Amartya Bhattacharyya
Amartya Bhattacharyya is a filmmaker, writer and artist from eastern India.[1] He was awarded the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) for the Best Cinematography in non-feature film at the 63rd National Film Awards by the president of India for his fantasy documentary 'Benaras-the unexplored attachments'.[2][3][4][5] His second feature film 'Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea' featured as the only Odia film in the Indian Panorama section of 48th International Film Festival of India 2017. He was awarded the State film awards in Best Editing category for Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea at the 29th Odisha State Film Awards, conferred by the Government of Odisha. Amartya has also won around twenty international awards as a director, writer, cinematographer, and editor.
Amartya Bhattacharyya অমর্ত্য ভট্টাচার্য্য | |
|---|---|
 Amartya Bhattacharyya, shooting of 'Capital I' | |
| Born | 21 August 1987 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actor, cinematographer, Director, editor, lyricist, painter, photographer, poet, recitation artist, writer |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Awards | 1. Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) for Best Cinematography in non-feature film at the 63rd National Film Awards for ‘Benaras-the unexplored attachments’.
2. Best Editing at 29th Odisha State Film Awards for 'Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea'. 3. Best Director at Kargil International Film Festival 2017 for 'Darjeeling-a celebration of solitude'. 4. Best Film at Moab International Film Festival in USA for 'Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo'. 5. Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing at 9th NoHu International Short Film Festival 2016 in New Jersey for 'Benaras-the unexplored attachments'. 6. Best Film at 7th International Short Tourism Film Festival of Amorgos in Greece for 'Benaras-the unexplored attachments'. 7. Best Script at Sylhet Film Festival 2017 in Bangladesh for 'Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo'. 8. Best Film (Travel Documentary) at 50th International Tourism Film Festival 2017, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic for 'Benaras-the unexplored attachments'. 9. Best Short Film at Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati (USA) for Darjeeling-a celebration of solitude. 10. Best Film on Tourism at International Festival of Short Films on Culture and Tourism 2017 at Jaipur for 'Benaras-the unexplored attachments' |
He is an independent film director, a surreal poet, writer, actor, editor, recitation artist, painter, lyricist, photographer and a cinematographer. Amartya's art works are mostly surreal, dark in concept, and psychoanalytic in nature. He himself tags his films as 'Phychodrama'.
Personal life
Amartya Bhattacharyya was born in a Bengali Hindu family on 21 August 1987 in Kolkata. He is a B.Tech graduate in Information Technology from Techno India College of Technology in 2009. He also works in a multinational IT company as a Technology Lead. Though born in a Hindu family, he is a non-religious person, who draws inspiration from various religions and ideologies. He is an apolitical person, and a strong critic of his socio-political environment.
Amartya's entry to the world of art was through an artist in Kolkata, Shri Siddhartha Mukherjee, who was the art teacher in his school 'The Modern Academy' where he studied for ten years till the completion of his secondary education. It was under his guidance that Amartya started experimenting with art forms at a very tender age, and developed a habit of challenging the conventions. Amartya also performed on stage for the first time at the age of six. Thereafter, he keenly pursued his interest in acting on stage throughout his school life. He was also a passionate cricketer at 'The Sunil Gavaskar Foundation for Cricket in Bengal'.
Film career
'Capital I',[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Amartya's debut feature film happens to be the first independent feature film of Odisha. It was officially selected in competition among six films at the 3rd South Asian Alternative Film Festival Paris in February 2015, 20th International Film Festival of Kerala 2015,[13][14] Delhi International Film Festival 2015, 8th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2016,[15] 11th International Film Festival of Thrissur 2016, 11th Habitat Film Festival[16] and some other festivals. It is the first Indian film to be acquired by the Italy-based sales and distribution company ‘The Open Reel’. The film is being broadcast through the Poland-based TV channel ‘Filmbox Arthouse’.
Amartya's second feature film 'Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea' screened at around 30 international film festivals and across 14 countries. He won the state award for the Best Editing for Khyanikaa at the 29th Odisha State Film awards 2019. He also won the Honorary Jury Mention award for the film at Noida International Film Festival.
After making two feature films 'Capital I' and 'Khyanikaa' in Odia, he made his third feature film 'Runanubandha - The HE without HIM' in his mother tongue, Bengali and shot in the city he was born and brought up in - Kolkata. The film was one of the three Indian films to be selected in the International competition of 24th Kolkata International Film Festival 2018, followed by official selections at around 20 international film festivals. Runanubandha was the only Indian feature film at the prestigious 41st Moscow International Film Festival 2019.
Before making his debut feature film 'Capital I',[17] Amartya had made few short films. His shots were a part of several international film festivals across the world, and bagged a number of awards in all categories.
Overall, Amartya's films have been a part of over 130 international film festivals.
Other activities
Apart from films, Amartya is also the author of two books – 'Ekush (21)' and 'Shatarupa' which are compilations of his poems on love, death and the dark sides of human nature. The books were launched at the Kolkata International Book Fair in 2011 and 2012 respectively. His poems have also been published in several compilations and he was a regular writer/poet for a former weekly Bengali magazine named 'Anahoto'.
