{"id":2106,"date":"2015-08-25T00:00:28","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T18:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=2106"},"modified":"2020-08-25T18:04:28","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T12:34:28","slug":"asit-sen-film-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/asit-sen-film-director\/","title":{"rendered":"Asit Sen: Sensitive, Women-Centric Films in a Class of their Own"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Asit Sen Film Director (Pic courtesy: KFF<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

Asit Sen \u2013 Film Director. The name may not ring a bell immediately for the lay Hindi movie buff but mention Mamta, Khamoshi<\/em> and Safar<\/em> and there you are, spot on! These 3 timeless classics alone along with Anokhi Raat<\/em> and to an extent Annadata <\/em>have cemented Asit Sen\u2019s place in Hindi film as a sensitive director who stepped away from the regular formula.<\/p>\n

Filmmakers who kept the focus sharply on women in their films in the hero-dominated world of Hindi films \u2013 there aren\u2019t too many of them. But in his brief repertoire of 13 films in Hindi, Asit Sen\u2019s best known films stand apart for their central women characters \u2013 strong yet compassionate, courageous yet sensitive, daring yet loving, who would not shy away from giving away their everything quietly to ensure the welfare of a loved one. Even in his lesser known films such as Maa aur Mamta<\/em> and Sharafat<\/em> that could not recreate the magic of their classic peers, he did keep the spotlight on women. But more about those later in the story\u2026<\/p>\n

Stepping into Hindi with Mamta<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Asit Sen’s stint with Hindi cinema began with Mamta<\/em> in 1966 and he stayed back to direct 11 more films in Bombay. His total repertoire of 13 films in Hindi and probably 8 in Bengali have some really great movies that have left a lasting impact on cinema goers.<\/p>\n

\"Poster

Suchitra Sen\u2019s strong and outstanding performance in a double role of mother and daughter was a treat to watch.<\/p><\/div>\n

It is so very true that the best films of Asit Sen had almost all had gone through a dress rehearsal. First done in Bengali, appreciated and successful and then repeated in Hindi with equal, if not more, success and appreciation. The point here in favour of Sen is that the originals were bearing his stamp of brilliance and were highly acclaimed. \u00a0With Hindi versions he just proved his capabilities to a larger all India audience.<\/p>\n

Mamta<\/em> was a direct adaption of Sen\u2019s Bengali film Uttar Falguni<\/em>. Without comparing the two, the Hindi one leaves a lasting impression in the annals of Hindi cinema. Suchitra Sen<\/a>\u2019s strong and outstanding performance in a double role of mother and daughter was a treat to watch. A remarkably effortless performance by Ashok Kumar<\/a> coupled with excellent direction by Asit Sen and superb music by Roshan added to the success of the film. Each song is a collectors\u2019 delight. A great film to watch.<\/p>\n

Rahein na rahein hum mehka karenge<\/em><\/strong> (Mamta<\/em>, 1966)<\/span><\/p>\n