Birsa Dasgupta is an Indian film director who has worked predominantly in the Bengali film industry, Tollywood. He is the first third-generation filmmaker in the Bengali film industry. Some of his well-known works are Golpo Holeo Shotti (2014), Shudhu Tomari Jonyo (2015), Crisscross (2018) and Byomkesh O Durgo Rahasya (2023).
Wiki/Biography
Birsa Dasgupta was born on Friday, 2 November 1979 (age 44 years, as of 2023) in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. ((Twitter – Birsa Dasgupta)) His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He attended schooling till class 10 in Kolkata, later he went to Delhi and completed his schooling. He left his graduation degree in mid-way and went to Mumbai to learn filmmaking. ((India Today))
A childhood photo of Birsa Dasgupta
Family
Birsa Dasgupta belongs to a Hindu Bengali family in Kolkata.
Parents & Siblings
Birsa Dasgupta’s father is Raja Dagupta who is a filmmaker. His mother’s name is Chaitali Dasgupta; she is an actress and a well-known television presenter. His brother’s name is Ribhu Dasgupta; he is also a film director and works both in Hindi and Bengali films.
Birsa Dasgupta with his parents
Birsa Dasgupta’s brother
Wife & Children
Birsa Dasgupta’s wife is Bidipta Chakraborty; she is an actress and works in films, theatre and daily soaps. Birsa married Bidipta on 30 January 2010. He has two daughters, Meghla Dasgupta (elder), and Idara Dasgupta (younger).
Bidipta Chakraborty with Birsa Dasgupta and her two daughters
Other Relatives
Birsa’s grandfather is Harisadhan Dasgupta who made films during the 1950s and 1960s. His grandmother was Sonali Senroy Dasgupta, a screenwriter who left their family when Birsa’s father, Raja Dasgupta, was 6 years old. She left with the Italian film Director Roberto Rossellini. He also had an uncle Gil Rossellini who was an Italian filmmaker, producer and writer, and an aunt named Rafaella Rosellini who changed her name to Nur Rosellini; she was an actress and worked in films.
Birsa Dasgupta’s grandparents
Roberto Rossellini with Sonali Dasgupta
Birsa Dasgupta’s uncle Gil Rossellini
A picture of Nur Rossellini
Relationships/Affairs
Birsa was a childhood friend of Bidipta Chakraborty. According to sources after they lost touch for a few years they met each other once again in 2004 at Shantiniketan. Soon after they entered into a relationship and Birsa moved into a live-in relationship with her. The couple dated each other for 5 years before getting married in 2010. ((Times of India))
Birsa Dasgupta with Bidipta Chakraborty
Career
Film
Birsa Dasgupta started working as an assistant director in films and serials in Mumbai in 2002. Thereafter, in 2003, he got an opportunity to work with Anurag Kashyap for the film “Black Friday” as a unit director. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2004; however, due to various reasons, it was released in India in 2007. He directed the music video ‘Arey Ruk Ja Re Bandeh’ performed by the band Indian Ocean in the film Black Friday which got him noticed in the film industry.
In 2005 Birsa returned to Kolkata to make Bengali films. After making some telefilms he made his first feature film “033” which was released in 2010. The film was about the migration of the youth from Kolkata to find career opportunities. This movie was made with the personal insights of Birsa that he felt when he returned to Kolkata. He talked about it, in an interview, and said,
My characters realise that Kolkata is the place to be, this is where they have their roots, and to find their own ground, they form a popular music band.” ((India Today)).
On 4 July 2014, Birsa Dasgupta released “Golpo Holeo Shotti” under Shree Venkatesh Films, one of the biggest film production houses in Kolkata. The film was the official remake of the 2012 Tamil film “Pizza”. On 16th October 2015, he released “Shudhu Tomari Jonyo”, a remake of the 2013 Tamil film “Raja Rani.” The film received positive reviews from critics and was declared a hit at the box office. On 10 August 2018, Birsa made the film “Crisscross” under Shree Venkatesh Films. This film was based on a novel of the same name by Smaranjit Chakraborty. This film received positive reviews from the audience.
Birsa Dasgupta with the lead actresses during the shoot of Crisscross
Birsa directed one of the dream projects in 2023. It is the “Byomkesh O Durgo Rahasya” from the Byomkesh Bakshi Franchise. The film collected revenue of Rs. 2.30 crores worldwide and received mixed reviews from the critics.
A poster of the film ‘Byomkesh O Durgo Rahasya’ (2023)
Television
Birsa started making telefilms after returning from Mumbai in 2005. He made “Ekti Romharshak Dakatir Golpo” and “K” in 2006 and released it on the “Tara Muzik” channel. He got critical acclamation for the films and it was featured in the Thrissur International Film Festival. In 2016, Birsa Dasgupta directed the TV series “Mahanayak” which was loosely based on the life of megastar Uttam Kumar. This series was aired on Star Jalsha and received mixed reviews from the critics.
A poster of the TV series ‘Mahanayak’ (2016)
He went on to direct other TV series like “Mafia” and “Black Widows” which were released on Zee 5 in 2020.
Facts/Trivia
- Birsa Dasgupta’s father Raja Dasgupta made a documentary film on the life of tribal Leader Birsa Munda from Chotta Nagpur. When Birsa Dasgupta was born his father won an award for the film ‘A Song for Birsa’ so his grandfather Harisadhan Dasgupta decided to keep his grandson’s name, Birsa.
- While Byomkesh Bakshi was shown smoking in previous films, the character refrains from tobacco use in Birsa’s Byomkesh. This deliberate choice is attributed to the depiction of Byomkesh’s wife, Satyabati, being pregnant in the film, as the filmmakers aimed to avoid setting a negative example for the audience.
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet and in an interview, he revealed that meat is his favourite food.
- He likes travelling and has been to different places.
- He is the first third-generation filmmaker in the Bengali film industry.
- Birsa Dasgupta worked in a news company named Mid-Day in Mumbai before working as a unit director in Anurag Kashyap’s film “Black Friday” (2004).
