No dynasty rule please, this is Tollywood!

When Satyajit Ray had asked Madhabi Mukherjee if she wanted her daughters to join the film industry, the ���Charulata��� actress had answered in the negative. Eventually, both her daughters ��� Mimi and Ranjabati - joined the teaching profession. Ray���s son though had followed in his father���s footsteps.
Yet there are countless examples of icons of Bengali cinema who like Madhabi never insisted that movies be the only career option for their children.Today���s Tollywood is largely an industry of outsiders. In comparison, the ���khandaan��� tag has literally become a passport to fame both in the Hindi and South film industries. Hollywood too has its share of filmi dynasties including the famous Coppola and Baldwin families.
What���s also interesting in Bollywood is that once an outsider tasted success, it became imperative that the next generation too would join the movies. Abhishek Bachchan, Tusshar Kapoor, Shahid Kapur, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Saif Ali Khan, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar ��� whose fathers landed in Bollywood and tasted success ��� never thought of a career beyond movies.

Bengal has bypassed this trend too. Directors, apart from Ray and Harisadhan Dasgupta, hasn���t had any direct descendent joining the movies. Director Tapan Sinha and actor Arundhuti Devi���s son Anindya is a primatologist working as a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Mrinal Sen���s son Kunal is passionate about movies but chose to become the chief technology development officer of Encyclop��dia Britannica in Chicago.
Star sons and daughters too have largely followed the same path. Except for Prosenjit, Saswata Chatterjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Koel Mullick and Swastika Mukherjee, there is only one example in the Suchitra Sen family where even the third generation has been smitten by the film bug. Of course, Uttam Kumar and Soumitra Chatterjee���s grandsons have joined movies too. But the second generations were never very active in films. But the rest, including Chhabi Biswas, Utpal Dutt, Bikas Roy, Bhanu Bandopadhyay had other plans for their next generation.
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After the birth of Ray���s grandson, Madhabi had gone to meet the little one. ���Manik-da (Ray) had asked me whether I wanted my daughters to join films. I gave my reasons while answering in the negative. I had told him that if she was successful in movies, she would end up being lonely. If she wasn���t successful, she would end up getting frustrated,��� Madhabi says.
By her own admission, Madhabi came from a conservative family. ���Everyone else was in a different profession. It was only my mother who had the vision to understand that I had a future in movies. Back then, girls otherwise weren���t encouraged to join movies. Today, the scenario is different,��� she adds.
Raima, the granddaughter of Suchitra Sen, however insists that starsons and daughters are encouraged to join movies. ���Benuda (Sabysachi Chakraborty)���s sons are into movies. So is Ronodeep (Soumitra Chatterjee���s grandson) and Gaurav (Uttam Kumar���s grandson). The film industry in Mumbai is bigger than that of Kolkata. Hence, the figures there are more,��� Raima believes.
Film scholar Sanjay Mukhopadhyay attributes the reason for this apathy to the way Bengal has viewed movie culture over the years. ���Social acceptance has been a key factor. Movies have not always been viewed as dignified profession in Bengal. It had taken a lot of effort for Kanan Bala to become Kanan Devi in the film industry,��� he points out. That���s why the term ���cinemae nama��� had gained currency in Bengal. In common parlance, joining movies meant some sort of a ���fall���. No other film industry ��� especially those that take pride in their ���khandaan��� clout ��� ever makes any connection with ���fall��� when a newcomer joins movies. ���The association of movies with lose morals and drinking is also not uncommon in Tollywood. When Bhanu Bandopadhyay died, many were surprised to find so many books at his residence. They couldn���t believe that a comedian could be so well-read! People found it unthinkable Bikash Roy, a Presidency College student who is remembered for his iconic roles, could also read Jibanananda Das,��� Sanjay recalls.
This perception problem might have had an impact on many success stories in Tollywood not leaving behind a legacy in the industry. ���When Sadhana Bose ��� the granddaughter of social reformer Keshab Chandra Sen- acted in ���Alibaba��� in 1937, it was some sort of a revolution. Her director husband, Madhu Bose was the grandson of geologist Pramathanath Bose. However, one hasn���t heard of anyone in their family entering the showbusiness.���
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Every time Mrinal Sen���s son Kunal is asked about he never took to film-making as a career, he says, ���My grandfather was a lawyer. But my father wasn���t. My grandfather���s wanted my father to become a ���kobiraj���. But neither happened. I never wanted a label on me. Perhaps, that acted as a catalyst for me to take interest in other things. None of my parents ever gave a hint of trying to influence me.���
When Biswajit Chatterjee���s son Prosenjit joined movies, it was not the legacy that was the driving factor. ���I was no different from a struggler,��� recalls Prosenjit. It���s a different matter that his hard work paid off and he went on to rule the industry for three decades. ���If we look at the Kapoors, anyone in their family right up to Ranbir has always been involved with the movie business right from the childhood. It���s not that everyone was dreaming of becoming a hero. But they wanted to be associated with films. Most have accompanied their parents on outdoor shoots. But in Kolkata, I don���t really see anyone making a conscious effort to do that. One of the main reasons for Arpita and I to decide to send our son ��� Trishanjit ��� would be sent to a boarding school was that we didn���t want him to only get busy with films,��� he insists.
If his son grows up and wants to take up acting or direction as a career, Prosenjit is always ready to support him. ���Then, I can send him to a film school abroad. But there is no pressure on him to be an actor. Choosing a profession depends on an individual���s knack. In my family, I find it there. But that���s not always the case in every family. Had that been so, Uttam Kumar���s son would have been the greatest actor in Tollywood.���
Once an outsider in Tollywood, director Kaushik Ganguly has earned recognition as a ���Cinemawalla��� today. Yet, he wouldn���t insist that his son takes up movies as a career. ���My son, Ujaan, is a good actor. But he is aware of the struggle in Tollywood. Neither my wife Churni (Ganguly) nor I would want a meritorious student like him to take up movies as career. A hobby is fine though,��� Ganguly says.
Saswata Chatterjee followed his doctor-turned-actor father Subhendu���s footsteps and joined movies. However, Saswata and wife Mahua have left their 13-year-old daughter Hiya to decide what she wants to do in life. ���Bapi (Subhendu) himself could have afforded a lavish lifestyle had he simultaneously practiced as an orthopaedic and also acted in movies. But he never did that. It was his passion for movies that got preference. When Apu (Saswata) wanted to act, Bapi had got him enrolled in Jochhon Dastidar���s theatre group Charbak. It was Jochhon-da and Rabi Ghosh who mentored him. Bapi was happy that Apu had joined movies but he never promoted him,��� Mahua says.

