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BIOGRAPHY |
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Suman Mukhopadhyay has directed three
feature films Mahanagar@Kolkata (2009), Chaturanga
(2008) and Herbert (2005). Herbert was given the
National Award for Best Regional Film. Suman has done
productions ranging from European drama to major adaptations
of Bengali masterpieces and productions of Indian plays. T0
mention a few: King Lear, Bisarjan, Teesta Paarer Brittanto,
Mephisto, Raktakarabi, Little Clay Cart, Nagamandala, Man of
the Heart and Fireface. He has been conferred with many
awards and participated in various national and
international theatre and film festivals. He was a British
Academy Fellow and recently invited to Barbican Centre,
London with the play Man of the Heart.
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Direction in
films and television
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2010 |
Screenplay and Direction of the feature film MAHANAGAR@KOLKATA |
| 2008 |
Screenplay and Direction of the feature film CHATURANGA, based on the
Rabindranath Tagore novel. (35mm) |
| 2005 |
Screenplay and Direction of full length feature film HERBERT (35mm). |
| 2001 |
Direction, Cinematography, Editing of four short films (16mm) produced by New
York Film Academy. |
| 2000 |
RANGAMANCHA, a theatre series, featuring 13 plays; for Alpha Bangla TV. |
| 1997 |
TARKASH , Crime Thriller Series of 6 episodes for ZEE TV (Private National
Channel)
Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor |
| 1995 |
WE SHALLOVERCOME, a Short Film for the Education of
Street Children; Supported by the British Commonwealth, U.K. 1995 |
| 1994 |
THEATRE DIRECTORS AT WORK, a Documentary Series of 26 episodes featuring major
Indian directors; for The National Network of Television |
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Film awards
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2010 |
Excellence in Filmmaking, Canada International Film
Festival 2010 (Chaturanga) |
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2009 |
CHATURANGA
FILM FESTIVAL(Chaturanga)
Gran Prix , Bridegefest, Sarajevo 2009 (Chaturanga)
Best Director, Philadelphia Independent Film
Festival (Chaturanga)
Golden Palm, Mexico International Film Festival
2009 (Chaturanga)
Best Foreign drama feature, Motorcity International
Film Festival (Chaturanga)
Best Feature Film, New Jersey Independent South
Asian Cine Fest 2009 (Chaturanga)
Best Independent Feature Film, Independents' Film
Festival 2009 (Chaturanga)
The Golden Reel Award, Nevada Film Festival 2009 (Chaturanga)
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2006 |
BEST BENGALI FEATURE FILM, NATIONAL AWARDS, INDIA (HERBERT)
AUDIENCE AWARD, Dhaka International Film Festival (HERBERT)
LANKESH AWARD, Bangalore - BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR (HERBERT)
BFJA AWARD, Kolkata - MOST PROMISING DIRECTOR (HERBERT) |
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Films screened
(Festivals Attended)
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2010 |
Munich International Film Festival, Germany (MAHANAGAR@KOLKATA)
Kerala International Film Festival, India (MAHANAGAR@KOLKATA) |
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2009 |
Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, Buffalo, USA (CHATURANGA)
Arizona International Film Festival, Arizona, USA (CHATURANGA)
Santa Cruz International Film Festival, Santa Cruz, California, USA (CHATURANGA)
Kent Film Festival, Kent, Connecticut, USA (CHATURANGA)
International Spiritual Film Festival, Morristown, New Jersey, USA (CHATURANGA)
Cape Wineland International Film Festival, Cape Town, South Africa (CHATURANGA)
Bridge Fest, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (CHATURANGA)
Tel Aviv Spirit Film Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel (CHATURANGA)
