Prosenjit Chatterjee (born 30 September 1962) is an Indian actor and producer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading actors in modern Bengali cinema. He predominantly works in
Bengali cinema . He is the son of veteran Bollywood actor
Biswajit Chatterjee
Biswajit Chatterjee (born 14 December 1936), known mononymously as Biswajit, is an Indian actor, producer, director, singer and politician known for his work in Hindi and Bengali cinema.
Early career
After films in Calcutta including ''May ...
. He began his acting career as a child actor in
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as ''Hrishi-da'', he directed 42 films during his ca ...
's ''
Chotto Jigyasa
''Chotto Jigyasa'' is a 1968 film directed by the Bengali film director Hrisikesh Mukherjee. This was Prosenjit Chatterjee's first role as a child.
Cast
* Biswajit Chatterjee
* Prosenjit Chatterjee
* Haradhan Bandopadhyay
* Gita Dey
* Anup K ...
'', for which he won the
. Following this he appeared in other films as a
child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...
. His first leading role came through
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as '' Do Bigha Zamin'', '' Parineeta'', '' Biraj Bahu'', ''Devdas'', ''Madhumati'', '' Sujata'', '' ...
's ''Duti Pata''.
Prosenjit's
breakthrough role came opposite
Vijeta Pandit
Vijayta Pandit is an Indian actress and playback singer, most famous for her first film '' Love Story'' (1981).
Early life and background
Vijayta comes from a musical family originating from Pili Mandori Village in Hissar district of Haryana ...
in ''
Amar Sangi
''Amar Sangee'' () is a 1987 Indian Bengali-language film directed by Sujit Guha and produced by Dipti Pal. The film features actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Vijayeta Pandit in the lead roles. The musics of the film was composed by Bappi Lahir ...
'' (1987), a highly successful romantic drama directed by
Sujit Guha
Sujit Guha (born 23 July 1950) is an Indian film director known for his works in Bengali cinema.
Filmography
* '' Deewangee ... The Terror of Love'' (2016)
* ''Miss Butterfly'' (2015)
* '' Kellafote (2010)
* ''Mon Je Kore Uru Uru'' (2010)
* ...
. He made his debut in Hindi cinema with
David Dhawan
David Dhawan (born Rajinder Dhawan; 16 August 1951) is an Indian director of Hindi films. A member of the Dhawan family, he has directed over 42 films. The 1993 action thriller '' Aankhen'' and 1999 comedy '' Biwi No.1'' earned him two Filmfa ...
directed ''
Aandhiyan
Aandhiyan (English: Storms) is a 1990 Hindi film directed by David Dhawan. It stars Shatrughan Sinha, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Madhushree and Mumtaz in her comeback role after 13 years. The film marked Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee's Hindi fi ...
'' (1990). Apart from appearing in a series of
masala film
Masala films of Indian cinema mix multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still created as of the 2020s. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. They also tend to be ...
s, he started doing middle-of-the-road cinema with ''
Chokher Bali'' which starred
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebriti ...
in her debut
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and which met with critical and commercial success upon release. He again came back in doing
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
films and in 2006, he again collaborated with
Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh (31 August 1963 – 30 May 2013) was an Indian film director, actor, writer and lyricist. After pursuing a degree in economics, he started his career as a creative artist at an advertising agency. He received recognition for his ...
for ''
Dosar
''Dosar'' ( bn, দোসর; ) is a 2006 Bengali language Indian drama film. It was produced by Arindam Chaudhuri (Planman Motion Pictures) and directed by Rituparno Ghosh, the black-and-white film won the National Film Award – Special Jury A ...
'' and received the
Best Actor Award and
National Film Award - Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) for his performance in the film.
In 2009, Prosenjit did once again collaborate with Ghosh for ''
Shob Charitro Kalponik
''Sob Charitro Kalponik'', ( bn, সব চরিত্র কাল্পনিক, "All Characters are Imaginary," also known as ''Afterword'') is a 2009 Bengali film by Rituparno Ghosh starring Bipasha Basu, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengu ...
'', which starred
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu Singh Grover (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress and former model. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and English films. Basu is the recipient of numerous accolades ...
in her Bengali debut, won the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali
The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of severa ...
. In 2010, Prosenjit got another breakthrough by portraying the lead character of ''Arun Chatterjee'' in debutant
Srijit Mukherji's ''
Autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
'', for which he was nominated at MIAAC (Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council) film festival, under the Best Actor category. He portrayed the role of
Lalon
Lalon ( bn, লালন; 14 October 1772 – 17 October 1890), also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah, was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer. Regarded as an icon of ...
