The duo delivered several pathbreaking films, taking Bengali cinema to greater heights.
"I did so many commercial films but Ritu (Rituparno Ghosh) discovered the other actor lying inside me, an actor who can portray roles leaving behind routine dancing, singing and fighting scenes which helped me get stardom." - said Chatterjee in an interview.
The "one-man industry" of Bengali cinema, Prosenjit Chatterjee has starred in hundreds of films in his stupendous career spanning over four decades. The actor is a powerhouse of talent and is known for his ability to get into the headspace of almost any character, and in almost any genre. He has time and again reinvented himself, and showcased how far he can go to bring perfection to the screen.
The 61-year-old has also worked in the Hindi film industry, recently taking the nation by storm with his performance in the Amazon Prime Series, 'Jubilee'.
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(Credit: prosenstar)
Well, Chatterjee's career can be divided into two phases: before Rituparno Ghosh and after Rituparno Ghosh. While he was stereotyped as a romantic hero who could only sing and dance and fight on screen, it was Ghosh who recognized the actor lying beneath the star, making him a popular face at the film festivals. The duo became immensely popular, delivering several cult films that went on to redefine Bengali cinema.
As Chatterjee turns one year older (read wiser) today, let's have a look at some of his best films directed by Rituparno Ghosh.
Set against the festive occasion of Durga Puja, the film explores various aspects of a middle-class Bengali family.
Speaking about the film, Chatterjee later said in an interview, "We don’t have funds like Bombay cinema. We can’t mount a Devdas like [Sanjay Leela] Bhansali. But Ritu took that challenge and made a fascinating film. Even today, I am asked outside Bengal, aapne Chokher Bali kiya tha na?”
Speaking about his role in 'Dosar', the actor later shared in an interview, "At that time, I was doing all kinds of maramari-dharadhari [violent action] films. But here, I am a vegetable. Ritu said, act with your eyes in a way that at some point, the audience will be like, okay, enough, now forgive your husband, please."
Notably, it earned Chatterjee the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) that year.
"Again, I’m an artist who is misunderstood, a bit lost in his world, contemptuous of society. His wife thinks he is a loser but after he dies, she starts realizing who her husband really was," said the actor about his character in the film.
Besides him, the film also starred actors like Bipasha Basu and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal roles. It was screened at various film festivals including the 30th Durban International Film Festival and the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
