Honour for Master Filmmaker

R.B.L. Nigam

PRESIDENT K.R. Narayanan gave away the 47th National Film Awards and the coveted Dada Saheb Phalke Award to film maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee on September 18. Mukherjee who developed a genre in Indian cinema during his 50-year career blending entertainment with fine arts in an industry dominated by commercial films was named for the award for 1999 for his outstanding contribution in the field. The 78-year-old Mukherjee, who is afflicted with arthritis, walked slowly to the dais amid a standing ovation, to receive the award which comprised a Swarn Kamal, a purse of Rs two lakh and a shawl. Information and Broadcasting Minister, Arun Jaitley paid glowing tributes to Mukherjee, saying he had obliterated the difference between art and commercial cinema. Harishida, as he is fondly called, has been instrumental in making commercial as well as artistic films with a blend of light comedies.

He was responsible for portraying Dharmendra as a tragic hero in Satyakam, a dejected lover in Anupma, a bubbly professor in Chupke Chupke and bringing out the best out of the deglamourised Amitabh Bachchan in Anand, Alap, Abhiman and so on. Born in Calcutta in 1922 and wanting to be a bio-chemist, the young Hrishikesh completed his B.Sc. with honours in Chemistry, Botany and Mathematics. But destiny had other plans for him. He found himself working as a teacher and then as a freelance artist at All India Radio in 1945. Later he joined the renowned filmmaker Bimal Roy in Bombay to work at New Theatres Studio first as a laboratory assistant, slowly graduating into a full-fledged film editor, with the Bengali film Tathapi being his first independent editing assignment.

Harishida also did the production work of Bimal Roy Productions' maiden film Do Bigha Zameer at the instann, which he also edited. He was also responsible for the editing work of most of Bimal Roy's films such as Do Bigha Zameen, Yahudi ki Ladki, Baap Beti, Madhumati, etc. Hrishikesh debuted as director in 1957 with Musafice of Dilip Kumar. The film won Certificate of Merit at the National Awards for the best Hindi film in 1958. Next was L.B. Films' Anari starring Raj Kapoor and Nutan in 1959. Then came Anuradha starring Balraj Sahni and Leela Naidu. It was a love story of a wife who yearns for her husband's affection. Then, in 1961, he experimented on character artistes namely Lalita Pawar, David and Jayant in Mem Didi. In 1962, he directed Aashiq with Raj Kapoor and Padmini. In the same year, Dev Anand and Sadhna worked with him in Asli Naqli. Saanj Aur Savera with Meena Kumari and Guru Dutt was released in 1964. Rajshree and Biswajeet featured in his 1965-release Do Dil. How can one forget Anupma starring Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore. This film released in 1966 won the President's Silver Medal for the Best Regional film (Hindi). It was a big hit. Mukherjee won critical and commercial acclaim for his simple, sensitive and delightful entertainers void of vulgarity and violence.

He always portrayed Indian women who valued their principles and culture. His other most popular films are Gaban, Aashirwad, Anand, Bawarchi, Namak Haram, Phir Kab Milogi, Chaitali, Arjun Pandit, Kotwal Saab, Guddi, Gol Maal, Khoobsurat, Bemisal and Jhooti. But his latest release, in 1999, Jhooth Bole Kauva Kaate, which he made after a long gap of about sixteen years, failed to attract the audience. He made five tv serials, too, Hum Hindustani, Dhoop Chhaon, Talaash, Rishte and Ujale Ki Oar. But the box-office, Hrishida knew by 1980, was a fickle customer to entertain. For all that, in the 20 years between Anuradha (1960) and Khoobsurat (1980), he had attained a stature where the top heroes—from Rajesh Khanna to Amitabh Bachchan—and heroines were keen to work with him. By 1998, however, he found that the silver screen had changed beyond recognition as he was persuaded, against his will, to direct Jhoot Bole Kauva Kaate, starring Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla.

The setting in film-making had metamorphosed. Concentration and discipline levels had declined and Mukherjee—in his fast-declining state of health—thought it best to opt out of such a milieu. Mukherjee has won several national awards during his 55-year-old film career and has served as chairman of Central Board of film Certification, National Film Development Corporation and as Director of Film Finance Corporation (FFC). Actually awards are not new for Hrishida. He has won several. Anupma got him the President's Silver Medal. He got the President's Silver Medal for the Best Regional Film (Hindi) three times in a row for Aashirwad (1968), Satyakam (1969) and Anand (1971). But this award is very precious. It is dedicated to Dadasaheb Phalke, pioneer of Indian cinema and it means more responsibility.