Tarun Majumdar demise: Prosenjit Chatterjee: It is a huge loss for Indian cinema

Prosenjit Chatterjee started his acting career as a child artiste in Tarun Majumdar’s 1969 film, Rahgir. In the film seven-year-old Prosenjit plays the role of the younger version of his father, veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee. Prosenjit, who is currently travelling abroad, sends a voice note of condolence to OTTplay. In the note, he says that he has lost a teacher. 

Pointing out that Tarun Majumdar was one of the last surviving directors of Bengali’s golden era of cinema, Prosenjit says that it is an irreplaceable loss for the industry. “It is saddening news. I think it is over. He was the last of the stalwarts of the generation of directors, whose work makes us proud as Bengalis. The generation of that glorious era starts with Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwick Ghatak and goes on to Ajoy Kar, Tapan Sinha and others. Tarun Majumdar was the last filmmaker of that generation. I personally treat him as my guru and teacher. He was a pillar of the Bengali Film industry,” says the actor.

Remembering his first work with him, Prosenjit recalls, “Many people don’t know that my first work as an actor was in his film, Rahgir. I was just seven years old and I played the childhood of my father (Biswajit Chatterjee). Later, I worked with him in his Pathbhola, Apan Amar Apon. but more than that, I learnt a lot from him. He had a deep affection for our generation. And he used to be our teacher. Today I feel like I lost a guru,” he said. 

Prosenjit is travelling abroad. “I am not in India. I am abroad. But I used to gather his health reports every day. Today, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave me the news. It is a huge loss for Indian cinema. Tarunjethu’s work will live with us. His films will be our guiding star. I hope his soul rests in peace,” says Prosenjit.