Mrinal Sen Birth Anniversary: From 'Neel Akhasher Neechey' to 'Calcutta 71', the legendary icon remembers his masterpieces

(Pics courtesy: Twitter)

Mrinal Sen was a renowned Bengali director known for his pioneering work in Indian cinema. His classic movies like 'Bhuvan Shome,' 'Calcutta 71,' and 'Ek Din Pratidin' showcased his distinct storytelling style and powerful social commentary. Sen's films often addressed pressing issues in society, making him an influential figure in the parallel cinema movement. His remarkable contributions earned him several accolades, including multiple National Film Awards and the prestigious Padma Bhushan, in recognition of his artistic brilliance and dedication to cinema. The legendary filmmaker, who brought laurels to India with his work of art, similar to the iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen would have turned 100 on May 14 if he would have been alive today. On the occasion of Mrinal Sen's 100th birth anniversary, here's a look back at one of the rare interviews that he once gave to HT, where Sen walked down memory lane and spoke about his favourite movies which he helmed and his fondest memories about his films.

While speaking about his 1958 Bengali drama, 'Neel Akhasher Neechey', which starred Kali Bannerjee, Manju Dey and Bikash Roy in lead roles, Mrinal said, "I do not consider it a directional masterpiece. Yet, even today, viewers go nostalgic about Hemanta Mukherjee's baritone rendering, 'Neel Akhasher Niche Ei Prithibi' in the background. The affection and pathos of the Chinese (Wang Chu) performed to the hill by Kali Banerjee remains the highlight of 'Neel Akasher Niche'."

The movie which presented the megastar of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan as a narrator, 'Bhuvan Shome' is one of the finest works of Sen which is still celebrated by cinema lovers across the globe. While speaking about his 1969 Hindi venture and how veteran actors Utpal Dutt and Shuhasini Mulay made the movie a timeless classic with their superlative performances, Sen said, "Many consider Bhuvan Shome to be my best cinematic creation. A celluloid study of the decaying feudal system, it had Utpal Dutt and Suhasini Mulay, at their altruistic bests. In fact, Ashok Kumar was too keen to perform Utpal Dutt's character. I deeply regretted as I had already signed Utpal Dutt. Dr. V. Shantaram was too keen to distribute it. Amitabh Bachchan gave his maiden voice-over for Bhuvan Shome."

Also Read: Mrinal Sen birth anniversary: 8 classic movies you must watch of the filmmaker

The noted art filmmaker, while looking back at his 1971 Utpal Dutt and Ranjit Mallick-starrer Bengali classic, 'Calcutta 71', Mrinal Sen had said, "I was deeply moved by the political turbulence of the 70s. My Kolkata trilogy depicted those troubled days. In Calcutta 71, there were three stories woven into a single film. The narration was in poignant manner with socio-political questions. The climax reached epic proportions with Late Geeta's (Sen) heart-wrenching cry, ‘Gaurango, Gaurangore'. A mother's guest for her son. Geeta rose to the occasion, even above my directional views."