Bengali Actor And Theatre Icon Manoj Mitra Dies At 86 Due To Age-related Ailments

Kolkata, v 12 (PTI) Bengali atre personality Maj Mitra, who died on Tuesday at of 86 in Kolkata, was kwn mainly for writing and directing farces and fantasies to highlight social and political issues.

His plays also underscored struggle of oppressed common man.

A legendary actor, he immortalised character of Banchharam in Tapan Sinha's 1980 film 'Banchharamer Bagan' ( Garden of Banchharam). This dark comedy on oppression of peasants by zamindars was apted from a play by Mitra.

Mitra h around 100 one-act and full-length plays to his credit besides film scripts.

His major full-length plays include 'Narak Guljar' ( Great Hell), 'Aswathama', 'Chakbhanga Mhu' (Honey from Broken Hive), 'Mesh O Rakhash' ( Lamb and Monster), 'Galpo Hekim Saheb' (Tale of a Hekim), 'Rajdarshan' (Visiting King), 'Alokanandar Putra Kanya' (Alokananda's Son and Daughter), 'Saja Bagan' (Decorated Garden), 'Chhayar Prash' ( Palace of Shows) and 'Jene Shune Bish' (Poison, Kwingly).

Partition of country, Naxalite movement of Bengal, tyranny of ruling class, religious fundamentalism and or major issues were highlighted in Mitra's plays.

Among his key one-act plays are 'Mrityur Chokhe Jal' (Tears in Eyes of Death), 'Chokhe Angul Da' ( Fault Finder), 'Ami Man Bolchhi' (Hello I am Man), 'Takshak' and ors.

According to acemician and translator Mousumi Roy Chowdhury, in Mitra’s plays, conscience has a major role.

"t strictly restricted to an instrumental moral sense, conscience here is used in larger sense of consciousness that reaches beyond closures and binaries of regulating rms of political atre," Roy Chowdhury said in an anthology of plays translated by her.

He also acted in more than 80 films including Satyajit Ray's classics 'Ghare Baire' (Home and World, 1984) and 'Ganashatru' (An Enemy of People, 1989). Mitra also worked on projects of Tapan Sinha - 'alat O Ekti Meye' ( Court and a Woman, 1982) and 'Wheel Chair' (1995).

After 1984 superhit potboiler 'Shatru' (Enemy) in which he essayed role of a torious leer, Mitra got a chance to act in Bollywood films. He, however, rejected that proposal apprehending that it would impact his involvement in atre.

Mitra was born December 22, 1938, in a vill in Khulna district of undivided Bengal. His far was a government officer.

Interestingly, though plays were enacted at his family home during festive days of Durga puja, children were t allowed to watch m. Backdrops, props, costumes and or articles associated with staging of plays stored at home kindled his passion for plays.

Mitra permanently came to India from East Pakistan at of 12. He cleared his MA in Philosophy in 1960.

During college and university days, he wrote short stories and plays. However, after his play 'Mrityur Chokhe Jal' earned him first prize at a statewide competition, he focused only on this field. His acting prowess mesmerised veteran actors of that time as 21-year-old youth effortlessly metamorphosed into an elderly man in 'Mrityur Chokhe Jal'.

Also in film 'Banchharamer Bagan', apted from his play 'Saja Bagan' (1977), he essayed role of 90-year-old protagonist when Mitra was in his 40s. He bagged Filmfare Award for Best Actor for movie.

playwright was conferred with Sangeet Natak Award (1985) and Asiatic Society Award (2005) for his overall contribution to atre, among numerous or awards.

Mitra also heed atre group 'Sundaram' for many years. He was a professor of philosophy in a college in West Bengal. PTI NN RG