Hrishikesh Mukherjee Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Hrishikesh Mukherjee

• During Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s young days used to live with his grandfather who was a zoo keeper and lived in a bungalow within the zoo and there used to be many little birds that were bought to be fed to the snakes of the zoo.

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee used to save lunch money over weeks and months to buy those little birds and he used to buy as many as he could afford and then set those birds free.

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee taught mathematics and science for some time before taking up filmmaking as a career.

• Initially, in 1945, he decided to work as a cameraman and then he worked as a film editor in B. N. Sircar’s new theatres in Calcutta in the late 1940s where he learned his skills from the then-famous film editor Subodh Mitter.

• When Hrishikesh Mukherjee began his cinematic career in the late 1940s as an editor, he used to earn a monthly salary of 60 rupees (73 pence).

• In 1950, Hrishikesh became the editor and assistant director of the Hindi drama film titled ‘Pehla Aadmi.’

• In 1951, Hrishikesh Mukherjee moved to Bombay to pursue a career in Bollywood and started working with the film director Bimal Roy as a film editor and assistant director.

• He worked as the editor of Bimal Roy’s films ‘Do Bigha Zamin’ (1953) and ‘Devdas’ (1955). 

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee served as the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

• His debut film was not a success and he went on to reclaim himself with his second Hindi comedy film titled ‘Anari’ in 1959 and it became the highest-grossing film of the year 1959.

• After Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s debut film ‘Musafir’ had flopped at the box office, late actor Raj Kapoor was the first person to believe in his craft and recommended Hrishikesh Mukherjee as the director of his next film ‘Anari.’
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee with Raj Kapoor (right)

• In 1961, Hrishikesh suffered from an arthritis attack and it took a major toll on his physical health. He directed his two films titled ‘Anupama’ and ‘Asli Naqli’ while being in a wheelchair.

• Hrishiskesh Mukherjee was trained in classical music.

• In 1964, he directed the Hindi romantic drama film titled ‘Sanjh Aur Savera.’

• In 1968, Hrishikesh Mukherjee was cast as the editor of the Hindi drama film titled ‘Mere Hamdam Mere Dost.’

• One day he discovered Jaya Bachchan (then Jaya Bahaduri) after watching a movie made by a Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate. Impressed by her performance, in 1971, Hrishikesh Mukherjee cast and introduced the actress Jaya Bachchan to the Indian cinema with his Hindi drama film titled ‘Guddi.’
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee (extreme left) with Jaya Bachchan during the shoot of the Hindi film titled ‘Guddi’ (1971)

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee had initially signed Amitabh Bachchan as the hero opposite Jaya Bachchan in ‘Guddi’ (1971) and he had even shot for about 10 days. However, during the making of ‘Guddi.’ Mukherjee’s other film ‘Anand’ was released and became a success which gave Amitabh some recognition as well.
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee (left) with Amitabh Bachchan

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee felt that a known face for ‘Guddi’ would be inappropriate for the film which is why he dropped Amitabh Bachchan and signed Samit Bhanja as a replacement.

• In the same year, he wrote and directed the Hindi drama film titled ‘Anand’ (1971). Hrishikesh had written ‘Anand’ for his close friend actor Raj Kapoor and wanted him to portray the character of ‘Anand Sehgal’ in the film but Raj Kapoor had refused it because it was a young character and he thought casting him would be a wrong decision.

• Later, Hrishikesh shared the film script with Dharmendra and told him that he would play the lead role but due to some reasons, the lead role was later given to Rajesh Khanna.
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee (left) with actor Dharmendra during the opening scene of a film

• Disappointed Dharmendra one day drunk-dialled Hrishikesh at night and expressed his frustration for getting replaced in ‘Anand.’ Sharing the moment, Dharmendra was quoted saying in an interview that
  

  I told him, ‘You were going to give me the role, you told me the story, then why did you give him the film?’ He kept telling me, ‘Dharam, go to sleep, we will talk in the morning.’ He would cut the line and I would call him back asking, ‘Why did you give him the role?

