Biswajit is a Bengali

Bengali 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...

/Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

 actor. He was born in Calcutta, 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...

, but later went over to Bombay to do some memorable Hindi films.

Early career

After a couple of hit films in Calcutta like 'Mayamrigo' (1960) and 'Dui Bhai' (1961), Biswajit went to Bombay. In 1962, he catapulted to fame with his superhit film, Bees Saal Baad

Bees Saal Baad

Bees Saal Baad is a 1962 Bollywood film. The movie was produced by Hemant Kumar, who also gave the music and sings some of the movie's memorable songs, the film is directed by Biren Nag. The film stars Biswajeet, Waheeda Rehman, Madan Puri, Sajjan and Asit Sen.The plot is loosely based on Sir...

. Even though Shammi Kapoor

Shammi Kapoor

Shammi Kapoor was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s....

 was the reigning heart-throb of the masses and considered the king of romance in the 60s, Biswajit was a name to reckon with during that time.

He acted in notable films like 'Mere Sanam

Mere Sanam

Mere Sanam was a Hindi film released in 1965 Hindi film starring Asha Parekh, Biswajeet, Pran, Rajindernath and Mumtaz. The film was a hit at the box office. The ear-pleasing music and beautiful locations were mostly responsible for the film's success. The story line and direction were also good,...

' (1965), Shehnai

Shehnai (film)

Shehnai is a 1964 Hindi film directed by S. D. Narang. The film stars Biswajeet, Rajshree, Nirupa Roy, Leela Chitnis, Johnny Walker, Iftekhar and Asit Sen. The film's music was composed by Ravi. The songs 'Na jhatko, zulf se pani', 'kya ajab saaz hai yeh shahnai', 'is tarah toda mera dil' and...

 (1964), 'Yeh Raat Phir Naa Ayegi' (1966), 'April Fool' (1964), 'Do Kaliyan' (1968), and 'Sharaarat' (1972). He was mostly paired with top actresses like Asha Parekh

Asha Parekh

Asha Parekh is a Bollywood actress, director, and producer. She was one of the top stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973.-Early life:...

, Mumtaz

Mumtaz (actress)

Mumtaz , fondly called Mumu, is a famous Bollywood actress, best remembered for her roles in Tere Mere Sapne and Khilona . Her performance in Khilona got her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, while the film itself won the Filmfare Best Movie Award...

, Mala Sinha

Mala Sinha

Mala Sinha is an Indian actress, who has worked in Hindi, Bengali and Nepali films. Recognised for her acting talent and beauty, she went on to become a popular leading actress in Hindi films from the early fifties till late seventies...

 and Rajshree

Rajshree

Rajshree is an Indian actress. She was known for her classic beauty, acting and dancing capabilities.-Personal life:Rajshree is the daughter of acclaimed Indian film maker V. Shantaram and actress Jayshree, second wife of V. Shantaram...

. His films often had popular soundtracks, causing the films, and Biswajeet, to become even better-known.

Biswajit also appeared in Rekha's debut film Anjana Safar (1969) (later re-titled Do Shikari). Though Anjana Safar was blocked by the censors and not released until 10 years later in 1979, a scene from the film which shows him kissing Rekha appeared on the pages of the Asian edition of Life

Life (magazine)

Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....

 magazine.

In between acting in Bollywood

Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 movies, Biswajit kept going back to Calcutta to act in Bengali films, like the superhit Chowringhee

Chowringhee (film)

Chowringhee is a 1968 film by Pinaki Bhushan Mukherjee, starring Supriya Devi and Uttam Kumar. The film is based on the best-selling novelof the same name by Shankar and was a huge hit in its own right.-Plot:...

 (1968) with Uttam Kumar

Uttam Kumar

Uttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...

 and much later, 'Srimaan Prithviraj' (1973) and 'Baba Taraknath' (1977).

Later career

In 1975, Biswajit produced and directed his own film, Kahte Hai Mujhko Raja. He also acted in the film with major stars, such as Dharmendra

Dharmendra

Dharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...

, Hema Malini

Hema Malini

Hema Malini is an Indian actress, director and producer, as well as a Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer. Making her acting debut in Sapno Ka Saudagar , she went on to appear in numerous Bollywood films, most notably those with actor and future-husband Dharmendra. She was initially promoted as...

, Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha is an Indian film actor and politician. Apart from being member of Rajya Sabha twice he was also Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping...

, and Rekha (reteaming with her after working with her on her debut film "Anjana Safar" in 1969). Because of the star-studded cast and R.D. Burman's music, the film did moderately well at the box office. Later he went back to acting.

Personal life

Biswajit has been married twice and has three children. He has a son and a daughter from his first wife,Late Ratna Chatterjee, whom he abandoned for his second wife when his children were very young. His son Prasenjit is a superstar in Bengali Film Industry and has been the number one star of 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...

 for more than a decade now. His elder daughter, Pallabi Chatterjee, is a lesser known film and television actress. Neither of them , for obvious reasons, have any personal contact with their father and have not appeared in any movie together after "Chhotto Jigyasa" in which Prasenjit enacted the reel life son of Biswajeet as a five year old.

