Anjan Dutta
Encyclopedia
Anjan Dutta is a popular artist of the 1990s Bengali
music scene defined by anyodharar gaan (alternative songs). Anjan Dutta's style of music is different from the others in the sense that it has simple tunes, one that is reminiscent of western folk music. His lyrics are simple and more natural. Anjan's music is somewhat influenced by blues
, bluegrass
, folk
and country music
. He is the first Bengali artist to depend more on the saxophone
. He is an admitted fan of Bob Dylan
and his Bengali contemporary Kabir Suman.
Anjan is also an accomplished actor. He started his career as an actor in Bengali cinema
. His first film was Chalachitro directed by Mrinal Sen
, where he won the prize for the best newcomer actor, at the Venice Film Festival
. Recently, he has acted in Aparna Sen
's film, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
. Anjan Dutta may be regarded as one of the best serious actors in the Indian serious cinema movement, that has seen the likes of Mrinal Sen
's much-esteemed film "Bhuvan Som". Anjan Dutta has been regarded by some as being the 'angry young man' of serious cinema in contemporary India.
. He had his schooling from the esteemed St. Paul's School located in Darjeeling. He did not get much opportunity to listen to traditional Bengali songs (like Rabindra Sangeet
and Nazrul Geeti) but became well acquainted with western folk and country music
around that time. Initially, he had no plans to make career for himself as a singer. His father was a solicitor
, who he wanted his son to take up a career in law
, young Anjan was more inclined to working in theaters and cinema. He earned an MA degree in English literature
from the University of Calcutta
, in India
. His friends inspired him to consider taking acting seriously as a profession. During his university days, he started working in theaters with thespian Badal Sarkar
.
In late seventies, he joined a group called 'Open Theatre' and in early eighties performed plays translated from works of renowned foreign playwrights like Sartre, Peter Weiss
, Jean Genet
and Bertold Brecht.The group clearly drew inspiration from Nandikar
a highly active and an already famous theater group at that time. But due to politically sensitive content, they faced many obstructions in producing and performing their work, and eventually the group had to discontinue its repertoire.
He was first selected in a feature film named 'Chalachitro' that was directed by renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen
. This was an unexpected break for him. The film with Anjan's performance got critical acclaim in the Venice Film Festival
but for unknown reasons, it was never released commercially. After that although he worked as an actor in the film-making industry, he was more interested in doing art cinema (or films with aesthetically sensible filmmakers) rather than commercial mainstream cinema. After doing a few art film
s that were not so commercially successful, including the critically well received 'Juganto', scarcity of job opportunities forced him to take up jobs in advertising
and later as a journalist for the Kolkata based daily, The Statesman
.
middle class social life, in and around Kolkata
. Anjan started translating some English songs. In his efforts, he was supported and constantly inspired by his ideological precursor, Suman Chatterjee himself. Dutta later decided to delve into the music arena on his own. When HMV
offered to publish his songs, he finally realized that he had to take it seriously.
, Horipado, Mala , Roma and numerous other characters who have come alive through his songs.
, and especially country music
and blues
. Initially, he composed more upbeat, comparatively light-hearted compositions like Calcium, Haripada, Ranjana among others. These songs were influenced by numbers like Cecilia
, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
or the Beatles' track Nowhere Man. But gradually he moved on to more serious lyrics inspired by the ballads of Bob Dylan
and Leonard Cohen
and soon developed a unique style of his own, that was truly Bengali in its core, although universal in its appeal. The style is more reminiscent of the jazz
, blues
and rock and roll
. Dutta was also inspired by eminent western singers like Don McLean
, Donovan
, John Denver
and Paul Simon
.
Anjan Dutta belonged to an era of pre-discothèque, pre-lounge-bar Bengalis who were slowly turning on their discmans as the ubiquitous radios started their journeys to oblivion. As like the oeuvre of Suman Chatterjee, Anjan's songs spoke of the middle-class Bengalis and their dreams, aspirations, their fulfillments and failures—without being too sermonizing or too sighing. He can be credited with giving rise to a new generation of urban Calcuttan youth who learned to thrive and prosper in the wistful mediocrities of lost or unrequited love, temporary unemployment, breaking of dreams, hearts, hearths or even the first kiss or the first swig of rum.