East End Film Festival, London, UK (CHATURANGA) |
| 2008 |
Montreal World Film Festival, Canada (CHATURANGA)
Sao Paolo International Film Festival, Brazil - Invited (CHATURANGA) |
| 2007 |
MIT, CAMBRIDGE, USA (HERBERT)
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, USA (HERBERT)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA, USA (HERBERT) |
| 2006 |
RIVER TO RIVER, FLORENCE INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL, ITALY (HERBERT)
WORLD FILM FESTIVAL, BANGKOK, THAILAND (HERBERT)
OSIAN CINEFAN, NEW DELHI (HERBERT)
ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, TANZANIA (HERBERT)
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, The Marche du Film (HERBERT)
ASIA SOCIETY, NEW YORK (HERBERT)
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF MUMBAI (MAMI) -(HERBERT)
DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Dhaka, Bangladesh (HERBERT)
PUNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Pune, India (HERBERT)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK (HERBERT) |
| 2005 |
KERALA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Trivandrum, India (HERBERT)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY (HERBERT)
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (HERBERT)
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA CAMPAIGN (HERBERT) |
| 1996 |
LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, London, UK (WE SHALL OVERCOME) |
| 1995 |
INTERNATIONAL VIDEO FESTIVAL, Trivandrum, India. (WE SHALL OVERCOME). |
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Director (Theatre)
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2010 |
RAJA
LEAR, based on Shakespeare's King Lear, Minerva
Repertory Theatre.
BISARJAN, based on the Rabindranath Tagore play,
Tritiyo Sutra |
| 2007 |
AGUNMUKHO,
based on 'Feuergesicht' by Marius Von Mayenburg,
Tritiyo Sutra and Max Mueller Bhavan. |
| 2006 |
RAKTAKARABI,
a play by Rabindranath Tagore, Tritiyo Sutra.
KANGAL MALSAT, Tritiyo Sutra and Chetana |
| 2005 |
MAN
OF THE HEART, University of California,
Berkeley, USA
NAGAMANDALA, a play by Girish Karnad.
Kalamazoo College, Michigan, USA |
| 2003 |
THE
LITTLE CLAY CART (MRICHCHHAKATIKA), BY Sudraka
for the Dept. of Theatre and Films at The
University of Toledo, USA.
SAMAY ASAMAYER BRITTANTO, based on a novel
by Debesh Roy, Chetana |
| 2002 |
FALGUNI
: SUCHANA - a play by Rabindranath Thakur.
A JOURNEY WITH RANG NUMBER - an interactive
performance with paintings of Hiran Mitra and
actors of Chetana.
MEPHISTO - from a novel by Klaus Mann. A
joint production of different theatre groups of
Kolkata. |
| 2001 |
KALANTAK
LAL FITA, based on a short story by Sibram
Chakraborty. |
| 2000 |
TEESTA
PAARER BRITTANTO, based on a novel by Debesh
Roy, Chetana |
| 1999 |
JAISA-KA-TAISA,
an abridged version of a play by Girish Chandra
Ghose |
| 1997 |
THE
MEASURES TAKEN, (English) a play by Bertolt
Brecht for the Theatre Department of Barnard
College, Columbia University, New York, USA
GANTABYA, translation of the play 'Bethune'
by Rod Langley, Chetana |
| 1992 |
CORIOLANUS,
a play by William Shakespeare as adapted by
Bertolt Brecht, Chetana
NATIR KATHA, an adaptation of Chekhov's
'Chorus Girl' by Bibhas Chakraborty |
| 1990 |
DAIN,
a play by Abhijit Sen; financially assisted by
Sangeet Natak Academy, Chetana
HARIPODO HARIBOL, a play by Indrashish
Laharry
JANANI, a play by Indrashish Laharry |
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Writer
TEESTA PAARER BRITTANTO, a drama adaptation of a novel by Debesh Roy
CORIOLANUS translation in Bengali from the original by William Shakespeare
BETHUNE translation from the original by Rod Langley)
MEPHISTO translation and adaptation from the original by Ariane Mnouchkine/Klaus
Mann
Numbers of articles and interviews published in different newspapers,
magazines, journals.
