SHILLONG: Shillong has produced some eminent citizens which includes award-winning actor Victor Banerjee who is remembered for his role in Passage to India among others. Recently Victor won two global awards in two days for his role as a priest, Father O’Hara, in the 2019 film, Josef – Born in Grace. The first was for Best Actor at the India International Film Festival of Boston on October 27; and the second, a day later, was for best supporting actor, at the Ontario International Film Festival.
Josef – Born in Grace has made waves since its release in 2019. The film was in the race for the Oscars earlier this year. It had won the Best Set Design at the Madrid International Film Festival and also a second award at the Ontario International Film Festival this week, when Sudheer Palsane was declared Best Cinematographer.
Josef – Born in Grace is an adaptation of a short story titled Joseph, written by well-known Odia author Umakanta Mahapatra, father of the film producer Ashok Mahapatra. The film is directed by Susant Misra.
The film shot over a month in Uttarakhand in the summer of 2018 revolves around three characters, Fr O’ Hara, a missionary doctor who serves the poor and destitute at a small local hospital, Josef an orphan adopted by O’Hara and raised with the help of the third character Maularam who is also Fr O’Hara’s caretaker. The story travels over a period of 20 years from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Josef is sent to Dehradun to complete his studies and also take up vocational training as a cook. He does both commendably; becomes a great cook until the spirits too control of him. Josef becomes a hopeless alcoholic. The film, made in Hindi, knits together three very different journeys of three characters and tells their stories poignantly.
Victor who keeps a close connect with Shillong spoke to this correspondent saying it was not difficult for him to play the role of a priest and father to Josef for whom he developed a paternal love. But he was quick to praise Subrat Dutta for his role as Josef – a character that required a certain intensity and sensitivity, which he said made it easier for him to deliver.
Age is just a number best describes Victor who, now in his 70’s continues to engage with films and film-making. His brilliant career in films spans four decades. He has won three National Awards — one for cinematography, one for directing and one as supporting actor besides several international awards and a BAFTA nomination.
Victor is fortunate to have worked with the maestros of the film industry from Satyajit Ray (Shatranj Ke Khilari, Pikoo and Ghare-Baire) in the 1970s and ’80s to Shyam Benegal (Kalyug, 1981), Roman Polanski (Bitter Moon, 1992) and David Lean (A Passage to India, 1984).
Humble and earthy as ever Victor takes no credit for the recent awards. Rather he credits Misra’s narrative for bringing out the best in him. “This film is dear to my heart because it takes me back many years when I was also nurtured by the Irish Christian Brothers. In fact my character is modeled on the Christian Brothers,” Victor explained.
Reminiscing his days at St Edmund’s School, Shillong Victor said, “I studied in St Edmund’s between 1953 and 1962 and left when I was 16. The late Rev Bro Micheal deBritto Curran is responsible for helping
me act out the character of Fr O’Hara. I visited him several times and on his passing away also attended his funeral in Ireland with my wife Maya. We have subsequently visited his grave and lay down wreaths on the grave twice a year – on his feast day in March and his death anniversary in December.”
Like every singer and actor that has passed out from the institution of the Irish Christian brothers, Victor says, the Brothers taught me how to act and how to sing. I derived my values from them. In a way, this award is because of them, and hence it is humbly dedicated to them.”
Victor is best known for playing intensely sensitive roles in his films. This sensitivity is reflected in his life’s mission which is to serve suffering humanity. He has been running the Moran Blind School at Moranhat in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh District, which has more than 60 boys and girls on the rolls since 1982. The school was started by his father, Late Major S.N. Banerjee in 1971.
He regularly visits the school in Assam, holds football matches for the students and takes a quiet trip to Shillong where he has many friends. “Room #1 at Pinewood Hotel has been mine for all these years. They sneakily permitted a log fire but now that chimney is sealed,” quipped Victor with a mischievous emoji.
Deeply connected to his Alma Mater, St Edmund’s School, Victor says, “The greatest Award I’ve received in life was being invited to be the Guest of Honour at the closing ceremony of St Edmund’s Centenary Celebrations. That’s the greatest moment in my life that will never be surpassed.”
Victor lives with his wife Maya in Dehra Dun but every now and again you will run into him at the India International Centre, New Delhi and if he meets a Shillongite, the courteous Victor will invariably stop by and chat and ask about Shillong which he remembers with nostalgia.