Mrinal Sen, one of India’s most celebrated Bengali filmmakers who put Indian cinema on the world map, passed at the age of 95 on Sunday, 30 December. While Mrinal Sen made his debut in 1955 with Raat Bhore featuring the iconic Uttam Kumar, his breakthrough film, Bhuvan Shome, featuring Utpal Dutt and Suhasini Mulay came in 1969. The film is said to have initiated the New Wave of Indian cinema in the 1970s.
Filmmaker Hardik Mehta had an interesting trivia to share on his Facebook page about the relationship between Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Oscar nominated Lagaan involving Bhuvan, Gauri, Suhasni Mulay and Amitabh Bachchan.
Here goes:
Hardik Mehta’s FB post:
“Mrinal Sen, the iconic Indian Filmmaker is no more. During my initial brush with cinema, I read that he made a film that led to the New Wave of Indian Cinema. The film was called Bhuvan Shome. When I first finished watching this film in 2005-06, I realised a few facts: The film's leads are called Bhuvan and Gauri. Gauri was played by actor Suhasini Mulay. The film was shot in Kutch-Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Bhuvan Shome had a voiceover by Amitabh Bachchan (this was Mr. Bachchan's voice debut in 1969 even before he made his screen debut).
And then it all came to me -
Lagaan had Gauri and Bhuvan. Lagaan had Suhasini Mulay as Gauri's mother in law, Lagaan was shot in Kutch And it had Mr. Bachchan's voiceover. In a way Mr. Gowariker gave such a beautiful tribute to the film that initiated the New Wave of Indian Cinema. Rest in Peace #MrinalSen”
Was this a conscious tribute by Gowariker or a matter of cinematic serendipity? Over to Ashutosh Gowariker.
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