Manoj Mitra

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title: "Manoj Mitra" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1938-births", "2024-deaths", "culture-of-kolkata", "screenwriters-from-kolkata", "scottish-church-college-alumni", "university-of-calcutta-alumni", "academic-staff-of-rabindra-bharati-university", "indian-theatre-directors", "indian-male-dramatists-and-playwrights", "male-actors-in-bengali-cinema", "recipients-of-the-sangeet-natak-akademi-award", "bengali-hindus", "kalakar-awards-winners", "bengali-theatre-personalities", "20th-century-indian-dramatists-and-playwrights", "dramatists-and-playwrights-from-west-bengal", "people-from-north-24-parganas-district"] description: "Indian actor, director and playwright (1938–2024)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoj_Mitra" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Indian actor, director and playwright (1938–2024) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Manoj Mitra
image	Manoj Mitra - Kolkata 2013-12-05 4745.JPG
caption	Mitra in 2013
birth_date
birth_place	Dhulihar, Satkhira District, Khulna Division, Bengal Province, British India
death_date
death_place	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
nationality	Indian
known_for	Theatre, acting
family	Amar Mitra (brother)
occupation	Actor, Theatre Artist, Dramatist
::

| name = Manoj Mitra | image = Manoj Mitra - Kolkata 2013-12-05 4745.JPG | alt = | caption = Mitra in 2013 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Dhulihar, Satkhira District, Khulna Division, Bengal Province, British India | death_date = | death_place = Kolkata, West Bengal, India | death_cause = | nationality = Indian | other_names = | known_for = Theatre, acting | family = Amar Mitra (brother) | occupation = Actor, Theatre Artist, Dramatist

Manoj Mitra (22 December 1938 – 12 November 2024) was an Indian theatre, film and television actor, director, and playwright.

Early life

Mitra was born on 22 December 1938 in Dhulihar village of Satkhira District, Khulna division. Initially he used to study at home because his father Ashok Kumar Mitra, who had a transferable job. Mitra was attracted to the Jatras and plays that used to be held in their courtyard during the Durga Pujas but was forbidden by senior family members to participate in any way. His school life began after the Partition at Dandirhat N.K.U.S. Niketan near Basirhat. Later he joined the Scottish Church College with honours in philosophy and graduated in 1958. He used to write short stories and many of them appeared in various magazines.

Theatre career

It was at Scottish Church that he got initiated to theatre. There were regular shows at the college where the likes of Badal Sarkar, Rudraprasad Sengupta and others were students. He did his M.A. in philosophy from the University of Calcutta and began research for a doctorate. But by then he and friends like theatre and film director Partha Pratim Chowdhury had begun the group Sundaram. While most of these plays were produced by Sundaram, Bohurupee etc. He also played a soulful role in the movie "Hothat Bristy" (Sudden Rain) in 1998 produced by both Bangladesh & India. His works have been translated into many languages. Mitra has written several books on film and theatre.

He was the President of the Paschim Banga Natya Akademi from which he resigned citing health issues in August 2019.

Career in film

Mitra acted in films by a diverse variety of directors such as Tapan Sinha, Satyajit Ray, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Basu Chatterjee, Tarun Majumdar, Shakti Samanta and Goutam Ghose.

He is best known for the lead role in Tapan Sinha's film Banchharamer Bagan (based on Mitra's play Sajano Bagaan – The Arranged Garden) and his roles in Satyajit Ray's Ghare Baire and Ganashatru. He played comedic and antagonist roles in hundreds of Bengali movies.

Death

Mitra died on 12 November 2024, at the age of 85.

Awards and honours

• Sangeet Natak Akademy Award for Best Playwright (1985)
• Calcutta University Award for Best Playwright (1986)
• West Bengal State Government Award for Best Playwright (1983 & 1989)
• Asiatic Society's Gold Medal (2005)
• Filmfare Award East for Best Actor (1980)
• Munir Chowdhury Award from Bangladesh Theatre Society (2011)
• Dinabandhu Puraskar (25 May 2012)
• Kalakar Awards

References

References

1. (2024-11-12). "Veteran Bengali actor Manoj Mitra passes away".
2. (3 August 2008). "At play with a pack of cards". The Telegraph.
3. "The Constant Gardener".
4. ''Some Alumni of Scottish Church College'' in ''175th Year Commemoration Volume''. Scottish Church College, April 2008, p. 589
5. Interview with Manoj Mitra in ''Scottish Church College Magazine'', 2001, volume 89. page 42
6. "শূন্য 'বাঞ্ছারামের বাগান', প্রয়াত মনোজ মিত্র".
7. "আচমকা মনোজ মিত্রর মৃত্যুর গুজব, বিরক্ত পরিবার, এখন কেমন আছেন শিল্পী?".
8. "The Films of Tapan Sinha".
9. (2023-03-25). "৮০ বছর বয়সে করুণ পরিস্থিতির সম্মুখীন, কীভাবে দিন কাটছে 'বাঞ্ছারাম' মনোজ মিত্রের".
10. "Veteran Bengali actor Manoj Mitra passes away at 86". The Indian Express.
11. Bangla, TV9. (2024-11-12). "প্রয়াত কিংবদন্তী মনোজ মিত্র, শোকাচ্ছন্ন সংস্কৃতি জগত্‍".
12. "Kalakar award winners". Kalakar website.

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