Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Mukherjee on a 2013 stamp of India
Born	(1922-09-30)30 September 1922 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, India)
Died	27 August 2006(2006-08-27) (aged 83) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupations	Film director editor screenwriter
Honours	Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1999) Padma Vibhushan (2001)

Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades, and is named the pioneer of the 'middle cinema' of India. Renowned for his social films that reflected the changing middle-class ethos, Mukherjee "carved a middle path between the extravagance of mainstream cinema and the stark realism of art cinema".^[1][2][3][4]

He is known for a number of films, including Anari, Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Majhli Didi, Chaitali, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Khubsoorat, Kissi Se Na Kehna, and Namak Haraam.

He also remained the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).^[5] The Government of India honoured him with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1999 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. He received the NTR National Award in 2001 and he also won eight Filmfare Awards.