Initially, telefilms brought success to Saswata. ���Bapi would watch them at night and leave behind notes with three or four lines of appreciation written on them. Today a lot of new career options have opened up and Hiya is free to choose whatever she wants,��� Saswata���s wife says.
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Birsa Dasgupta and his brother Ribhu are the third generation directors from Bengal. Birsa, however, says it was more to do with his personal passion in movies that brought him into this field. ���Over the years, Bollywood has only grown in size. But our industry has seen highs and lows,��� Birsa explains. This wave has also influenced career choices. ���Had there been a steady growth, the choices might have been different,��� Birsa adds.
The small size of the industry is also a determining factor. ���Including films and television, the yearly turnover is just 100 crore. Even the shoe industry here might have more turnover. Very few people are interested in ploughing back money to the industry,��� Prosenjit explains.
The financial difference between a star���s earnings in Tollywood and Bollywood is also a crucial factor. ���Even a television actor in Mumbai who does serials, functions and reality shows can easily possess a Jaguar. But even after 35 years in the industry, I have to think twice before I decide to buy one,��� Prosenjit admits.
According to Kaushik, a successful Bollywood star earns enough to buy his son a bungalow in Juhu. ���The children can then happily take to movies because their parents have financial security for themselves. Here in Kolkata, a successful director might not be able to buy a flat for his son in a very middle-income bracket housing complex,��� Kaushik explains.

Birsa says that even if he gives five hits in a row, he won���t earn the amount that a Bollywood director earns from one hit movie. ���One hit from a Bollywood hero will give him a bank balance that will last long. That apart, he can also sign on five new movies. Even if none of them run, the hero will already have made crores. Here in Tollywood, one hit film never gives that kind of a dividend,��� Prosenjit says.
Uttam Kumar, recalls Prosenjit, had opened a medicine factory for his son. ���He had produced movies too. But he never insisted that movie production run in the family,��� Prosenjit adds.
Most actors and directors in Bollywood also have production companies that are taken care by the family members. Uday Chopra, despite his failure as an actor, is still very much into movies because of his crucial role in Yashraj Films. The Bhatts have Vishesh Films as a banner. Ekta Kapoor has Balaji Telefilms. ���Shakti Samanta���s son, Ashim, had also tried his hands in film-making. Even after Shakti-da���s death, he still goes to their office regularly. It is a three-storey office that they have,��� Prosenjit says.
Stars launching a production house is a very recent trend in Tollywood. Some like Himanshu Dhanuka, Arijit Dutta, Arijit Biswas are joining their family business in movies. Incidentally, Koel Mullick and her husband Nishpal Singh Rane are the only second generation filmi couple in Tollywood. According to Koel, Bengalis generally like everything connected to education. ���They are academically oriented and have an aptitude for it too. Most Bengali families want children to learn music and dance. But they often don���t fancy acting as a profession because of its unpredictability factor,��� Koel says. However, having been there and done this, she insists that those keen on joining the industry must know that it���s a lovely place to work in. ���Loneliness and frustration can be there in every profession. One has to be a strong human being to be successful everywhere. Finally, aspirants must know that while it���s important to take work seriously, work can���t be everything in life.���

WHAT DO TOLLYWOOD STARSONS SAY?
Bihu Mukherjee (Kharaj Mukherjee���s son) While I am pursuing theatre honours at the Rabindra Bharati University, I want to become an artist. My father is passionate about music. My mother is into painting. Pursing arts is important for me and I am right now acting in my fifth film. I perform at Someplace Else too. But if I have to choose between movies and music, I will opt for music.
Riddhi Sen (Kaushik Sen���s son) I would have still done movies even if my parents were not into acting. It���s my personal choice. Acting is my passion. Most of the children of my father���s actor friends haven���t taken up acting very seriously. They have occasionally done films but most are more drawn towards music. I have a strong theatre background where it���s not uncommon for children living and loving the stage to take up their parents��� profession.
Rwitobroto Mukherjee (Shantilal Mukherjee���s son) I���ve been doing theatre for 12 years and have directed a short film too. I���ve already done ���Kahaani��� and ���Open Tee Bioscope���. I���m studying in Class XI. If I have to choose between acting in cinema and theatre, I will opt for theatre. In theatre, it is common to have children of actors join the profession. But that���s not the case with movies. My father will never ask anyone to cast me.