Bijon Bhattacharya

Who was Bijon Bhattacharya?

Bijon Bhattacharya was a prominent Indian theatre and film personality from Bengal.

Bhattacharya was born in 1917 at Faridpur in a Hindu Brahmin family, and was early a witness to the destitution and penury of the peasantry of that land. He became a member of the Indian People’s Theatre Association, a left-leaning group of artists who aimed at reflect the suffering of the poor in their work, so as to make a social impact for the betterment of that section of society.

One of Bijon's most celebrated plays, Nabanna, based on Bengal famine of 1943 was an IPTA production, and an inspiration of the film Dharti Ke Lal, which he co-wrote with film's director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, another IPTA member.

He died on 19 January 1978.