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Deben Bhattacharya
Deben Bhattacharya
Deben Bhattacharya in Bangladesh in 2001. Photo credit: Kirsten Claire. Photo courtesy: Dr Jharna Bose
Born in an orthodox Bengali Brahmin family in Varanasi in 1921, Deben Bhattacharya's traditional upbringing brought out the rebel in him. By the time he was 16, he had already attempted to run away from home more than once. The restless young man had heard a call he couldn't define but couldn't ignore either.Varanasi, being a hub of Hindusthani classical music, a number of accomplished musicians were part of his family circle. Through them, Deben experienced the magic of various ragas. It awakened in him a lifelong curiosity to explore the journey of music. As his creative faculties blossomed, Deben learned ...
Filmography
- Raga (1968)
- Krishna in Spring (1968)
- Waves of Joy: Anandalahari
- The Chanting Lama
- Silk and Strings - Taiwan
- Painted Ballads of India
- Jesus and the Fisherman
- Faces of the Forest - The Santals of West Bengal
- Buddha and the Ride Planters
- Ecstatic Circle - Turkey (1972)
- Village Life and Music of Hungary
- Adaptable Kingdom - Music and Dance in Nepal (1972)
- Land of Smiles - Thailand (1973)
- Bali - Isles of Temples (1973)
- Echoes from Tibet (1980)
- Chinese Opera (1983)
- Uighurs on the Silk Route (1985)
- The Cosmic Dance of Shiva (1986)
- Four films on music, arts and the Silk Route of China
Did You Know?
Apart from recording music, Deben became an avid photographer and kept a travel diary where he wrote about the people he met and his experiences, thoughts that would later find expression in the book titled Paris to Calcutta - Men and Music on The Desert Road, published after his death.
Research by: Sugata Guha
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