Kalipada Sen and Bengali films.

Kalipada Sen and Bengali films.

Composer Kalipada Sen made very valuable contribution in Bengali films during the 50s, 60s and 70s. He faced the keen competition against legendary composers during the golden age of Bengali film music including Robin Chatterji, Anupam Ghatak, Pabitra Chatterji, Anil Bagchi, Salil Choudhury, Sudhin Dasgupta, Nochiketa Ghosh, Manobendra Mukherjee, Hemanta Mukherjee, Shyamal Mitra, and yet created his own identity.

He composed brilliant music in Uttam Kumar’s film Sare Chuattor in 1953. His shyamasangeet “e maya proponchomoy” sung by Dhananjoy Bhattacharya enchanted the viewers. The other song was chorus song “amar ei jouban champachameli bone” where Manobendra Mukherjee, Shyamal Mitra and others did lend their voices. Manobendra Mukherjee and Shyamal Mitra even acted in the film. The film was directed by Nirmal Dey.

In Chitta Basu’s film Chele Kar, Kalipada Sen composed decent music. The comedy film released in 1954 had legendary actors and actresses like Bikash Roy, Chabi Biswas, Arundhuti Debi, Suprabha Debi, to name a few. The songs “badla akash”, “rononigandha”, etc., became hit. Ajoy Kar directed Shyamali in 1956, and Kalipada Sen composed music for the super hit.

He composed music in many successful films of Uttam Kumar including Bidhilipi, Lakhahira, Punarmilan, Kankabatir Ghat, Raja Shaja, Upahar, Biraj Bou, etc. Very significantly he composed music in the films of directors from 50s to 60s. It included Ankush and Nirjan Saikate directed by Tapan Sinha, Darpa Churna directed by Dilip Ray, Bindur Chele directed by Chitta Bose, Sadanander Mela directed by Sukumar Dasgupta, Dui Bari directed by Ashim Pal, Debatra directed by Haridas Bhattacharya, Kathin Maya directed by Sushil Majumdar, Bamuner Meye directed by Ajoy Kar, to name a few.

At the same time he had composed music for all the legendary singers of the golden age including Sandhya Mukherjee, Hemanta Mukherjee, Manna Dey, Shyamal Mitra, Supriti Ghosh, Manobendra Mukherjee and others.

His films and music should be restored and preserved.

Shyamali became super hit due to brilliance of Ajoy Kar.

Shyamali became super hit due to brilliance of Ajoy Kar.

Ajoy Kar, the classic director of 50s and 60s experimented with classic literature of Ashapurna Debi in the film Shyamali. It was a great risk and there was possibility of the viewers not accepting the film. The reasons were obvious. The literature was read by entire Bengali community of the country.

The same story of Shyamali was played in Star Theatre in Kolkata for 4 years in the mid-50s. In the play Uttam Kumar and Sabitri Chatterji played the lead roles while Sarajubala Debi played the role of the mother of Uttam Kumar. Ajoy Kar picturised Shyamali in 1956 with the team of Uttam Kumar and Kaberi Bose. And Malina Debi played the role of the mother of Uttam Kumar. Previously it had been seen that any play which was successful with the audience did not do well when picturised in film. Shyamali was an exception.

In the film Ahindra Choudhury had two daughters, Kaberi Bose being the elder one. Kaberi Bose was deaf and dumb. Her younger sister was proposed to be married to Uttam Kumar, but due to fulfillment of wishes of Kaberi Bose, the priest chanted mantras related to marriage with Uttam Kumar. Uttam Kumar accepted Kaberi Bose as wife while his friend married the younger sister Bijoli. Ahindra Choudhury wanted Uttam Kumar to marry Bijoli, but Uttam Kumar sacrificed his life for Shyamali saying that mantras were already chanted and marriage was done. But Uttam Kumar’s mother Malina Debi did not accept Kaberi Bose as her daughter-in-law. Uttam Kumar did not have any other option but to leave Kaberi Bose in her mother’s house.

Uttam Kumar and Malina Debi went for pilgrimage to Hrishikesh, Badrinath, Kedarnath and brought Anubha Gupta who lost her parents and served Uttam Kumar when he became extremely sick whiling to travelling to those places. Malina Debi wanted to marry Uttam Kumar with Anubha Gupta.

But Uttam Kumar tried to convince her that his wife Kaberi Bose was still alive. When Uttam Kumar heard that Kaberi Bose’s mother Aparna Debi died and she slept with the photo of Uttam Kumar, he went to her house and brought her back. Uttam Kumar finally convinced Malina Debi that although Kaberi Bose could not speak, she could react to human actions, had a human mind full of feelings. She required her blessings to start a journey in the new family.

The film became super hit due to sheer brilliance of Ajoy Kar. Uttam Kumar, Kaberi Bose, Malina Debi, Anubha Gupta were all sublime in their respective roles. Malina Debi in fact outcast Sarajubala Debi who was a phenomenon in Bengali stage. The film should be restored to remind the viewers about a successful play being remade into film which featured the same level of excellence as depicted in the play.