Nilkantha Sengupta

Nilkantha Sengupta (31 October 1946 - 1 June 2010) was an Indian Bengali actor, theatre director and playwright. Sengupta received the best Actor Award from the Information and Culture Department of the West Bengal Government in 1988 and the Eminent Director's Award from Paschimbanga Natya Akademi in 1989.

Biography Nilakantha Sengupta was born in Kotalipara of Faridpur (now Gopalganj District during British India. Nilkantha was the fifth son of his parents and very talented but immersed in the study of drama. Leaving the carefree confines of government jobs, he started a new chapter in the world of Bengali theatre. Within a short period of time, it became a popular theatre group in Kolkata. On 23rd November 1974, under the direction of Nilakantha Sengupta, Mohit Chatterjee's drama - 'Swadeshi Naksa' was staged in 1985.

As a playwright, Sengupta was influenced by works- Dante’s Divine Comedy, Plutarch’s lives, F.R. Cowell’s 'Cicero and the Roman Republic' and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. He wrote several plays. Among them, the famous 'Julius Caesar's Last Seven Days', in 1983 (Julius Caesar Shesh Saath Din) was an adaption from a short story of Brecht titled "Caesar und Sein Legioner" (1947) The others are 'The Next Air Attack' (parabarti biman akrama - পরবর্তী বিমান আক্রমণ), 'Look Up' (uparer dike takan - উপরের দিকে তাকান), 'Daansagar', 'Sadhabar Ekadashi' etc. are notable.

Filmography

As actor Year Title Role Notes 1974 Chhera Tamsuk 1978 Ganadevata as Tarini, the singer 1979 "Parashuram" 1980 Mayna Tadanta 1982 Akaler Shandhaney 1983 Mouchor 1984 Ananya Amar 1986 "Pathbhola" 1987 Bandookbaj 1999 Kahini

Personal life and death In 1988, Sengupta married Kajal Sengupta, also an actress, his worthy disciple. In 2010, Sengupta passed away, leaving behind his wife Kajal and only daughter Kanchalmala.