Rajeeve Gupta (December 24, 1953 – January 1, 1989) was a film actor, film critic and film programmer. He was born in

Calcuta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

and died in New York. He matriculated to the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

in 1970. He moved to New York City in 1982. Gupta first worked as an actor in the film

Pather Panchali ''Pather Panchali'' (; ) is a 1955 Indian Bengali (language), Bengali-language Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of West Bengal. It is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Ba ...

when he was an infant. Gupta said he was chosen for the role because

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of fil ...

said he looked like "a particularly gruesome baby". Gupta also appeared as a student in the film

Aparajito ''Aparajito'' ( bn, অপরাজিত ''Ôporajito''; ''The Unvanquished'') is a 1956 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray (1921–1992), and is the second part of ''The Apu Trilogy''. It is adapted from ...

. In all, he appeared in six

Films.

Film critic

Gupta's first writing, 1968, was about Satyajit Ray, published in India. From 1971 to 1976, he was reviewer of films for the U.W. Daily News. Starting in 1976, he did film reviews on KOMO TV in Seattle.

Film programmer

Gupta took over programming the A.S.U.W. Major Film Series, at the University of Washington in 1974. During his time there, he programmed the Seattle premiere of

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both Cinema of France, French cinema and Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a fi ...

's Phantom of India, Peter Brook's King Lear, and Charle Chaplin's A King in New York. John Hartl, film critic for the Seattle Times, said "Four years ago, when "Phantom India" was offered to Seattle Theaters. It took sold out screenings at Gupta's A.S.U.W Major Film Series, to prove its commercial use. In 1979 it first appeared in a Seattle Theater, selling out shows at the Movie House, before it was moved to the larger Seven Gables Theater. The A.S.U.W Major Film Series continues to do some of the most innovative film programming around." A letter to the Seattle Times, from Richard T. Jameson (editor of The Movietone News, and later Film Comment) wrote:

Seattle International Film Festival

Gupta was involved in the first Seattle International Film Festival, 1976, as an unpaid consultant. He was first a director, for the third festival in 1978. In which on the masthead he was listed as director with Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald listed co-owners and co-owners. Greg Kachel was listed as "consultant. Gupta remained a director of the festival through 1983. The most shocking event of the festivals held at the Moore Egyptian Theatre, was on the last night of the third festival, with

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...

in person with his film Heart of Glass. Before the screening of Heart of Glass, consultant Gred Kachel asked Dan Ireland, if he, Kachel, could introduce Herzog on stage to the audience. Ireland told him no, and that Gupta would be introducing Herzog to the audience. The lobby of the Moore Theatre was extra large. Kachel could see that Gupta was waiting around a corner from Herzog, with Herzog being unable to see Gupta. Kachel went to the concession stand. There he poured coca cola into a largest cup, he then walked to where Gupta stood and dumped the coca cola on him. He then left Gupta gasping in shock, and walked around the corner, where he led Herzog onstage, where he introduced him to the crowd. Dan Ireland was a director of the festival until 1986, when he moved to Hollywood to become a producer. In 1995 he made his first Hollywood motion picture as a director, "The Whole Wide World (1996)." In the credits of that film is a "Special Thanks" to Greg Kachel.

Remembered

Each year, the Seattle International Film Festival gives a lifetime achievement award. The award is called a "Minky," a nickname for Gupta. "Minky" was chosen as an honor for him. The 1989 Seattle International Film Festival was dedicated to Gupta.The Seattle Times, John Hartl, "FILM-FESTIVAL SEASON GETS UNDER WAY IN PORTLAND," February 14, 1988

References

{{reflist

External links

Hitchcock and Me
American film critics Film festivals in Washington (state) Festivals in Seattle Film festivals established in 1976