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A Look Back at Pramod Chakravorty's Legacy

Pramod Chakravorty may not be as celebrated as other renowned Bengali filmmakers in Hindi cinema, such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Bimal Roy, but his films were undeniably more appealing to the masses.

He made his mark with the suspense thriller '12 O’clock' featuring the legendary Guru Dutt and went on to direct several hit films including 'Love In Tokyo' (1966), 'Jugnu' (1973), and 'Warrant' (1975).

Dharmendra, who collaborated with Chakravorty on five successful projects, believes the director is often overlooked. He shared, 'Pramod frequently cast both Hema and me in his films, often pairing us together. He also featured Hema alongside Amitabh in 'Nastik', and I starred in a Bengali-Hindi film 'Jagir' with Zeenat opposite me. My debut with Pramod was 'Naya Zamana', which I regard as one of my finest works, alongside Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 'Satyakam' and Dulal Guha’s 'Pratiggya.'

For Dharmendra, 'Naya Zamana' held a special place as it was inspired by the acclaimed Bengali film 'Udayer Pathey' and addressed themes of social reform. The film's music was particularly memorable. His subsequent collaboration with Chakravorty, 'Jugnu', became one of his career's biggest successes, featuring popular music by Sachin Dev Burman. Although their later projects like 'Azaad', 'Dream Girl', and 'Jagir' did not achieve the same level of success, Chakravorty's storytelling and versatility remain undeniable.

Reflecting on his experiences, Dharmendra noted, 'I felt a strong connection to Bengali cinema while working with such distinguished directors from that era: Bimal Roy, Asit Sen, Dulal Guha, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, and Pramod Chakravorty. I was even set to portray Devdas in a film by Gulzar alongside Hema and Sharmila, but that project never materialized.'