Dipankar Dey Biography: Bengali Cinema Legend, Satyajit Ray Collaborator & National Award Winner

Dipankar Dey (born 5 July 1944 in Jamshedpur, India) is a veteran Indian actor known for his prolific work in the Bengali film industry. Over a career spanning five decades, he has played a wide range of roles — from romantic leads to villains and powerful character parts. Dipankar Dey has been a part of both art-house cinema and mainstream commercial films, making him one of Bengal’s most respected actors.

He rose to national acclaim through his collaborations with legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, appearing in classics like Seemabaddha (1971), Jana Aranya (1976), Ganashatru (1990), Shakha Proshakha (1990), and Agantuk (1991).

Full Name	Dipankar Dey
Date of Birth	5 July 1944
Birthplace	Jamshedpur, India
Profession	Actor
Industry	Bengali Cinema
Known For	Films by Satyajit Ray, character roles
Languages	Bengali, Hindi
Debut Film	Seemabaddha (1971) by Satyajit Ray
National Award	Best Supporting Actor for Parama (1985)

Notable Film Collaborations with Satyajit Ray

Seemabaddha (1971) – Corporate drama
Jana Aranya (1976) – A gritty take on middle-class struggles
Ganashatru (1990) – Based on Ibsen’s Enemy of the People
Shakha Proshakha (1990) – About moral decay in a wealthy family
Agantuk (1991) – Ray’s final masterpiece

These films helped define Dey’s place in Indian parallel cinema.

Awards

1986 – National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Parama (dir. Aparna Sen)

Selected Filmography (Chronological Highlights)

1971 – Seemabaddha (Satyajit Ray)
1976 – Jana Aranya (Satyajit Ray)
1980 – Akaler Shandhaney (Mrinal Sen), Banchharamer Bagan
1985 – Parama (Aparna Sen) – National Award winner
1990–1991 – Ganashatru, Shakha Proshakha, Agantuk (all by Satyajit Ray)
2000 – Utsab (Rituparno Ghosh)
2002 – Titli
2010 – Abohomaan
2012 – Hemlock Society, Chitrangada
2015 – Har Har Byomkesh
2019 – Ahaa Re
2024 – Bijoyar Pore, Dabaru
2025 – Pataligunjer Putul Khela