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Theatre Awards and Citations
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WEST BENGAL STATE THEATRE ACADEMY AWARD for Best Direction (Play
TEESTA
PAARER BRITTANTO) |
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ANANDALOK CHANCELLOR AWARD for Best Production (Play
TEESTA PAARER BRITTANTO) |
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ACHINTYA CHAUDHURY MEMORIAL AWARD (Play TEESTA PAARER
BRITTANTO) |
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ASIAN PAINTS SHIROMONI PURASHKAR for Best Production (Play
GANTABYA) |
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DRAMA ACADEMY OF INDIA AWARD for Best Production (Play
GANTABYA) |
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PRAMATESH BARUA MEMORIAL AWARD for Best Production (Play
GANTABYA) |
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WEST BENGAL STATE THEATRE ACADEMY AWARD for Best Production (Play
GANTABYA) |
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SHYAMAL SEN SMRITI PURASHKAR for Best Production (Play
CORIOLANUS) |
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Festivals
Participated
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Prithvi Festival, Mumbai |
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Tagore Festival, Govt. of West Bengal, Kolkata |
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Bharat Rang Mahotsav, National School Of Drama, New Delhi |
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Nehru Centre's National Theatre Festival, Mumbai |
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Swarnutsav, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Chandigarh |
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National Theatre Festival, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka
Akademi, Kerala |
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State Theatre Academy Festival, Mumbai |
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International Theatre Institute Festival, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
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International Theatre Festival, Chattogram, Bangladesh |
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Professional contributions
and awards (selected)
| 1997-2003 |
Executive Member of Chetana |
| 2006 |
Junior Fellow, Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India |
| 2006 |
Off-off Broadway run of Man of the Heart at Kraine Theater, New York |
| 2005 Fall |
Artist-in-residence at University of California at Berkeley. Directing
"Man of the Heart'. A play on Lalon Shah Fakir. |
| 2003 Fall |
Visiting Assistant Professor in Department of Theatre and Films, University of
Toledo, Ohio, USA. |
| 2003 |
Cultural Delegate 0f Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Govt. of India to
Prague Quadrennial, Czech Republic. |
| 2001 |
Scholarships from Asian Cultural Council, New York, USA |
| 1997 |
Scholarships from Asian Cultural Council, New York, USA |
| 1996 |
Scholarships from Asian Cultural Council, New York, USA |
| 1990 |
Scholarships from Asian Cultural Council, New York, USA |
| 1996 |
Cultural Delegate, United States Information Agency, New York, USA |
| 1990 |
Trinity College, Hartford, USA |
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Related professional/teaching
experience/position
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Member - Academic Council, National School of Drama |
| 2005 |
Guest Acting lecturer in Film and Television Institute of India, Pune |
| 2002 |
Project consultant to the production of THE MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, with the
hearing handicapped children of National Institute of Hearing Handicapped,
Hyderabad. |
| 1996 |
Conducted Lecture Demonstration and Workshops with the students of Barnard
College, Columbia University, New York, USA
Part-time lecturer of Mass Communication and Television Production in
Rabindra Bharati
University, Calcutta.
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Training
| 2002 |
Participant in the month long La Mama Umbria International Theatre Director's
Symposium, Umbria, Italy.
Guest Directors: Yuri Lyubimov, Jonas Jurasas, Jean Guy Lecat, Ola Mafaalani,
Francoise Grund, Seth Barrish, |
| 2001 |
New York Film Academy, New York, USA
Diploma in film-making. |
| 1993 |
Participated in the International Institute Workshop held in Munich, Germany;
as a part of the 25 WeltCongress, Des International Theatre Institutes. |
| 1991 |
Training in Trinity / La Mama Performing Arts Programme; an intensive
Programme in Performing Arts and Theatre, in New York, USA
Teachers: Joseph Chaikin, Leonardo Shapiro, Ruth Maleczech, Joan Mackintosh. |
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