Victor Banerjee

Victor Banerjee (born 15 October 1946) is an Indian actor. He appears primarily in films in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Assamese . He has collaborated with directors including Roman Polanski, James Ivory, Sir David Lean, Jerry London, Ronald Neame, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, and Montazur Rahman Akbar. He received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Ghare Baire. In 2022, he received the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, from the Indian government for his significant contribution to cinema.^[1][2]

Victor Banerjee
Banerjee in 2013
Born	(1946-10-15) 15 October 1946 (age 78) Chanchal, Bengal Province, British India (present-day West Bengal, India)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1977–present
Spouse	Maya Bhate Banerjee
Children	2
Honors	Padma Bhushan (2022)

Early life and education

Banerjee was born in a Zamindari Bengali Hindu brahmin family. He is a descendant of the Raja Bahadur of Chanchal (Malda District) and the Raja of Uttarpara.

Banerjee completed his schooling from St. Edmund's School, Shillong. He completed his graduation in English literature from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta; When he wasn't hitting the books, Banerjee was spinning tracks as a Western Classical Radio Jockey at All India Radio – the perfect way to tune in to some extra pocket money!; he then finished his post graduation in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University.

He turned down a scholarship to Trinity College in Dublin, which was offered to him, through the Irish Christian Brothers, for admission as an operatic tenor.

Personal life

Banerjee had an interest in theatre in the early years. While in Calcutta, he performed in plays for the British Council, British Women's Association and the theatre group Amateurs. He was the lead tenor in the Calcutta Light Opera Group production of The Desert Song,. During his time in Bombay he performed for the Cambridge Society, director Arun Sachdev and also played Jesus in Bombay Theatre's first ever musical production, Godspell. He also played senior division hockey and football in the Bengal League in the 1960s. During the 1991 Uttarkashi Earthquake, he actively participated in relief work. He single-handedly led five mules loaded with relief materials plus carried a backpack of 30 kg (66 lb) of milk and medicines to Pinswar village (which is beyond the tree line) just before the first winter snowfall and before the Govt supplies reached. In December 1999, he and his wife Maya brought in the new millennium with hands-on participation in relief work in cyclone-devastated Orissa which included rebuilding mud huts and clearing animal carcasses. The Moran Blind School in Assam founded by his father Maj S.N. Banerjee in 1971 is an Institution which Banerjee continues to nurture and develop. Under his stewardship, it is now a full-fledged residential school. Recently, the students were the semi-finalists in the North East Blind Football Championship and rated by a Bangalore-based organisation as one of the best schools for visually challenged students. He is the Brand Ambassador of the Srimants Sankaradeva Society of Assam and the Bird Watchers Society of Uttarakhand and the Goodwill Ambassador of the Dimasa Tribe of the Northeast Hill Tracts. He divides his time between his homes in Landour in Uttarakhand and in Kolkata.

He has a daughter who was a reputable VFX supervisor for 16 years^[3] His other daughter, a former Scientist, is settled in the U.S.

Art aficionado

Banerjee established The Calcutta Art Gallery in the late 1970s which was the first commercial art gallery in the city. He brought in renowned artists such as M. F. Husain, Jehangir Sabavala, Anjolie Ela Menon, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Sakti Burman, and many others to exhibit. He also actively promoted new talent and artists like Shyamal Roy had their first shows in the Gallery.^[4]

Film career

In 1984, Banerjee played Dr. Aziz Ahmed in David Lean's film A Passage to India, which brought him to the attention of Western audiences.^[5] In 1986, he was nominated for a BAFTA Award and won the Evening Standard British Film Award as well as the NBR Award (National Board Review, USA). Banerjee won the "Show-a-Rama Award" as a "New International Star" from the Motion Picture Association of America in April 1985.

He appeared in Merchant Ivory Productions, Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures, Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari and Ghare Baire, as well as Mrinal Sen's Mahaprithivi. On the set of Gunday, starring Priyanka Chopra, Mr. Banerjee stated that "all work is a challenge and thus fun."^[6]

Despite recent involvement in Bollywood, Banerjee is best known for her work in the Bengali film industry. In addition, he occasionally plays character roles in British films.

He was also cast as "Jesus" in the critically acclaimed 1988 production of the York Mystery Plays, directed by Steven Pimlott. He played a leading role in British theatre, making him the first Asian to do so.

In 1991, BBC and CBC of Canada produced a documentary titled Return Journey, directed by John McGreevy. Banerjee, Plácido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa and Jackie Stewart were featured as celebrities who refused to live away from their home countries.

Banerjee is the only person in India who has won the National Award in three categories: as a cinematographer, for his documentary Where No Journeys End (which, in competition with 3100 entries from 27 countries, also won the Gold Award at the Houston International Film Festival); as a director, for his documentary The Splendour of Garhwal and Roopkund; and as an actor (Best Supporting Actor) for his work in Satyajit Ray's Ghare Baire.