, a noted spiritual leader, poet and folk singer of Bengal in the 19th century in
Goutam Ghose
Goutam Ghose (also spelled Gautam Ghosh born 24 July 1950) is an Indian film director, Actor, music director and cinematographer, who works primarily in Bengali cinema. He is the only Indian to have received the "Vittorio Di Sica" Award, Italy ...
directorial ''
Moner Manush
''Moner Manush'' ( bn, মনের মানুষ, lit=Ideal Person) is a 2010 India-Bangladesh joint venture Bengali-language biographical musical drama film based on the life and philosophy of Lalon, a noted spiritual leader, poet and fol ...
'' and
Anthony Firingee
Anthony Firingee ( bn, অ্যাণ্টনি ফিরিংগী; ''Antōnī Phiringī''; ''lit'':"Anthony the foreigner"; 1786–1836), born as Hensman Anthony, was a Bengali language kavigan singer-writer and folk poet of Portuguese or ...
in the
National Film Awards winning film, ''
Jaatishwar
''Jaatishwar'' () is a 2014 Indian Bengali musical drama film directed by Srijit Mukherji, starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta and Swastika Mukherjee. The main focus of the plot revolves around the life and notable works of Anthony F ...
''. He went to earn further recognition and wider appeal for his roles in the romantic thriller
Khawto, the drama ''
Praktan
''Praktan'' (Bengali: প্রাক্তন, lit. ''Former'') is a 2016 Indian Bengali film directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee and starring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta. It brings back the Prosenjit - Rituparna ...
'', the thriller ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
'', the drama ''
Shankhachil
''Shankhachil'' (Brahminy kite, bn, শঙ্খচিল) is a 2016 India-Bangladesh joint venture Bengali-language historical Drama film, written by Sayantani Putatunda, starring Prosenjit, Kusum Sikder, Shajbati and directed by Goutam Gh ...
'', the crime film ''
Zulfiqar
Zulfiqar ( ar, ذُو ٱلْفَقَار, Ḏū-l-Faqār, ), also spelled ''Zu al-Faqar'', ''Zulfikar'', ''Dhu al-Faqar'', ''Dhulfaqar'' or ''Dhulfiqar'', is the sword of Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Middle Eastern weapons are commonly inscribed w ...
'' and have committed to star in the
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
films ''
3 Dev
''3 Dev'' is an unreleased Indian Hindi-language comedy film written and directed by Ankoosh Bhatt. The film stars Karan Singh Grover, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Ravi Dubey, Tisca Chopra and Raima Sen in the prominent roles while Prosenjit Chatterjee an ...
'', alongside
Kay Kay Menon
Krishna Kumar Menon (born 2 October 1966), better known by the stage name Kay Kay Menon, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Hindi cinema, and also in Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi and Telugu cinema.
Early life
Menon was born in a Nair f ...
,
Raima Sen
Raima Sen (born Raima Dev Varma on 7 November 1979) is an Indian actress who is known for her work in the Hindi and Bengali films.
Early life
Raima Sen was born on 7 November 1979 in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Moon Moon Sen and Bharat Dev Varma ...
,
Karan Singh Grover
Karan Singh Grover (born 23 February 1982) is an Indian model and actor known for his work in Indian television series such as ''Dill Mill Gayye'' and '' Qubool Hai''. He has also starred in Bollywood films like '' Alone'' and ''Hate Story 3'' ...
and ''Tabeer'' alongside Neeraj Kabi.
Chatterjee produced the Ghosh scripted the television series ''
Gaaner Oparey
''Gaaner Oparey'' () is an Indian Bengali television serial which aired on Star Jalsha from 28 June 2010 to 16 April 2011. This TV musical marked the beginning of a yearlong celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of the great Indian poet Rabi ...
'', which launched the careers of brothers
Arjun Chakraborty and
Gaurav Chakraborty and
Mimi Chakraborty
Mimi Chakraborty (born 11 February 1989) is an Indian actress, singer and politician. She is known for her work in Bengali cinema and television. Her debut film was Bapi Bari Jaa in which she played the female lead, Dola.
She was listed as ...
as well. In 2016, he debuted on the
non-fiction
Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...
category of
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
with a 97-episode mini-series, titled ''
Mahanayak''. Produced by
Shree Venkatesh Films
SVF Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian media and entertainment company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, founded by Shrikant Mohta. Apart from producing and distributing Bengali films, SVF also distributes Bollywood and Hollywood films ...
and directed by
Birsa Dasgupta
Birsa Dasgupta (born 2 November 1979) is an Indian Bengali film director based in Tollywood.He is well known for directing films such as Shudhu Tomari Jonyo, Gangster,
Psycho (2021 film)
Early life
Born in Kolkata, his grandfather was not ...