According to him, his music can be categorized as 'urban folk'. But in broad spectrum, it falls under modern Bengali popular music. The mood also keeps changing. For example Duto Manush (Two human beings) speaks of the break-up of a couple after a violent clash,Bondhu (Friend) revolves around a theme of refusal to a love proposal, whereas Shunte ki Chao(Do you really want to know?) or Neel deals with the mourning of lost innocence of childhood. Kolkata-16 which is basically an address in the Park Street
region of Kolkata is a tribute to that street which is so intimately related to little pieces of joy and sorrow of the singer's life. He has also dealt with current matters in his songs like the brutal killing of fundamentalist Christian Missionary Graham Staines
and his children in a remote district of Orissa
(West Bengal
's neighboring province).The song Sokal (Morning) depicts the empty materialism of modern lifestyle whereas songs like Kanchan and Darjeeling are tributes to his childhood spent in the Himalayan foothills. His two most favorite themes are the guitar
and the rugged face of Kolkata, which returns recurring in many of his songs. This varying choice of themes combined with an eclectic unique style, made him one of the three cult figures of post-nineties era in Bengali popular music, besides Suman and Nachiketa.
It is worth mentioning that Anjan Dutta has an ardent fan-following especially within college and university students and young urbanites and he maintains a steady popularity within his selected audience. His other works includes "Priyo Bandhu" (Best Friend), a voice play performed with Nima Rehman. He has also done a few English compilations like Bandra Blues. When all Indians were feeling proud about A R Rahaman at wining historic two oscars he is one of the critical persons who raised his voice by saying that this has nothing to do with India as it being purely a foreign movie.
1995 – Purono Guitar
1996 – Bhalobashi Tomay
1997 – Keu Gaan Gaye
1998 – Ma
1998 – Chalo Bodlai
1998 – Priyo Bandhu
1999 – Hello Bangladesh
1999 – Kolkata-16
2000 – Bandra Blues
2000 – Asamoy
2001 – Rawng Pencil
2004 – Onekdin Por
2005 – Ichchhe Korei Eksathe
2007 – Abar Pothey Dekha
2007 – Ami ar Godot
Other Songs (1996–2009)
Director:
He has finished his new Hindi feature film "BBD" featuring Naseeruddin Shah
, K K Menon, Jimmy Shergill
, Sandhya Mridul
and Sonali Kulkarni
.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
music scene defined by anyodharar gaan (alternative songs). Anjan Dutta's style of music is different from the others in the sense that it has simple tunes, one that is reminiscent of western folk music. His lyrics are simple and more natural. Anjan's music is somewhat influenced by blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. He is the first Bengali artist to depend more on the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He is an admitted fan of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and his Bengali contemporary Kabir Suman.
Anjan is also an accomplished actor. He started his career as an actor in Bengali cinema
Bengali cinema
Bengali cinema refers to the Bengali language filmmaking industries in the Bengal region of South Asia. There are two major film-making hubs in the region: one in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the other in Dhaka, Bangladesh .The history of cinema in Bengal dates back to the 1890s, when the first...
. His first film was Chalachitro directed by Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
, where he won the prize for the best newcomer actor, at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. Recently, he has acted in Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.-Biography:...
's film, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer is a 2002 Indian drama film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by N. Venkatesan. The film features Aparna Sen's daughter Konkona Sen Sharma as Meenakshi Iyer, a Tamil Iyer Brahmin who is a Hindu. Rahul Bose portrays the character of Raja Chowdhury, a Muslim wildlife...
. Anjan Dutta may be regarded as one of the best serious actors in the Indian serious cinema movement, that has seen the likes of Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
's much-esteemed film "Bhuvan Som". Anjan Dutta has been regarded by some as being the 'angry young man' of serious cinema in contemporary India.
