Acclaimed editor Sanjib Datta dies at 53

Acclaimed editor Sanjib Kumar Datta passed away on Sunday afternoon, 15 September, due to multiple organ failure. Known for his works in both Hindi and Bengali cinema, Datta was only 53 as he breathed his last at a hospital in Kolkata.  

Filmmaker Rajorshi Dey, who collaborated with him on various projects that are yet to release, stated that Datta went through a cardiac surgery recently. He had also undergone a bypass surgery a long time ago.

A former student of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Datta started working as an assistant of senior editor Renu Saluja and eventually went on to make his mark in films like Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Iti Srikanta (2004), Iqbal (2005), Mardaani (2014), Saheb Bibi Golaam (2016) and many other films. In his career of two decades, he edited close to 80 films in both Hindi and Bengali.

After completing his studies, the FTII graduate began working in Mumbai, his birthplace. In 2011, he shifted his base to Kolkata. The veteran editor loved to be present at the shooting floor before editing, but he hardly got the chance of doing so. According to him, in India, editors are mostly involved after the shooting gets over, and not during the script reading and shot division sessions.

Among Datta’s completed works, Rajorshi Dey’s Purba Paschim Dakshin (Uttor Asbei), Subho Noboborsho, Rifle and Birpurush are yet to release. Various filmmakers of this generation, including Dhrubo Banerjee, started work as an assistant of Datta.