Haridhan Mukherjee

Haridhan Mukherjee (10 November 1907 – 26 December 2004) was an Indian actor and singer in Bengali cinema from West Bengal. He is known for his work in Bengali theatre as well as Bengali films. He brought characters to life through his versatile acting talents.

Early life Mukherjee was born on 10 November 1907 in Khatuya village near Gobardanga in the 24 Parganas district of British India. His birth name was Deenabandhu Mukherjee. His father was Bhubanmohan and his mother was Giribala Devi. His father died when he was very young, and his mother raised him and his brother. He studied at the Shyambazar A.V. School. Due to extreme financial hardship, he used to sell lozenges to his friends at school. Saving 30 rupees in a short time, he tried to do business with soap and powder, and then a rice business, but neither succeeded. Borrowing money from his elder brother's friend, he started selling potatoes in Hatibagan. He used to act in small roles in school plays, and one day received praise from the school's secretary, the playwright Amrita Lal Basu. Hearing his singing, Rabindranath Tagore gifted him a Kantha-stitched shawl. He even sang for Mahatma Gandhi. He did not stop there and began acting in plays, particularly in female roles. He portrayed female characters in many plays, such as Pather Sheshe, Bibaha Bibhrat, Alibaba, and more. Then, in 1943, he got the opportunity to play a small Baul character in the film Sahar Theke Dure, directed by the famed Sailajananda Mukhopadhyay. The song "Radhe, Bhul Kore Tui Chinli Na Tor Premer Shyamrai," sung by Dhananjay Bhattacharya and lip-synced by Haridhan, became wildly popular. Haridhan's cinematic career was truly reborn under the direction of Debaki Bose. He appeared in Debaki Bose's 1944 film Sandhi, which marked Haridhan's debut as a comedian. He also acted in films like Parash Pathar, Phuleswari, Dhanyee Meye, and Bhola Moira. His final released film was Tuni Bou (1987). During his acting career, he appeared in over 140 films. He worked with prominent directors including Niren Lahiri, Debaki Bose, Satyajit Ray, Nirmal Dey, Tarun Majumdar, Arabinda Mukhopadhyay and Hiren Nag.

Upon leaving films, he began dedicating his time to theatre; "theatre was his life." He acted in plays such as Kabi, Ulka, Adarsha Hindu Hotel, Ami Mantri Hobo, Krishnakanter Will, Samadhan, Devdas, Saheb Bibi Golam, and Ramer Sumati. He performed at the Rangmahal Theatre for about twenty-two years and at the Star Theatre for his final eighteen years. He also performed in radio dramas for All India Radio (*Akashvani*) at the invitation of Birendra Krishna Bhadra. His final stage performance was in the play Pasher Bari at the Star Theatre in 1991, the same year the theatre burned down. In his later years, he received numerous honors and awards from organizations such as the University of Calcutta, BFJA, West Bengal Natya Academy, Federation of Film Societies of India, and the Jogesh Mime Academy. Governor K. V. Raghunatha Reddy presented him with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Death He broke his hip after falling in his Salt Lake residence and became bedridden. He passed away on 26 December 2004.