Early years
Anjan Dutta was raised in the mountains of North BengalNorth Bengal
North Bengal is a term used for the northern parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division. Generally it is the area lying west of Jamuna River and north of Padma River, and includes the Barind Tract. The West Bengal part denotes Cooch Behar, Darjeeling,...
. He had his schooling from the esteemed St. Paul's School located in Darjeeling. He did not get much opportunity to listen to traditional Bengali songs (like Rabindra Sangeet
Rabindra Sangeet
Rabindra Sangeet , also known as Tagore Songs in English, is a form of music composed by Rabindranath Tagore who added a new dimension to the musical concept of India in general and Bengal in specific....
and Nazrul Geeti) but became well acquainted with western folk and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
around that time. Initially, he had no plans to make career for himself as a singer. His father was a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, who he wanted his son to take up a career in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, young Anjan was more inclined to working in theaters and cinema. He earned an MA degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His friends inspired him to consider taking acting seriously as a profession. During his university days, he started working in theaters with thespian Badal Sarkar
Badal Sarkar
Badal Sarkar , also known as Badal Sircar, was an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director, most known for his anti-establishment plays during the Naxalite movement in the 1970s and taking theatre out of the proscenium and into public arena, when he founded his own theatre company,...
.
In late seventies, he joined a group called 'Open Theatre' and in early eighties performed plays translated from works of renowned foreign playwrights like Sartre, Peter Weiss
Peter Weiss
Peter Ulrich Weiss was a German writer, painter, and artist of adopted Swedish nationality. He is particularly known for his plays Marat/Sade and The Investigation and his novel The Aesthetics of Resistance....
, Jean Genet
Jean Genet
Jean Genet was a prominent and controversial French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing...
and Bertold Brecht.The group clearly drew inspiration from Nandikar
Nandikar
Nandikar is a theatre group in India. The group has its headquarters in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, but works around the world.__FORCETOC__-History:...
a highly active and an already famous theater group at that time. But due to politically sensitive content, they faced many obstructions in producing and performing their work, and eventually the group had to discontinue its repertoire.
He was first selected in a feature film named 'Chalachitro' that was directed by renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
. This was an unexpected break for him. The film with Anjan's performance got critical acclaim in the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
but for unknown reasons, it was never released commercially. After that although he worked as an actor in the film-making industry, he was more interested in doing art cinema (or films with aesthetically sensible filmmakers) rather than commercial mainstream cinema. After doing a few art film
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
s that were not so commercially successful, including the critically well received 'Juganto', scarcity of job opportunities forced him to take up jobs in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
and later as a journalist for the Kolkata based daily, The Statesman
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
.
Introduction to Singing
At that time, Anjan was greatly influenced by the music of Suman Chatterjee (now known as Kabir Suman) who had heralded a new era in Bengali music through his powerful songs, that were very different from the pre-existing genres of Bengali music. These songs and lyrics, commonly referred to as Jeebonmukhi (literally meaning towards life), concerned itself with the tough reality of BengaliBengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
middle class social life, in and around Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. Anjan started translating some English songs. In his efforts, he was supported and constantly inspired by his ideological precursor, Suman Chatterjee himself. Dutta later decided to delve into the music arena on his own. When HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
offered to publish his songs, he finally realized that he had to take it seriously.
Anjan: a new dimension to Bangla music
Anjan Dutt is distinguished by a new style he developed, in which a deep influence of theatrical representation is perceptible. In songs like 'bose achi Istisionete' (I am sitting inside the railway station) or 'Maser prothom dinta' (The first day of the month), this theme of theatrical realism becomes obvious. He is deft at bringing out the subtle nuances of the urban landscape in his lyrics. A substantial portion of his songs capture stories of various urban creatures like Raja Roy, SamsonSamson
Samson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....
, Horipado, Mala , Roma and numerous other characters who have come alive through his songs.
