Tapan Sinha

Tapan Sinha Biography

Tapan Sinha was one of the most prominent Indian directors who shares equal status with great directors of Indian cinema like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. He works both in Hindi as well as Bengali. Yet his contribution to Bengali cinema is more visible. His best movies are Kabuliwala (1957), Louha-Kapat, Sagina Mahato (1970), Apon Jon (1968), Kshudhita Pashan, Safed Haathi (1978) and Aaj Ka Robinhood. He received Dadasaheb Phalke award in the year 2006 for his overall contributions to Indian cinema.  He was arguably the most uncompromising filmmaker outside the orbit of Parallel Cinema. He is married to top actress of yesterdays, Arundhati Devi. Their son is an Indian scientist Professor, Anindya Sinha.

Sinha started his career in 1946, as a sound engineer with New Theatres film production house in Kolkata. Then he went to England to work with Pinewood Studios for next two years. Then he returned back and worked in Indian cinema for decades doing movies in Bengali, Hindi and Oriya. Sinha’s first film was Ankush, based on the Narayan Ganguly story Sainik. He has experimented with all genres of cinema including family dramas, social dramas, children's fantasy films and romance. His films have been shown in many international film festivals including London, Moscow, Berlin, Venice, San Francisco and Ireland.

 In 1956, he won President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film (Kabuliwala). Same film received President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Bengali.  In 1957, he received National awards for second best film of Bengali - Louha-Kapat and in 1960 he received All India Certificate of Merit for Second Best Feature Film for the movie - Kshudhita Pashan. He won best screenplay award in 1971 for Ekhonee and he received it for the last time in 1990 for Best Direction - Ek Doctor Ki Maut. He has received numerous international awards as well.

Sinha's final venture, the children's filme Anokha Moti, was incomplete. He died on 15 January 2009 aged 84.

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Updated: September 13, 2013