, the show starred
Paoli Dam
Paoli Dam (born 1980) is an Indian actress who started her career with the Bengali television serial ''Jibon Niye Khela'' (2003). She then worked in Bengali television serials such as ''Tithir Atithi'' and ''Sonar Harin''; the former ran for ...
,
Tanushree Chakraborty
Tanusree Chakraborty (born 6 August 1984) is an Indian model and actress in Bengali film and television.
Along with films, she has also worked on various television shows. Recently she has been hosting a beauty and lifestyle show called ''Samp ...
and
Priyanka Sarkar
Priyanka Sarkar is an Indian film and television actress who mosty works in Bengali films. Her first successful film was ''Chirodini Tumi Je Amar'' (2008) directed by Raj Chakraborty. She was married to actor Rahul Banerjee.
Filmography
Tel ...
in other pivotal roles and was based on the life of a superstar of the 60s era — a life fraught with career highs and personal turbulences.
Personal life
Prosenjit lives in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
with his wife, actress
Arpita Pal
Arpita Chatterjee (''née'' Pal) is an Indian actress, who mostly appears in the Odia and Bengali film industry in India. She is married to actor Prosenjit Chatterjee.
She made her film debut in 1999 with the film ''Tumi Ele Tai'', directed by ...
and their son Trishanjit.
He has had two previous marriages with
Debashree Roy
Debashree Roy (born 8 August 1962), also known as Debasree Roy, is an Indian actress, dancer, choreographer, politician and animal rights activist. As an actress, she is known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema. She has been cited as the ...
and Aparna Guhathakurta. Prosenjit and Aparna have a daughter together, Prerona Chatterjee. In 2015, Prosenjit bought a Cricket Team in Bengal Celebrity League named ''Purulia Panthers''.
Film career
He made his debut as a protagonist with
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as '' Do Bigha Zamin'', '' Parineeta'', '' Biraj Bahu'', ''Devdas'', ''Madhumati'', '' Sujata'', '' ...
's ''Duti Pata'' (1983), a teenage romance along the lines of ''Bobby''. ''
Amar Sangi
''Amar Sangee'' () is a 1987 Indian Bengali-language film directed by Sujit Guha and produced by Dipti Pal. The film features actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Vijayeta Pandit in the lead roles. The musics of the film was composed by Bappi Lahir ...
'' (1987) opposite Vijayeta Pandit, ''Apon Amaar Apon'' (1990) directed by
Tarun Majumdar
Tarun Majumdar (or Mazumdar, 22 September 1931 – 4 July 2022) was an Indian film director and Screenwriter who is known for his work in Bengali cinema. He received four National Awards, seven BFJA Awards, five Filmfare Awards and an Anandal ...
and
Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Buddhadeb Dasgupta (11 February 1944 – 10 June 2021) was an Indian filmmaker and poet best known for his Bengali-language films like ''Bagh Bahadur'', '' Tahader Katha'', ''Charachar'' and ''Uttara''. Five of his films have won the National ...
's ''
Ami, Yasin Ar Amar Madhubala
''Ami, Yasin Ar Amar Madhubala'' ('Me, Yasin and my honeymoon') is a 2007 Indian Bengali film directed and written by Buddhadev Dasgupta. The film was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Plot
When a Kolkata surveillance special ...
'' (2007) are three important films of his career. The song "Chirodini Tumi Je Amar" from ''Amar Sangi'' became a cult hit.
Satabdi Roy
Satabdi Roy ()(born 5 October 1969) is an Indian actress, film director and politician. As an actress she is known for her work in Bengali cinema. She is the recipient of BFJA Awards for two times. As an actress, she ruled the array of commerc ...
has acted with him in more than 50 films. He has done 35 films with
Rachana Banerjee
Rachna Banerjee (born Jhumjhum Rakesh Banerjee; 2 October 1974) also known as Rachana, is an Indian actress, entrepreneur and television presenter. She is known for her works in Bengali and Odia film industries and has also appeared in several ...
, 50 with
Rituparna Sengupta
Rituparna Sengupta is an Indian actress and producer who is known for her work in Bengali cinema and Hindi cinema. One of the most successful actresses of Bengali cinema, she rode the crest of her box office success in the late 1990s. She won ...
, around 16 with
Indrani Haldar
Indrani Haldar is an Indian actress who is mostly known for her work in Bengali cinema. She was conferred with a National Award, three BFJA Awards and two Anandalok Awards.
Halder made her debut in 1986 with the Bengali TV series ''Tero Parbo ...
and four with his wife
Arpita Pal
Arpita Chatterjee (''née'' Pal) is an Indian actress, who mostly appears in the Odia and Bengali film industry in India. She is married to actor Prosenjit Chatterjee.
