik Roy, Bipinchandra Naria and NFDC.)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Basu Chatterji’s films are available on\u00a0Amazon<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Flipkart<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Sara<\/a>

Rare poster of Sara Akash<\/em>, one of the 3 films that ushered in the Indian New Wave cinema in 1969-70<\/p><\/div>\n

When Basu Chatterji debuted with the much acclaimed Sara Akash<\/em>, he not only announced the arrival of a new kind of cinema, rooted in the regular lives of ordinary people, he also etched 1969 as the year that marked the beginning of theIndian New Wave cinema.<\/p>\n

Together with Mani Kaul\u2019s\u00a0Uski Roti<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Mrinal Sen\u2019s Bhuvan Shome, Sara Akash <\/em>took Indian films to the next level, taking a close look at the conflicts, aspirations, emotions and relationships of people who were next door, not larger than life.<\/p>\n

The initial steps<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sara Akash<\/em> based on first part of Rajendra Yadav\u2019s debut novel Sara Akash <\/em>(The Infinite Cosmos, 1951), explored the internal conflicts of a newly-wed couple in a traditional middle class joint family in Uttar Pradesh and how they grapple with the new challenges of domestic life they were not prepared for.<\/p>\n

The film was entirely shot on location giving it a greater feel of actual reality. Chatterji himself identified with the milieu as he had been brought up in Mathura. His own inspirations, especially Vittorio De Sica\u2019s Bicycle Thieves<\/em> and the films of France and Sweden were reflected in his style of story-telling \u2013 to narrate as it happened, with no frills attached.<\/p>\n

With K. K. Mahajan\u00a0picking up the\u00a01969\u00a0National Film Award for Best Cinematography for Sara Akash<\/em>, Basu Chatterji made critics sit up and take notice of his choice of stories, his cinematic style and his solid grasp on technique.<\/p>\n

\"Basu<\/a>

Sensorium and Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts is presenting a week-long archival exhibition of film stills and film memorabilia of the legendary director, title \u2018Basu Chatterji, A Manzil of Memories\u2019.<\/p><\/div>\n

A political cartoonist at Blitz, one of India\u2019s biggest weeklies in the early 1960s, Basudeb Chatterji or \u2018Basu Chatterji\u2019 stepped into the world of celluloid as assistant director to Basu Bhattacharya for the latter’s debut film\u00a0Teesri Kasam<\/em> in 1965. Four years later he made his first film Sara Akash<\/em>, starting off on an illustrious journey.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, despite being a flag bearer of the Indian New Wave cinema movement, Basu Chatterji made films that were in a genre of their own \u2013 the stories were about characters drawn from everyday life and yet the films did have songs woven into the story (unlike the usual Hindi film tradition of fitting in some songs more as a musical relief). The narrative structure was simple and uncomplicated. Yet his films touched a chord with the audience so deeply that they are still remembered, cherished and celebrated.<\/p>\n

\u2018<\/em><\/strong>Basu Chatterji, <\/strong>A Manzil of Memories\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sensorium and Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts\u00a0is presenting an archival exhibition of film stills and film memorabilia of the legendary director, title \u2018Basu Chatterji, A Manzil of Memories\u2019.<\/p>\n

The inauguration of the exhibition will be held on\u00a026\u00a0April 2014,\u00a0Saturday,\u00a0at\u00a06:00 p.m at Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts, Kolkata. It will witness the presence of cinema luminaries such as filmmakers Goutam Ghosh and Sandip Ray, writer Bani Basu, singer Sabita Chowdhury (wife of Salil Chowdhury who scored music for several Basu Chatterji films) and artist Shuvaprasanna. Actor Prosenjit Chatterji\u00a0will be present on\u00a027 April,\u00a0Sunday.<\/p>\n

Conceived and curated by art presenter and independent curator Sounak Chacraverti, the exhibition will showcase rare film stills, posters, booklets and other memorabilia of Basu Chatterji\u2019s films. Says Sounak, \u201cI had been chasing this as a dream since 2009 to do an exhibition on Basu Chatteji, when I first discussed the idea over coffee with Basu Chatterji\u2019s daughter Rupali Guha in Bandra. It has taken 5 years to give it a final shape. But every act comes with a date. We have grown up watching his films and I am delighted the dream is finally close to realization.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hindi<\/a>

Hindi booklet of Basu Chatterjee’s Baton Baton Mein<\/p><\/div>\n

Way back in 2008, Sounak had curated Sensorium\u2019s debut exhibition \u2013 a unique and first-of-its-kind exhibition on photographs, films stills and memorabilia on film maestro Tapan Sinha,<\/a> in Kolkata\u2019s then newly opened Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR. The huge success of the exhibition, which Sounak subsequently took to Pune\u2019s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), set him on course for planning an exhibition on Basu Chatterji.<\/p>\n

There had been multiple exhibitions in Kolkata on filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Bengal\u2019s king of hearts Uttam Kumar. After the success of the Tapan Sinha exhibition, Sounak himself had received offers of hosting exhibitions on Kanan Devi, the legendary actress of the 1930s and 40s, sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar and even one on Rabindranath Tagore\u2019s association with cinema.<\/p>\n

But he says, curating an exhibition involves collecting rare memorabilia which is not always accessible. And so he waited till he had roped in film historians and collectors such as SMM Ausaja and Basu Chatterji’s daughter Rupali Guha to conceptualize an exhibition on Basu Chatterji. The title \u2018A Manzil of Memories\u2019 includes the name of Chatterji\u2019s well-known film Manzil<\/em>, the Amitabh Bachchan-Moushumi Chattejee starrer.<\/p>\n

Rare posters of Basu Chatterji’s films mounted on ceramic tiles<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the first time in India, rare posters and stills from Basu Chatterji’s films transferred on (“limited edition”) ceramic tiles, produced by Art Inn, will be launched\u00a0at the exhibition.<\/p>\n