Basu Chatterjee is called the pioneer of middle-of-the-road cinema. He made films that struck a balance between mainstream entertainment and parallel cinema. There was neither much masala nor heavy cinema art in his films.

Stories of common life and relationships
Simple love stories, everyday life of middle class families, problems of married relationships and light humor were seen in Basu Chatterjee’s films. There was no unnecessary drama or action in his films like ‘Rajnigandha’, ‘Chhoti Si Baat’ and ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’. 10th January is the birth anniversary of Basu Chatterjee.

Birth and early career
The special thing about Basu Chatterjee was that his stories seemed exactly like those of common people. He was born on 10 January 1930 in Ajmer (Rajasthan) in a Bengali family. He started his career as a cartoonist and illustrator in Mumbai and worked in a magazine for about 18 years.

Entry into the world of films and first film
In the year 1966, he entered films and became an assistant director. His first film as a director was ‘Sara Aakash’ released in 1969. In this film, the problems that come after marriage were shown with utmost truth and sensitivity.

Not a hero but a common man became a star
In Basu Chatterjee’s films, the hero did not fight with goons but was seen managing love and relationships in small matters. He made Amol Palekar the face of a middle class man. This common man’s style was seen in films like ‘Chhoti Si Baat’, ‘Rajnigandha’, ‘Khatta-Meetha’, ‘Chitchor’ and ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’.

Long list of hit films
Basu Chatterjee’s successful films include 1974’s ‘Rajnigandha’, 1975’s ‘Chhoti Si Baat’, ‘Chitchor’, ‘Khatta-Meetha’ and ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’. These films won people’s hearts without much fanfare.

Left a deep mark in the world of TV too
Along with films, Basu Chatterjee also did excellent work on TV. He created the iconic serial ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’ for Doordarshan, which ran from 1993 to 1997. In this, Rajit Kapoor played the role of a Bengali detective. In the TV show ‘Rajini’ released in 1985, Priya Tendulkar took social issues to the common people. Both these shows were seen in every household in the eighties and nineties and had a huge fan following. Basu Chatterjee’s films were liked not only by the people but also by the people of the film industry. He made his first film ‘Sara Akash’ based on the experience he gained from French, German, Italian and Mexican films.

Special praise to Mrinal Sen
According to Basu Chatterjee himself, the most special praise for ‘Sara Aakash’ was given by the famous director Mrinal Sen. Mrinal Sen had said, ‘We make films for the people but you have made this film for us.’

timeless legacy
Basu Chatterjee’s contribution to cinema and TV is timeless even today. He died on 4 June 2020 at the age of 93, but his compositions like ‘Rajnigandha’, ‘Chhoti Si Baat’ and ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’ are still alive in the hearts of people.