Awards
| Awards | Event | Year | Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Award (Rajat Kamal)
for Best Cinematography [Non-feature] |
63rd National Film Awards, India | 2016 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| State Award for Best Editing | 29th Odisha State Film Awards | 2019 | Khyanikaa: The Lost Idea |
| Best Editing | Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, Canada | 2019 | Runanubandha - The HE without HIM |
| Best Screenplay | Directors Cut Int'l Film Festival, Canada | 2019 | Runanubandha - The HE without HIM |
| Best Editing | Directors Cut Int'l Film Festival, Canada | 2019 | Runanubandha - The HE without HIM |
| Best International Feature Film | Directors Cut Int'l Film Festival, Canada | 2019 | Runanubandha - The HE without HIM |
| Best Director | Kargil International Film Festival | 2017 | Darjeeling - A celebration of solitude |
| Best Cinematography | Sylhet Film Festival, Bangladesh | 2018 | Darjeeling - A celebration of solitude |
| Best Director | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2019 | Mercy of God |
| Best Cinematography | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2019 | Mercy of God |
| Best Editing | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2019 | Mercy of God |
| Best Film | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2019 | Mercy of God |
| Best Script | Sylhet Film Festival, Bangladesh | 2017 | Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo (In Poetic Hues) |
| Best Short Film | Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati | 2017 | Darjeeling - A celebration of solitude |
| Best Film (Travel Documentary) | 50th International Tourism Film Festival (TourFilm), Karlovy Vary | 2017 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| Best Film on Tourism | International Festival of Short Films on Culture & Tourism | 2017 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| Best Film | International Short Tourism Film Festival of Amorgos, Greece | 2016 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| Best Film | Moab International Film Festival, USA | 2015 | Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo (In Poetic Hues) |
| Best Screenplay | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2016 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| Best Cinematography | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2016 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| Best Editing | NoHu International Short Film Festival, USA | 2016 | Benaras - The Unexplored Attachments |
| Honorary Jury Mention | Noida International Film Festival | 2018 | Khyanikaa: The Lost Idea |
| Best Director | White Screen Film Festival | 2013 | Boba Mukhosh (Translucence) |
| Best Editor | Rolling Frames | 2013 | Boba Mukhosh (Translucence) |
Filmography
Feature Films
| Year | Title | Language | Role | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Cinematographer | Editor | Actor | ||||
| 2019 | Runanubandha - The HE without HIM | Bengali | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2017 | Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea | Odia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2014 | Capital I | Odia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
Non-feature Films
| Year | Title | Language | Role | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Cinematographer | Editor | Actor | ||||
| 2017 | Darjeeling - a celebration of solitude | Bengali | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2015 | Hoyto Kobitar Jonyo (In Poetic Hues) | Bengali | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2015 | Benaras-the unexplored attachments | Bengali | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2013 | Swargadwar-in search of heaven | Silent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2012 | Shiuli-in search of my Goddess! | English | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
| 2012 | Niloye Jokhon (At Home) | Bengali | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
|
| 2012 | Boba Mukhosh (Translucence) | Bengali | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
|
References
- "Bhubaneswar boy sets Cannes date". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "The Telegraph, India, English News Paper". epaper.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- "Latest Bengali News | Breaking Bangla News - Aajkaal". Aajkaal. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- "#Bhubaneswar based independent #filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharyya received the National Award #Film". eOdisha.Org - Odisha News |Odisha Job|Odisha Film. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- "Bhubaneswar based Amartya Bhattacharyya wins Best Cinematography in the Non Feature Film category - Bhubaneswar Buzz". Bhubaneswar Buzz. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- "CAPITAL I | Bengaluru International Film Festival". Bengaluru International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "Attempt of a Unique Kind". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "Capital I". Cinema Schminema. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "'There need not be a story'". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "The Independent Critic - "Capital I" a Creative, Intriguing Film Out of India". theindependentcritic.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "Festival du Film d'Asie du Sud Transgressif, 3ème édition". Critiques et news films, BD, musique (in French). Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "Le Festival du Film d'Asie du Sud Transgressif | Page 2 of 2 | le Bonbon". le Bonbon. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "IFFK Indian Cinema Now". iffk.in. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- "INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF KERALA DEC 04-11, 2015, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM" (PDF). iffk.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- "CAPITAL I | Bengaluru International Film Festival". Bengaluru International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "Film Club in Delhi India | Documentary Films | Film Screenings | Film Festivals". www.habitatfilmclub.com. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "Capital I - The Open Reel". The Open Reel. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "Indian Panorama selection of Feature and Non Feature films for 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 announced". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- "Odisha Film Awards 2017: Ravi Shankar Patnaik to get Jayadev pursakar, Tarang sweeps Tele awards". odishatv.in. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- "Odia film 'Khyanika: The Lost Idea' to be premiered at Hidden Gems Film Festival in Canada - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- "Ontario festival to screen Odia film". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- "Wales | Cardiff | Cardiff International Film Festival". Wales | Cardiff | Cardiff International Film Festival. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- "15th Chennai International Film Festival Movies List - Cinema Parvai". Cinema Parvai. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- "Kargil IFF Awards". www.kargiliff.in. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- "Short Films". indiafestival.iacofcarolinas.org. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- "(IFFCINCY) Indian Film Festival". (IFFCINCY) Indian Film Festival. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- REGIONZAPAD.CZ. "Karlovy Vary: Grand Prix festivalu Tourfilm 2017 obdržel rakouský spot". www.regionzapad.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 12 October 2017.
External links
- Amartya Bhattacharyya at the INternet Movie Database