Films Division to honour Soumitra Chatterjee by showcasing documentaries Soumitra Revisited and Master’s Touch

The Films Division of India will pay tribute to legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee, who died on 15 November, by showcasing the documentaries Soumitra Revisited and Master’s Touch.

Sandip Roy’s English biopic on the actor, Soumitra Revisited (2011), along with the short film Master’s Touch (2015), based on Chatterjee’s paintings, will be screened for 24 hours on the Films Division’s website as its ‘Documentary of the Week’, and on its YouTube channel, on 18 November. Soumitra Revisited takes audiences through the life of multi-faceted artiste — a film, theatre and television actor, poet, painter, editor and an avid lover of sports.

The Renaissance man of Bengali cinema, Chatterjee was one of India’s most celebrated artistes. Born on 19 January 1935, the late actor transitioned into films from Bengali theatre, and through his association with master filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha, he gained renown for his memorable roles in their films.  He also worked with directors like Goutam Ghose, Aparna Sen, Rituparno Ghosh, Tarun Majumdar and many others.

Chatterjee was admitted into France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (The Order of Arts and Letters), which was formed to honour significant contributors to the arts and literature, and also received the highest honour in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2011. He also received the Padma Bhushan in 2004 and won three National Awards for his performances in Antardhan (1992), Dekha (2001) and Podokkhep (2006).