She made her film debut in 1999 with the film ''Tumi Ele Tai'', directed by ...
. Prosenjit debuted in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
in 1990 with the
David Dhawan
David Dhawan (born Rajinder Dhawan; 16 August 1951) is an Indian director of Hindi films. A member of the Dhawan family, he has directed over 42 films. The 1993 action thriller '' Aankhen'' and 1999 comedy '' Biwi No.1'' earned him two Filmfa ...
directed ''
Aandhiyan
Aandhiyan (English: Storms) is a 1990 Hindi film directed by David Dhawan. It stars Shatrughan Sinha, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Madhushree and Mumtaz in her comeback role after 13 years. The film marked Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee's Hindi fi ...
'' where he played the role of
Mumtaz
Mumtaz ( ar, ممتاز) is a name commonly used in various countries in the Muslim world, mainly Afghanistan, Brunei, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Turkey. It can also be used as a female name. ''Mumtazah'' is a related female versio ...
's son. After working in commercial films, Chatterjee started debuted in
Parallel Cinema
Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema.
Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
with
Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh (31 August 1963 – 30 May 2013) was an Indian film director, actor, writer and lyricist. After pursuing a degree in economics, he started his career as a creative artist at an advertising agency. He received recognition for his ...
's ''
Chokher Bali (film)'' and since then have appeared in numerous art films, including ''
Dosar
''Dosar'' ( bn, দোসর; ) is a 2006 Bengali language Indian drama film. It was produced by Arindam Chaudhuri (Planman Motion Pictures) and directed by Rituparno Ghosh, the black-and-white film won the National Film Award – Special Jury A ...
'', ''
Jaatishwar
''Jaatishwar'' () is a 2014 Indian Bengali musical drama film directed by Srijit Mukherji, starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta and Swastika Mukherjee. The main focus of the plot revolves around the life and notable works of Anthony F ...
'', ''
Shankhachil
''Shankhachil'' (Brahminy kite, bn, শঙ্খচিল) is a 2016 India-Bangladesh joint venture Bengali-language historical Drama film, written by Sayantani Putatunda, starring Prosenjit, Kusum Sikder, Shajbati and directed by Goutam Gh ...
'', ''
Shob Charitro Kalponik
''Sob Charitro Kalponik'', ( bn, সব চরিত্র কাল্পনিক, "All Characters are Imaginary," also known as ''Afterword'') is a 2009 Bengali film by Rituparno Ghosh starring Bipasha Basu, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengu ...
''. Chatterjee returned to
Hindi cinema by playing the role of lead protagonist in
Mehul Kumar
Mohammed Ibrahim Baloch (or Bloch; born 1949), better known as Mehul Kumar, is an Indian filmmaker and writer in Bollywood.[Ayesha Jhulka
Ayesha Jhulka (born 28 July 1972) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Hindi films. She has also worked in Odia, Kannada and Telugu languages films.
Career
She has starred in films including '' Kurbaan'' (1991), ''Jo Jeeta Woh ...](_blank)
,
Feroz Khan and
Salma Agha
Salma Agha ( ur, ; born 25 October 1956) is a British singer and actress who worked in Pakistani and Indian films in the 1980s and the early 1990s. She was born in Karachi and raised in London, where she received several film offers from India ...
. His other Bollywood films are ''Sone Ki Zanjeer'', ''
Veerta
''Veertaa'' is a 1993 Indian film directed by Shibu Mitra. The movie stars Sunny Deol, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jaya Prada, Shantipriya, Neena Gupta, Shakti Kapoor, Prem Chopra in pivotal roles.
Plot
Balwant Roy (Pradeep Kumar) is a big industr ...
'', ''
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
'' and more recently ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
'' which received critical acclaim upon release. One of the most important works of Prosenjit is as Arun Chatterjee in
Srijit Mukherji's ''
Autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
''. His first ever produced film
Bapi Bari Jaa
''Bapi Bari Jaa'' is a 2012 Indian Bengali romantic comedy film directed by Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha. The movie is jointly produced by Shree Venkatesh Films and Idea Creations, and stars Arjun Chakrabarty and Mimi Chakraborty in lead ro ...
was released on 7 December 2012.
Awards and honours
Filmography
Television
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatterjee, Prosenjit
Indian male film actors
Living people
Male actors from Kolkata
Bengali male actors
Male actors in Bengali cinema
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award winners
1962 births
Kalakar Awards winners
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors
Film producers from Kolkata
Bengali film producers
Special Mention (feature film) National Film Award winners
University of Calcutta alumni