The Hindu : Front Page : Phalke award for Tapan Sinha

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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
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Phalke award for Tapan Sinha

— Photo: PTI

Director Tapan Sinha. A file photo.

New Delhi: Veteran Bengali film director Tapan Sinha was on Monday selected for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2006.

Mr. Sinha, 84, who has won 19 national film awards in various categories apart from winning laurels in various international film festivals, will be given the Swarna Kamal, a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh and a shawl by President Pratibha Patil at a function, the date of which is yet to be announced.

Mr. Sinha, who started his career as a sound engineer in Kolkata’s New Theatre in 1946, has directed well-known films such as ‘Kabuliwala,’ ‘Khudito Pashaan,’ ‘Atithi,’ ‘Upahar,’ ‘Haatey Bazarey,’ ‘Sagina Mahato,’ ‘Hansuli Baker Upakatha,’ ‘Adalat O Ekti Meye,’ ‘Ek Doctor Ki Maut,’ ‘Bancharamer Bagan’ and ‘Shatabdir Kanya,’ among others.

The film-maker got the opportunity to work in Pinewood Studio in the U.K. in 1950.

On his return to India, he shifted his focus to film-making and went on to make films in Bengali, Hindi and Oriya.

Mr. Sinha’s cinematic works are mostly down-to-earth depictions of the struggles of the common man.

His reputation as an uncompromising film-maker puts him in a class of his own.

The government recently conferred on him the “One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement” while commemorating the 60th anniversary of India’s Independence.

The committee that recommended the Lifetime Achievement award for Mr. Sinha consisted of Shyam Benegal, Gautam Ghosh, Sharmila Tagore and renowned flute player Hari Prasad Chaurasia, among others.

In Kolkata, Mr. Sinha said he was overwhelmed at being honoured with the award.

His sister-in-law said the film-maker, who was recuperating from a heart ailment, received the news from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. She said that though Mr. Sinha was unable to move and too weak to speak, he was overwhelmed and expressed his “gratitude” to the government for bestowing the greatest award of the Indian cinema on him. — PTI

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