Singing career
It is well known that Anjan Dutta's songs are influenced by classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, and especially country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. Initially, he composed more upbeat, comparatively light-hearted compositions like Calcium, Haripada, Ranjana among others. These songs were influenced by numbers like Cecilia
Cecilia (song)
"Cecilia" is a song written by US musician Paul Simon. It was first recorded by Simon and Garfunkel for their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water. When released as a single, it reached #4 in the US charts...
, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon from his 1972 self-titled album.-Lyrical subject:The song is about two boys who have broken a law, although the exact law that has been broken is not stated in the song and has become a matter of some debate...
or the Beatles' track Nowhere Man. But gradually he moved on to more serious lyrics inspired by the ballads of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
and soon developed a unique style of his own, that was truly Bengali in its core, although universal in its appeal. The style is more reminiscent of the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Dutta was also inspired by eminent western singers like Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
, Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
and Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
.
Anjan Dutta belonged to an era of pre-discothèque, pre-lounge-bar Bengalis who were slowly turning on their discmans as the ubiquitous radios started their journeys to oblivion. As like the oeuvre of Suman Chatterjee, Anjan's songs spoke of the middle-class Bengalis and their dreams, aspirations, their fulfillments and failures—without being too sermonizing or too sighing. He can be credited with giving rise to a new generation of urban Calcuttan youth who learned to thrive and prosper in the wistful mediocrities of lost or unrequited love, temporary unemployment, breaking of dreams, hearts, hearths or even the first kiss or the first swig of rum.
According to him, his music can be categorized as 'urban folk'. But in broad spectrum, it falls under modern Bengali popular music. The mood also keeps changing. For example Duto Manush (Two human beings) speaks of the break-up of a couple after a violent clash,Bondhu (Friend) revolves around a theme of refusal to a love proposal, whereas Shunte ki Chao(Do you really want to know?) or Neel deals with the mourning of lost innocence of childhood. Kolkata-16 which is basically an address in the Park Street
Park Street, Kolkata
Mother Teresa Sarani, formerly Park Street and still often called by that name, and originally Burial Ground Road, is a street in the city of Kolkata , India. The street runs through what was a deer park of Sir Elijah Impey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Calcutta from 1773 to 1789, hence...
region of Kolkata is a tribute to that street which is so intimately related to little pieces of joy and sorrow of the singer's life. He has also dealt with current matters in his songs like the brutal killing of fundamentalist Christian Missionary Graham Staines
Graham Staines
Dr. Graham Stuart Staines was an Australian Christian missionary who along with his two sons Philip and Timothy were burnt to death by a gang while sleeping in his station wagon at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district in Orissa, India on January 1999...
and his children in a remote district of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
(West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
's neighboring province).The song Sokal (Morning) depicts the empty materialism of modern lifestyle whereas songs like Kanchan and Darjeeling are tributes to his childhood spent in the Himalayan foothills. His two most favorite themes are the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and the rugged face of Kolkata, which returns recurring in many of his songs. This varying choice of themes combined with an eclectic unique style, made him one of the three cult figures of post-nineties era in Bengali popular music, besides Suman and Nachiketa.
It is worth mentioning that Anjan Dutta has an ardent fan-following especially within college and university students and young urbanites and he maintains a steady popularity within his selected audience. His other works includes "Priyo Bandhu" (Best Friend), a voice play performed with Nima Rehman. He has also done a few English compilations like Bandra Blues. When all Indians were feeling proud about A R Rahaman at wining historic two oscars he is one of the critical persons who raised his voice by saying that this has nothing to do with India as it being purely a foreign movie.
