Basu Chatterjee gets Paranjape award

Eminent filmmaker Basu Chatterjee was honoured with the prestigious Raja Paranjape award during the closing ceremony of the Raja Paranjape Mahostav on Wednesday, at the New English School, Ramanbaug. The award consists of a memento, a citation and a Puneri pagadi.

Chatterjee said, “My association with Rajabhau goes back to the time when he acted in my films Piya Ka Ghar and Us Paar. Later he moved to Pune. In his last days Rajabhau’s financial condition had deteriorated. Hence, I would like to request that Marathi actors be felicitated when they are alive and senior artistes who face financial crises be given help through artistes’ organisation.”

Talking about Raja Paranjape’s films, Chatterjee said, “Raja Paranjape and Ga Di Madgulkar are my inspiration. The times of Raja Paranjape and Madgulkar were great for the Marathi film industry. I am very happy that Raja Paranjape’s movies are still popular. It shows the maturity of the film buffs in Pune. I have seen two brilliant films, Lakhachi Baat and Pedgaonche Shahane.”

Film critic Sudhir Nandgaonkar said, “Rajabhau’s films are the treasure of Maharashtra. And they should be carried forward to the next generation.”