Filmography

• Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977, dir. Satyajit Ray) (English Title: The Chess Players) - Prime Minister
• Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures (1978, dir. James Ivory)
• Dui Prithibi (1980, dir. Piyush Bose)
• Pikoo (1981, dir. Satyajit Ray)
• Kalyug (1981, dir. Shyam Benegal)
• Jaipur Junction (1982)
• Arohan (1982)
• Doosri Dulhan (1983)
• Protidan (1983)
• Tanaya (1983)
• Ghare Baire (1984, dir. Satyajit Ray) (English Title: The Home and the World)
• A Passage to India (1984, dir. David Lean) - Aziz
• Pratigya (1985)
• Pratikar (1987)
• Ekanta Apon (1987)
• Foreign Body (1986, dir. Ronald Neame)
• Dadah Is Death (1988)
• Aagoon (1988, Dir. Self)
• Madhuban(1984, Dir. Ajoy Kar)
• Debota (1989)
• Aakrosh (1989)
• Byabodhan(1990)
• Lathi (1996, dir.Prabhat Roy)
• Mahaprithibi (1991, dir. Mrinal Sen)
• Bitter Moon (1992, dir. Roman Polanski)
• True Adventures of Christopher Columbus (1992, TV Series)
• Moner Moto Mon (1998, dir. Montazur Rahman Akbar) (aka Raja Rani)
• Dada Thakur (2001 film)
• Manush keno Beiman (2002)
• Deva (2002 film)
• Antarghaat (2002, Dir. Tathagata Bhattacherjee)
• Bhoot (2003)
• Joggers' Park (2003)
• Bow Barracks Forever (2004, dir. Anjan Dutt)
• Bandhan (2004 film)
• Parinam (2005 film)
• Yatna (2005)
• It Was Raining That Night (2005)
• My Brother... Nikhil (2005)
• Amavas (2005)
• Home Delivery (2005)
• Bradford Riots (2006) (TV)
• Ho Sakta Hai (2006)
• The Bong Connection (2006, dir. Anjan Dutt)
• Bandhu (2007 film)
• Chaurahen (2007)
• Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
• Apne (2007)
• Tahaan (2008) (dir. Santosh Sivan)
• Sarkar Raj (2008) (dir. Ram Gopal Varma)
• Sobar Upore Tumi (2009) (dir. F. I. Manik)
• Gumshuda (2010) (dir. Ashoke Viswanathan)
• Gosainbaganer Bhoot (2011) (dir. Nitish Roy)
• Meherjaan (2011) (dir. Rubaiyat Hossain)
• Delhi in a Day (2012) (dir. Prashant Nair)
• Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare (2012) (Assamese film; dir. Bidyut Kotoky)
• Tor Naam (2012)
• Shabdo (2013) (Kaushik Ganguly)
• Kagojer Nouka (2013)
• Shantiniketan-e (2013) (dir. Ashoke Viswanathan)
• Gunday (2014)
• Children of War (2014) (dir. Mrityunjay Devvrat)
• Jeeya Jurir Xubax (2014) (Assamese film; dir. Sanjib Sabhapandit)^[7]
• Unfreedom (2014) (dr. Raj Amit Kumar)
• Chakra (2016) (dir. Zubeen Garg)
• Fever (2016)
• Dev Bhoomi (2016) (dir. Goran Pascaljevic) Won Best Picture Award at the Bari International Film Festival in Italy
• Love Express (2016) (dir. Rajiv Kumar Biswas)
• Pensando en el
• The Answer (2018). Starred as Paramahansa Yoganand, the film won a record 17 major International Awards & 48 Nominations.
• High Life (2018) (English language film)
• Joseph – Born in Grace (2019) dir Susant Mishra
• Sannyasi Deshonayok (2020)
• Raktabeej (2023)

Awards and nominations

Civilian Awards

• 2022 — Padma Bhushan — India's third highest civilian award.^[8]

Film awards

Year	Award	Film	Category	Result	Ref.
1986	BAFTA Awards	A Passage to India	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Nominated	[9]
1986	Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards	Ghare Baire	Best Actor	Won
1997		Lathi		Won
1985	Evening Standard British Film Awards	A Passage to India	Best Actor	Won
1984	National Board of Review Awards		Best Actor	Won	[10]
1985	National Film Awards	Ghare Baire	Best Supporting Actor	Won	[11]

Political career

Banerjee, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, ran in the 1991 Lok Sabha election in Calcutta North West, but was defeated. He received 89,155 votes and finished third.^[12]

As an active member of the BJP, he was critical of Mulayam Singh Yadav's order to shoot the Karsevaks who had previously climbed the Babri Masjid prior to its demolition.^[13]

He has been harshly critical of Navjot Singh Sidhu's pacifist stance towards terrorism, which is exported from Pakistan.^[14]