Discography
1994 – Shunte Ki Chao- 2441139 (5:12)
- Akash Bhora (6:17)
- Alibaba (2:32)
- Boshe Achhi Istishanay (4:22)
- Darjeeling (4:35)
- Horipado (4:21)
- Mon Amar (4:13)
- Ranjana (3:57)
- Shunte ki Chao? (5:34)
- Tumi na Thakle (2:36)
- TV Dekhona (3:45)
1995 – Purono Guitar
- Brishti (4:36)
- Calcium (3:21)
- Duto Manush (2:27)
- Jachhe Chole (3:44)
- Mary Anne (3:56)
- Purono Guitar (4:32)
- Raju Rani Rambo (4:25)
- Roma (4:08)
- Samson (8:20)
- Tumi Ashbe Bole (5:08)
1996 – Bhalobashi Tomay
- Bhalobashi Tomay (3:19)
- Bhengchi Kete Dyakh (3:04)
- Bobby Roy (6:38)
- Das Cabin (4:42)
- Debolina (4:09)
- Ghawr (3:34)
- Mala (4:31)
- Masher Prothom Din (3:54)
- Raja Ray (5:20)
- Shesh Bole Kichhu Nei (4:46)
1997 – Keu Gaan Gaye
- Bob Dylan-r gaan (4:50)
- Boyesh Amar Baro (3:36)
- Chyapta Golap (4:42)
- Firey Ashbo (4:40)
- Kanchan (6:33)
- Keu Gaan Gaye (4:33)
- Mr. Hall (5:40)
- Mrs. Mukherjee (4:58)
- Niye Ja (5:54)
- Odhbhut Bhalo Lokta (4:59)
1998 – Ma
- 54-A AJC Bose Road (5:22)
- Bhalobasha (4:32)
- My Sweet Mother (5:26)
- Teresa (3:40)
1998 – Chalo Bodlai
- Bhaloi Achhi (2:49)
- Chalo Bodlai (4:32)
- Dushtu Gaan (4:49)
- Gaanola (2:16) – (with Abhisekh Mukherjee)
- Jermy-r Behala (6:05)
- Jhogra (4:20)
- Kuasha (3:56)
- Parini (2:26)
- Ponerote Atkey (4:56)
- Sesh Gachh (4:18)
- Sunshine (4:54)
- Tumi Dekhechho ki? (4:35)
1998 – Priyo Bandhu
- Priyo Bandhu (48:41) – (with Nima Rehman & Parashpathar)
1999 – Hello Bangladesh
- Amar Gaan (6:39)
- Baner Jawle (4:49)
- Chhader Gaan (4:30)
- Chowkh Duto (3:22)
- Dekhechhi Tomay (6:16)
- Dhaka 1215 (3:04)
- Hello Bangladesh (6:14)
- Lucky Akhand (4:52)
- Neela (4:49)
- Pahari Gaan (3:31)
- Passport Lagena (4:52)
- Tomar Jonyo (4:53)
1999 – Kolkata-16
- Amar Janla (3:35)
- Bandhu Tomar (4:25)
- Ekdin Brishtite (4:48)
- Ekje Chhilo Ghora (5:37)
- Half chocolate (4:02)
- Jaar Ekta Naam (3:47)
- Jete Hobe (4:09)
- Kolkata-16 (4:41)
- La Paloma Johnny (4:22)
- Sokalbelar Khide (5:07)
2000 – Bandra Blues
- Ali Baba (3:26)
- Bandra Blues (4:52)
- Come a Song (4:10)
- Daily Diet (6:28)
- Hashmi and Being Free (5:34)
- Love is an 8-Lettered Word (3:49)
- Middle Man (4:14)
- Mizo Boy (4:43)
- Mr. Brown (5:31)
- Two People (3:23)
2000 – Asamoy
- Asamoy (5:03)
- Chalshe (4:05)
- Chhotoder Chhotto Gaan (1:42)
- Chowkher Jowl Kinba Pani (5:23)
- Darjeeling (2) (3:46)
- Happy Birthday (5:10)
- Kawto Sikkha (3:36)
- Khyapa Sahor (5:29)
- Neel (5:11)
- Shitkaaler Chithi (4:33)
2001 – Rawng Pencil
- Baroder Byapar (1:25)
- Chhoto Baksho (2:50)
- Darjeeling-r Rastay (4:17)
- Jalapaharer Daake (5:02)
- Joyita (3:59)
- Khata Pencil (4:56)
- Rawng Pencil (4:01)
- Rubina Ruparrel (4:09)
- Sukai Chachar Ishkul (3:59)
- Where have All the Flowers Gone? (5:34)
2004 – Onekdin Por
- Chheleta (3:02)
- De Gamma (5:19)
- Duto Bandhu (2:25) – (with Kabir Suman)
- Gobindo (2:23)
- Nepali (3:42)
- Onekdin Por (3:00) – (with Kabir Suman)
2005 – Ichchhe Korei Eksathe