• Raj Kapoor used to call Hrishikesh Mukherjee by the nickname ‘Babu Moshai.’

• In his Hindi musical drama film titled ‘Bawarchi’ (1972), the character of Raghu (Bawarchi) who was played by Rajesh Khanna was based on Hrishikesh’s father who was a chemist and used to put together all kinds of things from Kohl for the ladies to firecrackers in his lab.
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee (right) with Rajesh Khanna during the shoot of the Hindi film titled ‘Bawarchi’ (1972)

• Hrishikesh was the first to introduce actor Dharmendra in comedy roles in his Hindi comedy film titled ‘Chupke Chupke’ (1975).
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee (extreme right, with back turned) with the star cast of his Hindi comedy film titled ‘Chupke Chupke’ (1975)

• IN 1977, Hrishikesh Mukherjee became the director and the producer of the Hindi musical drama film titled ‘Alaap.’

• In the same year, he edited the Kannada drama film titled ‘Anuroopa.’

• In 1983, Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed the Hindi romantic comedy film titled ‘Kissi Se Na Kehna.’ 

• In 1986, Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed the Hindi TV drama series titled ‘Hum Hindustani’ which was telecast on the DD National TV channel.

• During the shoot of the film ‘Chupke Chupke,’ Hrishikesh Mukherjee scolded Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan because they were enquiring about their scene from another actor on the set. Angry Hrishikesh told the actors that
  

  What are you asking Asrani? You guys, if you had the sense for the story you wouldn’t be playing heroes in films! Chalo get to work.”

• His wife, his brothers, and his younger son died which led to Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s virtual retirement in the mid-1980s but he attempted a comeback in 1998 with the Hindi comedy-drama film titled ‘Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate’ which was also his last film.

• In 1990, he directed a Hindi drama TV series titled ‘Agar Aisa Ho To.’

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee has directed many Hindi drama TV series and some of them are ‘Dhoop Chhaon,’ ‘Rishte,’ and ‘Ujale Ki Or.’

• In 1992, Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed the Hindi drama TV series titled ‘Talaash’ which was based on the novel titled ‘Sonar Kathi Rupor Kathi’ which was written by Ashutosh Mukherjee.

• The International Film Festival of India honoured him with a retrospective of his films in November 2005.

• Apart from many other Filmfare awards, the filmmaker never won a Filmfare Award for best director.

• Later in his life, Hrishikesh Mukherjee suffered from chronic kidney failure and would go to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for dialysis. His wife passed away almost 3 decades before Mukherjee passed away.

• Hrishikesh was a passionate animal lover and had many pets at his home. He was staying with only his servants and pets during the last days of his life.

• His friendship with Raj Kapoor was what inspired Hrishikesh Mukherjee to make the film ‘Anand.’

• According to his son Pradip Mukherjee, films like ‘Abhimaan’ (1973) and ‘Anupama’ (1966) were based on singer Kishore Kumar and his ex-wife Rupa Ganguly and another relative.

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed many Hindi films and some of them include ‘Biwi Aur Makan’ (1966), ‘Buddha Mil Gaya’ (1971), ‘Phir Kab Milogi’ (1974), ‘Gol Maal’ (1979), ‘Naram Garam’ (1981), and ‘Namumkin’ (1988).
  

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee (extreme left) on the sets of his Hindi comedy film titled ‘Gol Maal’ (1979)

• Hrishikesh Mukherjee was the editor of many Hindi films and some of them include ‘Biraj Bahu’ (1954), ‘Char Diwari’ (1961), ‘Anuroopa’ (1977), ‘Professor Pyarelal’ (1981), and ‘Coolie’ (1983).
  

  The poster of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s directorial Hindi drama film titled ‘Coolie’ (1983)

• He had a crazy obsession with cricket and he used to talk to his daughter Jaishree on the phone for hours during any cricket match and they used to discuss each ball and each cricket decision till the match was over.