Remembering Hrishikesh Mukherjee on his 102nd birth anniversary.

“I am a simple man, and I make films that I live. Maybe that is why they are called family socials. The middle class is the class I know, and I always wove stories around the middle class.”

Remembering Hrishikesh Mukherjee on his 102nd birth anniversary (30/09/1922).

Hrishikesh Mukherjee was a celebrated film director, editor, and writer, hailed as one of Indian cinema’s greatest filmmakers. Known affectionately as Hrishi-da, his directorial career encompassed 42 films over more than four decades, earning him recognition as the trailblazer of India’s ‘middle cinema.’ His works, reflecting the evolving ethos of the middle class, seamlessly blended the grandeur of mainstream cinema and the raw authenticity of art films.

His extensive filmography includes acclaimed films such as Anari, Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, and Anand, among others like Abhimaan, Guddi, and Gol Maal. Mukherjee’s other notable works are Majhli Didi, Chaitali, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Khubsoorat, Kissi Se Na Kehna, and Namak Haraam.

Beyond his directorial achievements, Mukherjee served as the chairman of both the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). His significant contributions to Indian cinema were honored with prestigious awards, including the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1999, the Padma Vibhushan in 2001, the NTR National Award in 2001, and eight Filmfare Awards.