- Ar kawto Shantona Debe! (4:19)
- Bandhur Khnoj (3:39)
- Ektu Dekhi Kopal Chhnuye (4:01)
- Ichchhe Kore Eksathe (5:54)
- Kal Theke Manush Habo (4:13)
- Klanto Ami (5:15)
- Sharata Din Manush Dekhi (5:12)
- Shohure Ghorchhara (5:12)
2007 – Abar Pothey Dekha
- Aakash Dekhte Chai (5:12)
- Kopal Chhowar Ichchha (4:01)
- Shantona (4:19)
2007 – Ami ar Godot
- Aami ar Ashbona (3:31)
- Aami ar Godot (3:34) – (with Neel Dutta)
- Cinema (8:32)
- Jagoter Baire (6:22)
- Thakbo Tomar Sathe (7:01)
- Tomar holo Shuru (4:12) – (with Neel Dutta)
Other Songs (1996–2009)
- Khawar Gaan (3:02) – (with Nachiketa Chakravarty & Suman Chattopadhyay)
- Hotuk Shob Oshundor (1:58) – (with Shalini Chatterjee, Shayari Das, Tanushree Haldar & Sreetoma Ghosh)
- Feludar Gaan (3:04) – (with Nachiketa Chakravarty & Suman Chattopadhyay)
- Freedom (5:37) – (with Indrani Sen, Indranil Sen & Others)
- Sadhinota (4:50) – (with Indrani Sen, Indranil Sen & Others)
- Ekushe Pa (3:57)
- Bow Barracks Forever! (4:38)
- Tumi Na thakle (4:25) – (with Usha Uthhup)
- Chalo Let's Go.. (4:43)
- Ei Poth Jodi Na Sesh Hoy (4:30) – (with Srikanta Acharya & Others)
- Jedike Rasta (3:45)
- Tumi Nei Tai (4:07)
- Kato ki Korar Chhilo (4:32)
On Screen
Actor:- Urochithi (Bengali,2011)
- Ranjana Ami Ar Asbona (Bengali,2011)
- Mahanagar @ Kolkata (Bengali, 2010)
- Madly Bangalee (Bengali, 2009)
- Mr. and Mrs. IyerMr. and Mrs. IyerMr. and Mrs. Iyer is a 2002 Indian drama film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by N. Venkatesan. The film features Aparna Sen's daughter Konkona Sen Sharma as Meenakshi Iyer, a Tamil Iyer Brahmin who is a Hindu. Rahul Bose portrays the character of Raja Chowdhury, a Muslim wildlife...
(2002) - Dekha (2001) .... Sarama's husband
- YugantYugantYugant is a 1995 Bengali movie directed by Aparna Sen. The movie featured Anjan Dutta and Rupa Ganguly.-Plot:Deepak and Anasuya are an estranged couple, now leading separate lives in Cuttack and Bombay. They meet again after 18 months of separation, at a small fishing village where they had...
(1995) .... Deepak ... aka What the Sea Said (India: English title) - Antareen (1994) .... The Writer ... aka The Confined
- Shilpi (1993) ... aka The Artist ... aka The Dreamer
- Sunya Theke Suru (1993) ... aka A Return to Zero (India: English title)
- City of JoyCity of JoyCity of Joy is a novel written by Dominique Lapierre and a 1992 film directed by Roland Joffé.-Plot:The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of a young Polish priest, Stephan Kovalski, the hardships endured by a rickshaw puller, Hasari Pal in Calcutta , India and the experiences of...
(1992) .... Dr. Sunil ... aka Cité de la joie, La (France) - Mahaprithivi (1992) .... Younger Son ... aka World Within, World Without
- City of HopeCity of Hope (film)City of Hope is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles.The film features Vincent Spano, Stephen Mendillo and Chris Cooper....
