Anjan Dutta is a popular artist of the 1990s Bengali music scene defined by anyodharar gaan (alternative songs). He passed his childhood in St Paul's School, Darjeeling, a Himalayan township of West Bengal. He holds an MA degree in English literature from the University of Calcutta, in India. Anjan started his career as an actor in Bengali cinema. His first film was Chalachitro directed by Mrinal Sen, where he won the prize for the best newcomer actor, at the Venice Film Festival. But later on, his career diverted towards the world of music. Anjan Dutta's style of music is different from the others in the sense that it has simple tunes, one that is reminiscent of western hits. His lyrics are simple in nature. Anjan's music is somewhat influenced by blues and country music. He is the first Bengali artist to depend more on the saxophone. Anjan Dutta is also a co-director of several Bengali and Hindi language movies. He has admitted that he is a fan of Bob Dylan and his Bengali contemporary Suman Chatterjee. Recently, he has acted in Aparna Sen's film, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. In a nutshell, Anjan Dutta may be regarded as one of the best serious actors in the Indian parallel cinema movement, that has seen the likes of Mrinal Sen's much-esteemed film "Bhuvan Som". Anjan Dutta has been regarded by some as being the 'angry young man' of serious cinema in contemporary India. , “Calcutta” redirects here. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Bengali or Bangla (IPA: ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit, Pāli and Sanskrit languages. ... St. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian, V.S... Formally established on the 24 January 1857, the University of Calcutta (also known as Calcutta University) (Bengali: কলকাতা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়), located in the city of Kolkata (previously Calcutta), India, is the first modern university in the Indian subcontinent. ... Bengali cinema, or the Bengali film industry, is one of the earliest film industries in India. ... Mrinal Sen (Bangla: মৄণাল সেন) is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. ... The Venice Film Festival ( ) is the oldest film festival in the world. ... “Blues music” redirects here. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Suman Chatterjee (Bangla: সুমন চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (born 1950 in India) is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet. ... Aparna Sen (née Dasgupta) (Bengali: অপর্ণা সেন Ôporna Shen) (October 25, 1945 - ) is a Bengali Indian actress and film director and mother of actress Konkona Sen Sharma. ... Mr. ... Mrinal Sen (Bangla: মৄণাল সেন) is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. ...

Anjan Dutta's music has been covered by a number of Bengali artists throughout the last decade. More recently, his music has been performed at a South Asian cultural show ("Ghungroo 2006") at Harvard College in March 2006 by a quintet of graduate students (Neeraj "Richie" Banerji, Ravi Agrawal, Siddhartha Sinha, Neil Sawhney and Seantanu Dongre), who called themselves, the Calcutta Boys. They sang his "2441139 (Bela Bose)" and also songs by Mohiner Ghoraguli. Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir). ... Harvard Yard Harvard College is the undergraduate section and oldest school of Harvard University, founded in 1636 by the Massachusetts Legislature. ... A quintet is a formation containing five members. ... A graduate student (also, grad student or grad in American English, postgraduate student or postgrad in British English) is an individual who has completed a bachelors degree (B.A., B.S./B.Sc. ... The tape album cover for Aabaar Bachhar Kuri Pare - the comeback album. ...

Early Years

Anjan Dutta was brought up in the mountains of North Bengal. He had his schooling from the esteemed St. Paul's School located in Darjeeling. He did not get much opportunity to listen to traditional Bengali songs (like Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti) but became well acquainted with western folk and country music around that time. Initially, he had no plans to make career for himself as a singer. His father was a solicitor, who he wanted his son to take up a career in law, young Anjan was more inclined to working in theaters and cinema. His friends also inspired him to consider taking acting seriously as a profession. He came to Kolkata in search of bigger opportunities and started working in theaters with thespian Badal Sarkar. North Bengal is a term, for the part of West Bengal, which often denotes Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda districts together. ... St. ... Rabindrasangeet (Bangla: রবীন্দ্রসংগীত Robindroshongeet) refers to complete body of songs (approximmately 2230) and lyrical poetry written and composed by Bengali Nobel-laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore. ... Nazrul Geeti, literally meaning music of Nazrul, are the works of Kazi Nazrul Islam, national poet of Bangladesh and active revolutionary during Indian Independence Movement. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but not the United States (in the United States the word has a quite different meaning—see below). ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... , “Calcutta” redirects here. ... Badal Sarkar (1925 - ) is an Indian dramatist. ...

In late seventies, he joined a group called 'Open Theatre' and in early eighties performed plays translated from works of renowned foreign playwrights like Sartre,Peter Weiss,Jean Genet and Bertold Brecht.The group clearly drew inspiration from Nandikar a highly active and an already famous theater group at that time. But due to politically sensitive content, they faced many obstructions in producing and performing their work, and eventually the group had to discontinue its repertoire. Jean Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre (June 21, 1905–April 15, 1980) was a French existentialist philosopher, dramatist, novelist and critic. ... Peter Weiss (November 8, 1916 - May 10, 1982) was a German writer, painter and artist. ... Jean Genet (French IPA: ) (December 19, 1910) – April 15, 1986), was a prominent, controversial French writer and later political activist. ... Bertolt Brecht (February 10, 1898 - August 14, 1956) was an influential German dramatist, stage director, and poet of the 20th century. ... Nandikars logo designed by Satyajit Ray. ...

