GOD of SMALL FILMS

Basu Chatterjee, who passed away on June 4, 2020, was a prolific filmmaker. He was a versatile director, able to do justice to many genres, though his forte was romantic comedies. He made films, which depicted the life of common people. Their problems, their heartaches, their victories and small joys were the heroes in his stories. Though he didn’t shy from working with commercial stars - having worked with Dharmendra, Hema Malini and even Amitabh Bachchan - actors like Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha and Shabana Azmi were seen more in his films. He was one of the pioneers of the middle-of-the-road cinema between the ’70s-’80s. Along with Hrishikesh Mukherjee, he had a large hand in making the genre popular. Presenting a list of some of his best films down the years…

PIYA KA GHAR (1972)

CAST: Jaya Bhaduri, Anil Dhawan and Agha

The film was a remake of the hit Marathi movie Mumbaicha Jawai (1970). It spotlights how congested homes in Mumbai deny privacy to married couples, which can sometimes dent a marriage. Malti (Jaya) is a good-natured