(1991) - Ek Din AchanakEk Din AchanakEk Din Achanak is a 1989 art film directed by Mrinal Sen, based on a Bengali novel, Beej by Ramapada Chowdhury..- Synopsis :...
(1989) (as Anjan Dutta) .... Neeta's boyfriend ... aka Suddenly, One Day - Nuit Bengali, LaThe Bengali NightThe Bengali Night is a 1988 semi-autobiographical film based upon the Mircea Eliade 1933 Romanian novel, Bengal Nights, directed by Nicolas Klotz and starring Hugh Grant and the Indian actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Shabana Azmi.-Plot summary:...
(1988) .... Khokha ... aka Bengali Night - GrihajuddhaGrihajuddhaGrihajuddha is a 1982 Bengali film directed and written by Buddhadev Dasgupta and starring Sunil Mukherjee. The film was produced under contract from the Government of West Bengal...
(1982) .... Bijon ... aka Crossroads ... aka The Crossroad - KharijKharijKharij, sometimes translated as The Case is Closed, is a 1982 Bengali film by Mrinal Sen. It is based on a novel by Ramapada Chowdhury. It tells the story of a middle class family whose child servant is found dead, and their efforts to pacify his grieving father.-Cast:* Anjan Dutt - Anjan Sen*...
(1982) .... Anjan Sen ... aka The Case Is Closed - Chaalchitra (1981) .... Dipu ... aka The Kaleidoscope
Director:
- Ranjana Ami Ar Asbona (Bengali, 2011)
- Byomkesh BakshiByomkesh BakshiByomkesh Bakshi is a fictional detective in Bengali literature created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. He is one of the most successful detective characters in Bengali Literature. Also, Bandyopadhyay once said that these stories can be thought as and read as social novels only...
(Bengali, 2010) - Madly Bangalee (Bengali, 2009)
- Chowrasta: Crossroads of Love (Bengali, 2009)
- Chalo Let's GoChalo Let's GoCholo Let's Go is a 2008 Indian movie in Bengali starring Ritwick Chakrabarty, Rudraneel Ghosh, Saswata Chatterjee and Parambrata Chatterjee and directed by Anjan Dutta.-Plot:...
(Bengali, 2008) - Bow Barracks ForeverBow Barracks Forever-Plot:Bow Barracks Forever is a film about the disaster of the human spirit. It is not easy to fight back the march of progress. And progress brings with it change-change that is often painful, that breaks continuity, that destroys tradition, history, the power and the passion of communities that...
(English, 2007) - The Bong ConnectionThe Bong ConnectionThe Bong Connection is a 2006 Indian movie starring Raima Sen, Shayan Munshi and Parambrata Chatterjee and directed by Anjan Dutta. The movie is based on the lives of Bengalis in the U.S. and Kolkata.-Plot:...
(English, 2007) - Chalo Anjan ... A Travel & Talk Show with celebrities
- Rudra Sener Diary (Tele Film/Series)
- Half Chocolate (Tele Serial)
- Bada Din (Hindi, 1997)
- Kanchanjangha (Telefilm)
He has finished his new Hindi feature film "BBD" featuring Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
, K K Menon, Jimmy Shergill
Jimmy Shergill
Jasjit Singh Gill , popularly known as Jimmy Shergill , is an Indian actor.-Early life:Shergill was born in a Jatt Sikh family in Gorakhpur, India and studied there till 5th Grade in St. Paul's School. Then, his family shifted to Patiala...
, Sandhya Mridul
Sandhya Mridul
Sandhya Mridul is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films and television, most known for her roles in films like, movies like Saathiya and Page 3 , and was first runners up in reality dance show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa .-Personal life and education:Mridul, also called 'Sandy', was born in...
and Sonali Kulkarni
Sonali Kulkarni
Sonali Kulkarni is an Indian actress. She was born in Pune. She has majorly worked in Marathi and Hindi films. She is famous for her role in Dil Chahta Hai.-Career:...
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