Biswajit currently lives in Bombay with his second wife and their daughter Shambhavi.

Filmography

• Daak Harkaraa (1959)
• Natun Fasal (1960)
• Maya Mriga (1960)
• Kathin Maya (1961)
• Dui Bhai (1961)
• Nav Diganta (1962)
• Dhoop Chhaya (1962)
• Dada Thakur (1962)
• Bees Saal Baad
  Bees Saal Baad
  Bees Saal Baad is a 1962 Bollywood film. The movie was produced by Hemant Kumar, who also gave the music and sings some of the movie's memorable songs, the film is directed by Biren Nag. The film stars Biswajeet, Waheeda Rehman, Madan Puri, Sajjan and Asit Sen.The plot is loosely based on Sir...
  
   (1962)
• Bin Badal Barsaat (1963)
• Shehnai (1964)
• Prabhater Rang (1964)
• Majboor (1964)
• Kohra
  Kohra
  Kohra is a 1964 Indian thriller film directed by Biren Nag, starring Waheeda Rehman, Biswajeet and Lalita Pawar. The movie is version of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca though some supernatural elements were added to it...
  
   (1964)
• Kaise Kahoon (1964)
• Godhuli Belaye (1964)
• April Fool (1964)
• Mere Sanam
  Mere Sanam
  Mere Sanam was a Hindi film released in 1965 Hindi film starring Asha Parekh, Biswajeet, Pran, Rajindernath and Mumtaz. The film was a hit at the box office. The ear-pleasing music and beautiful locations were mostly responsible for the film's success. The story line and direction were also good,...
  
   (1965)
• Do Dil (1965)
• Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi (1966)
• Sagaai (1966)
• Biwi Aur Makaan (1966)
• Aasra
  Aasra (1961 film)
  Aasra is a 1966 Hindi movie produced by Madan Mohla and directed by Satyen Bose. The film stars Mala Sinha, Biswajeet, Balraj Sahni, Jagdeep and Nirupa Roy. The Films music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal.-Plot:...
  
   (1966) .... Amar Kumar
• Night in London (1967) .... Jivan
• Nai Roshni (1967) .... Prakash
• Jaal (1967)
• Hare Kanch Ki Chooriyan (1967)
• Ghar Ka Chirag (1967)
• Vaasna (1968)
• Kismat (1968)
• Do Kaliyaan
  Do Kaliyaan
  Do Kaliyan is 1968 film directed by R. Krishnan and S. Panju. It stars Mala Sinha, Biswajeet, Mehmood and Neetu Singh.-Cast:* Mala Sinha as Kiran* Biswajeet as Shekhar * Mehmood as Mahesh* Om Prakash as Kiran's Father...
  
   (1968)
• Chowringhee
  Chowringhee (film)
  Chowringhee is a 1968 film by Pinaki Bhushan Mukherjee, starring Supriya Devi and Uttam Kumar. The film is based on the best-selling novelof the same name by Shankar and was a huge hit in its own right.-Plot:...
  
   (1968)
• Tamanna (1969)
• Raahgir (1969)
• Pyar Ka Sapna (1969)
• Pardesi (1970)
• Ishq Par Zor Nahin
  Ishq Par Zor Nahin
  Ishq Per Zor Nahin is a 1970 Hindi movie produced by Suresh Saigal and directed by Ramesh Saigal. The film stars Dharmendra, Sadhana, Biswajeet, Kamini Kaushal, Jagdeep, Nadira and Helen. The films music is by S. D. Burman. This is the only film in which Biswajit and Sadhna did together....
  
   (1970)
• Main Sunder Hoon (1971)
• Shararat (1972)
• Chaitali (1972)
• Kuheli (1971)
• Sriman Prithviraj (1973)
• Mehmaan (1973)
• Ami Shirajer Begum (1973)
• Prantarekha (1974)
• Do Aankhen (1974)
• Phir Kab Milogi (1974)
• Kahte Hain Mujhko Raja (1975)
• Jai Bajrang Bali (1976)
• Naami Chor (1977)
• Baba Taraknath (1977)
• Do Shikaari (1979)
• Hum kadam (1980)
• Amar Geeti (1983)
• Anand Aur Anand (1984)
• Saaheb
  Saaheb
  Saaheb is a 1985 Hindi movie directed by Anil Ganguly. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Rakhee, Amrita Singh, Utpal Dutt, Biswajit, Vijay Arora, Deven Verma, A. K. Hangal and Dilip Dhawan. The music is by Bappi Lahiri....
  
  (1985)
• Krishna-Krishna (1986)
• Allah Rakha (1986)
• Belagaam (1988)
• Zimmedaar (1990)
• Jigarwala (1991)
• Mehboob Mere Mehboob (1992)
• Inth Ka Jawab Patthar (2002)

External links