He was first selected in a feature film named 'Chalachitro' that was directed by renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen. This was an unexpected break for him. The film with Anjan's performance got critical acclaim in the Venice Film Festival but for unknown reasons, it was never released commercially. After that although he worked as an actor in the film-making industry, he was more interested in doing art cinema (or films with aesthetically sensible filmmakers) rather than commercial mainstream cinema. After doing a few art films that were not so commercially successful, including the critically well received 'Juganto', scarcity of job opportunities forced him to take up jobs in advertising and later as a journalist for the Kolkata based daily, The Statesman. Mrinal Sen (Bangla: মৄণাল সেন) is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. ... The Venice Film Festival ( ) is the oldest film festival in the world. ... U.S. theatrical release poster for German New Wave director Werner Herzogs 1973 drama Aguirre: The Wrath of God An art film (also called an “art cinema”, “art movie”, or in the US, an independent film or “art house film”) is a typically serious, noncommercial, independently made film that... “Advert” redirects here. ... Established in 1875, The Statesman is among the leading daily newspapers of India. ...

Introduction to Singing

At that time, Anjan was greatly influenced by the music of Suman Chatterjee(now known as Kabir Suman) who had heralded a new era in Bengali music through his powerful songs, that were very different from the pre-existing genres of Bengali music. These songs and lyrics, commonly referred to as Jeebonmukhi (literally meaning towards life), concerned itself with the tough reality of Bengali middle class social life, in and around Kolkata. Anjan started translating some English songs. In his efforts, he was supported and constantly inspired by his ideological precursor, Suman Chatterjee himself. Dutta later decided to delve into the music arena on his own. When HMV offered to publish his songs, he finally realized that he had to take it seriously. Suman Chatterjee (Bangla: সুমন চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (born 1950 in India) is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet. ... The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between India and Bangladesh) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating back four millennia. ... , “Calcutta” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Anjan: a new dimension to Bangla music

Anjan Dutt is distinguished by a new style he developed, in which a deep influence of theatrical representation is perceptible. In songs like 'bose achi Istisionete' (I am sitting inside the railway station) or 'Maser prothom dinta' (The first day of the month), this theme of theatrical realism becomes obvious. He is deft at bringing out the subtle nuances of the urban landscape in his lyrics. A substantial portion of his songs capture stories of various urban creatures like Raja Roy, Samson, Horipado, Mala , Roma and numerous other characters who have come alive through his songs. Samson and Delilah, by Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) This article is about Biblical figure. ...

Singing career

It is well known that Anjan Dutta's songs are influenced by western music, and especially country music and blues. Initially, he composed more upbeat, comparatively light-hearted compositions like Calcium, Haripada, Ranjana among others. These songs were influenced by numbers like Cecilia, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard or the Beatles' track Nowhere Man. But gradually he moved on to more serious lyrics inspired by the ballads of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen and soon developed a unique style of his own, that was truly Bengali in its core, although universal in its appeal. The style is more reminiscent of the jazz, blues and rock and roll. Dutta was also inspired by eminent western singers like Don McLean, Donovan, John Denver and Paul Simon. Western music is the genres of music originating in the Western world (Europe and its former colonies) including Western classical music, American Jazz, Country and Western, pop music and rock and roll. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... “Blues music” redirects here. ... Cecilia is a song by Simon and Garfunkel, from their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water. ... Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard is a song by Paul Simon, written in 1972, from the album Paul Simon. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Nowhere Man is a song by British 1960s rock group The Beatles, on their hit album Rubber Soul (in the U.S. on the Yesterday . ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Leonard Norman Cohen, CC (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... “Blues music” redirects here. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other people with similar names see Don MacLean. ... Donovan (Donovan Philips Leitch, born May 10, 1946, in Maryhill, Glasgow) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... John Denver (December 31, 1943 â€“ October 12, 1997), born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ...

Anjan Dutta belonged to an era of pre-discotheque, pre-lounge-bar Bengalis who were slowly turning on their discmans as the ubiquitous radios started their journeys to oblivion. As like the oeuvre of Suman Chatterjee, Anjan's songs spoke of the middle-class Bengalis and their dreams, aspirations, their fulfillments and failures -- without being too sermonizing or too sighing. He can be credited with giving rise to a new generation of urban Calcuttan youth who learned to thrive and prosper in the wistful mediocrities of lost or unrequited love, temporary unemployment, breaking of dreams, hearts, hearths or even the first kiss or the first swig of rum.

