Shakti Samanta received Filmfare Awards for Best Film for Aradhana, Anuraag and Amanush, which was made in Bengali, a language in which he made six films, including an Indo-Bangladesh joint production in 1984.
13 Facts About Shakti Samanta
2.
Shakti Samanta was born in the village of Bokra, in the district of Purba Bardhaman, in the Bengal Presidency of British India.
3.
Shakti Samanta received his education at Dehradun, staying with his uncle.
4.
Shakti Samanta actually wanted to be a playback singer in the beginning.
5.
Shakti Samanta eventually joined the film industry in 1948 as an assistant director starting with Satish Nigam in Raj Kapoor starrer Sunhere Din, subsequently he worked with directors like Gyan Mukherjee, and Phani Majumdar at Bombay Talkies, in Tamasha, Baadbaan and Dhobi Doctor.
6.
Shakti Samanta's best known films include Howrah Bridge, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, Sawan Ki Ghata and An Evening in Paris.
7.
Shakti Samanta is credited for starting the trend of making double version films in Hindi and Bengali with Amanush in 1974, and made the first co-produced film between India and Bangladesh in 1984.
8.
Shakti Samanta was among the directors who worked with Shammi Kapoor in the late 1950s and up to the mid '60s, then with Sharmila Tagore, Rajesh Khanna, creating a number of classics such as Aradhana, Kati Patang, Anurodh and Amar Prem.
9.
Shakti Samanta produced some of the films that his son, Ashim Samanta, directed.
10.
Shakti Samanta died of cardiac arrest at his suburban Santa Cruz residence at approximately 5pm on 9 April 2009, while undergoing physiotherapy.
11.
Shakti Samanta was recovering from a stroke he had suffered two months ago.
12.
Shakti Samanta received Filmfare Awards for "Best Film" for Aradhana, Anuraag and Amanush.
13.
Shakti Samanta has received several Lifetime Achievement awards, including the Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2002 and several other awards from Zee and other Indian organisations.