Ramananda Sengupta Biography 
Ramananda Sengupta is one of the earliest cinematographers associated with Indian film industry. He predominantly worked in Bengali movies, apart from a few Oriya movies. Now celebrating his 100th birthday in 2016, he has retired from his profession years ago. He started his career as an assistant cinematographer in the year 1938. Ramananda is India's oldest living cinematographer right now. In a career spanning to more than 4 decades, behind the camera he has witnessed the changes and evolutions of Bengali film making over the past years. He quit working in 1976.
Currently Siddhartha Maity is involved with a documentary on Sengupta titled, Alor Frame e Chhayar Saaj. He has also authored a book on this veteran cinematographer. 'Under Exposed' is a documentary film made by Utsav Mukherjee in 1997 based on his life. Sengupta is the only cinematographer to have worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. He has also worked with numerous technicians of the eras till 1970s and guided many also.
He was born in Dhaka in 1916. Sengupta studied in Shantiniketan for a couple of years. But he had to return home following his father’s death. In the mid-1930s he reached Kolkata in search of a job. He contacted cinematographer G K Mehta at the Film Corporation studio, who took him as assistant. There was no turning back after that. Started his career as an assistant cinematographer of G K Mehta in the year 1938 with the film "Purbarag”, he later became one of the leading cinematographers of Bengali film industry.
He met French film-maker Jean Renoir, which marked as the turning point of his career. Renoir was making a documentary titled 'The River' in 1949, and Maity involved with the project as an assistant director. It was his association with Renoir which made him a cinematographer – says the legend. Sengupta shot 61 other films, including old Bengali hits Nishithe, Nagarik, Dakghar, Bindur Chhele, Kankabatir Ghat, Personal Assistant, Shilpi and Bandhu.
Published: N/A
Updated: April 03, 2016
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