Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Hrishikesh Mukherjee (1922 – 2006) was one of the greatest filmmakers in the Indian Cinema. He was deeply involved with writing as well and apart from that, he also proved his talent as an editor. Some of the popular movies that Hrishikesh Mukherjee worked in include Namak Haram, Gol Maal, Bawarchi, Anari, and Chupke Chupke.

In his career, he directed a total of 42 movies and he touched many social issues with the help of his movies. Hrishikesh Mukherjee also served as the chairman of CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) and NFDC (National Film Development Corporation). Hrishikesh Mukherjee was awarded Padma Vibhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke Award as well.

Life and Early Work

Hrishikesh Mukherjee was born on 30 September 1922 in Calcutta. His family had a Bengali origin. Hrishikesh Mukherjee completed his education from Kolkata itself and he graduated from the University of Calcutta. Before moving into the field of cinema making, he also worked as a maths and science teacher for a brief period. After his marriage, He had 5 children and it is known that his wife passed away almost 30 years before him. In 2006, he passed away because of renal failure.

After he entered the entertainment industry, he started his career as a cameraman and later took up the job of editor. It was finally in 1951 when he got a chance to work as an assistant director for movies like Devdas & Do Bigha Zamin.

Filmmaking

While working as an assistant director, Hrishikesh Mukherjee acquired the skills and soon he got a chance to direct his first movie. His first movie as a director was Musafir (1957) and in 1959, he also directed Anari. Musafir wasn’t a great success but Anari received many awards. This was a new start for him and after this, he directed several other movies. He also acted in some of the movies. He worked with several superstars like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, and many others. It can be said that he was always inspired by Bimal Roy and he always treated him as a mentor.

The Cinema of Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed over 40 movies in his life. We already told you about his first movie as a director. In the later years, he directed many other movies which include Chaaya, Aashiq, Anupama, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Namak Haram, Chupke Chupke and the list is endless. The last movie directed by him was in 1988 and the name of this movie was Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee won many awards for his work in the entertainment industry. He won 8 Filmfare awards. Hrishikesh Mukherjee also won awards for his work as an editor. Apart from this, he was also nominated for Golden Bear Award for his work in Anuradha. Hrishikesh Mukherjee had also received many President’s Silver Medal for his contribution to various movies. The career of Hrishikesh Mukherjee is full of golden deliveries which won.