According to him, his music can be categorized as 'urban folk'. But in broad spectrum, it falls under modern Bengali popular music.The mood also keeps changing. For example Duto Manush (Two human beings) speaks of the break-up of a couple after a violent clash,Bondhu (Friend) revolves around a theme of refusal to a love proposal, whereas Shunte ki Chao(Do you really want to know?) or Neel deals with the mourning of lost innocence of childhood. Kolkata-16 which is basically an address in the Park Street region of Kolkata is a tribute to that street which is so intimately related to little pieces of joy and sorrow of the singer's life. He has also dealt with current matters in his songs like the brutal killing of Christian Missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his children on the hand of Bajrang Dal Hindutva fanatics in a remote district of Orissa (West Bengal's neighboring province).The song Sokal (Morning) depicts the empty materialism of modern lifestyle whereas songs like Kanchan and Darjeeling are tributes to his childhood spent in the Himalayan foothills. His two most favorite themes are the guitar and the rugged face of Kolkata ,which returns recurring in many of his songs.This varying choice of themes combined with an eclectic unique style, made him one of the three cult figures of post-ninties era in Bengali popular music, besides Suman and Nachiketa. Park Street is one of the main thoroughfares of the city of Calcutta, India. ... Bajrang Dal (Hindi: , English: ) is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and one of the family of organizations (Sangh Parivar) based on the core ideology of Hindutva. ... For Veer Savarkars book Hindutva, see Hindutva. ... , Orissa   (Oriya: ଓଡ଼ିଶା), is a state situated on the east coast of India. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ...

It is worth mentioning that Anjan Dutta has a limited but ardent fan-following especially within college and university students and young urbanites and he maintains a steady popularity within his selected audience. His other works includes "Priyo Bandhu" (O my friend), a voice play performed with Nima Rehman. He has also done a few English compilations like Bandra Blues.

Discography

On Screen

Actor:

• Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)
• Dekha (2001) .... Sarama's husband
• Yugant (1995) .... Deepak ... aka What the Sea Said (India: English title)
• Antareen (1994) .... The Writer ... aka The Confined
• Shilpi (1993) ... aka The Artist ... aka The Dreamer
• Sunya Theke Suru (1993) ... aka A Return to Zero (India: English title)
• City of Joy (1992) .... Dr. Sunil ... aka Cité de la joie, La (France)
• Mahaprithivi (1992) .... Younger Son ... aka World Within, World Without
• City of Hope (1991)
• Ek Din Achanak (1989) (as Anjan Dutta) .... Neeta's boyfriend ... aka Suddenly, One Day
• Nuit Bengali, La (1988) .... Khokha ... aka Bengali Night
• Grihajuddha (1982) .... Bijon ... aka Crossroads ... aka The Crossroad
• Kharij (1982) .... Anjan Sen ... aka The Case Is Closed
• Chaalchitra (1981) .... Dipu ... aka The Kaleidoscope

Director: Mr. ... Yugant (English: What the Sea Said) is a 1995 Bengali movie directed by Aparna Sen. ... City of Joy is a novel written by Dominique Lapierre. ... City of Hope refers to many things. ... Ek Din Achanak (Hindi: एक दिन अचानक , English: Suddenly, One Day) is a 1989 art film directed by Mrinal Sen. ...

• BBD
• Bow Barracks Forever(2007)
• The Bong Connection(2007)
• Chalo Anjan ... A Travel & Talk Show with celebrities
• Rudra Sener Diary (Tele Film/Series)
• Half Chocolate (Tele Serial)
• BadaDin

 kanchanjangha (telefilm) 

He is currently working in his new Hindi feature film "BBD" featuring Naseruddin Shah,K K Menon, Jimmy Shergill , Sandhya Mridul and Sonali Kulkarni. BBD may stand for: Barbados dollar, the ISO 4217 code for the currency of Barbados Bell Biv DeVoe Banco Bradesco (NYSE ticker symbol) Big Blue Disk Best Before Date Big Black Delta - a type of UFO Big Black Dick Bucket Brigade Device (Electronics) Beilinson Bernstein Deligne, the authors of Faisceaux... Bow Barracks Forever is a 2004 Indian film directed by Anjan Dutt. ... The Bong Connection is a 2007 Indian movie starring Raima Sen, Shayan Munshi and Parambrata Chatterjee and directed by Anjan Dutt. ... Jimmy Shergill Jimmy Shergill (born December 3, 1970) (also known as Jasjit Shergill) is an Indian actor. ... Sandhya Mridul is a Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. ... Sonali Kulkarni is an Indian actress. ...

Also on the cards is his next Bengali feature film titled "Amar Kanchan" starring Prosenjit,Konkana Sen, a story based on a father & a daughters' relationship. Prasenjit Chatterjee (Bengali: প্রসেনজিৎ চট্টপাধ্যায়), professionally known as Proshenjit, is a Bengali film actor. ...

External links

• Interview with Anjan Dutta
• Listen to songs of Anjan dutta
• Anjan Dutta Unofficial Fan Club
• Anjan Dutta Fan Club in Facebook