Who was Raja Sen? Three-time National Award winner dies at 71 | Mint
Who was Raja Sen? Three-time National Award winner dies at 71
Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen has died aged 71 in Kolkata after prolonged health complications. A three-time National Film Award winner, he leaves behind a diverse body of work spanning cinema, television, and documentaries.
Raja Sen, one of the prominent filmmakers to emerge from Bengal’s television, documentary and feature film traditions, died at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on 16 August after a prolonged illness.
Raja Sen dies at 71
Sen had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for the past few days and was on ventilationsupport. According to a PTI report, a doctor at the hospital said the filmmaker’s condition had deteriorated considerably in the last few days.
The doctor said, “He had multiple complications, and his condition remained critical despite treatment. He was on ventilator support.”
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Sen was initially admitted to a private hospital after suffering a lower back injury. His condition subsequently worsened during treatment, with lung and cardiaccomplications developing. He was later shifted to SKM Hospital, where he also developed Kidney-related complications. His prolonged health problems were believed to have begun years earlier after he sustained an injury while falling on the set of his film Maya Mridanga.
The injury was no considered serious at the time but gradually affected his mobility.
Who was Raja Sen?
Born in 1955, Sen began his independent directing career in the early 1980s after working with the Group Theatre movement in Bengal. He went on to establish himself across television, documentaries and feature films, developing a reputation for adapting literary works and documenting important figures and cultural traditions.
His breakthrough in television came with Subarnalata, based on Ashapurna Devi’s acclaimed work. The serial earned several awards and was followed by notable productions including Adarsha Hindu Hotel, Arogya Niketan, Samparka, Kolkata Kolkata and Tarashankarer Chhoto Galpo. His television work helped make him a familiar name among Bengali audiences.
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Sen also made a significant contribution to documentary filmmaking. His 1992 documentary Suchitra Mitra, about the celebrated Rabindra Sangeet exponent, won the National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film.
He subsequently documented figures and subjects from Bengal’s cultural landscape, including theatre personalities Sombhu Mitra and Tapan Sinha, writer Subhas Mukhopadhyay and other artists. His documentary work also covered subjects including Kolkata’s heritage and Bengal’s folk traditions.
His films and National Awards
Sen made his feature-film debut with Damu, a film centred on a young boy and his relationship with an elephant. The film earned him the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film and also received the Shiromani Award for film direction. It was subsequently selected for international festivals, including the DhakaInternational Film Festival.
His next major work, Atmiyo Swajan, further strengthened his reputation. The film received the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare and was selected for the Indian Panorama as well as international festivals in Cairo and Dhaka.
Together with the National Award for Suchitra Mitra, the honours for Damuand Atmiyo Swajan made Sen a three-time National Film Award winner. His filmography later expanded to include Debipaksha, Desh, Krishnakanter Will, Laboratory, Maya Mridanga and other feature films.
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His 2002 film Desh, which featured Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, and Laboratory, based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore and featuring Raveena Tandon, also reflected his ability to bring prominent Hindi-film performers into Bengali cinema.
Beyond the National Awards, Sen received several other honours during his career, including the Indira Gandhi Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and a Best Director jury award at the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival for Maya Mridanga in 2016. His work also received recognition from the Bengal Film Journalists’ Association and other regional and international film bodies.
Sen’s legacy therefore extends beyond any single film. Through features, television adaptations and documentaries, he spent decades recording Bengali literature, theatre, music, social life and cultural figures on screen. His death marks the passing of a filmmaker whose career bridged several important strands of Bengali visual storytelling.
About the Author
Trisha Bhattacharya is a Senior Content Producer at Livemint, with over two years of experience covering entertainment news from India and beyond. She spends her days tracking what’s trending, breaking down pop culture moments, and turning fast-moving entertainment stories into sharp, engaging reads that actually make people want to click — and stay.
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She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from Lucknow University, a background that shapes her love for layered narratives, strong voices, and stories that linger long after they’re told. Before joining Livemint, Trisha worked with India Today as an entertainment journalist and film critic. There, she reviewed films, covered industry news, and built a strong foundation in storytelling and cultural analysis.
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Trisha enjoys working at the intersection of media, culture, and audience interest, always looking for fresh angles and formats. Films, shows, and music are not just her beat but her biggest passion — something that naturally reflects in her writing. Whether it’s cinema, streaming shows, music, or internet trends, she approaches every story with curiosity and intent.
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Outside the job description, she’s unapologetically passionate about films, shows, and music — sometimes a little too passionate, if you ask her. That enthusiasm often spills into her work, adding personality, urgency, and a touch of chaos that keeps her writing alive. For Trisha, entertainment isn’t just a beat — it’s a language she speaks fluently.
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