Sachin Bhowmick passes away

His familycremated him at the Shivaji Park crematorium around 4 pm. As for the people hehad worked with over the last half century, hardly anybody was present to bid afinal goodbye.Infact, very few people in the industry knew about his demise. Shammi Kapoor who worked with him in numerous hits, was unaware of the writer passing away, “It is extremely sad and I am shocked by your phone call.I met him a couple of months back during a special screening of An Evening in Paris.He had a great mind and a special art of giving you awonderful screenplay by joining little pieces together. One thing that I wouldnever forget was the way he would speak Hindi with a Bengali accent. We wouldnever understand and would request him to switch toEnglish.”Bhowmick started his career as a writer in Bollywood in 1958 with Nargis and Balraj Sahni starrer Lajwanti. In the 1960’s, his stories and screenplays became synonymous with success. Sachin churned out hits like Anuradha (1961), Ziddi (1964), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Majboor (1964), Love In Tokyo (1966), An Evening In Paris (1967), Brahmchari (1968) and Aradhana (1969).Bhowmick, or Dada as people in the industry lovingly called him, became the master of romance. Actors, who wanted to showcase their softer sides, would invariably come to him for an image makeover. Rishi Kapoor, reminiscing about the writer who penned his hugely successful Karz, said, “He wrote some of my most romantic films.Any leading manwhether it was me or Rajesh Khanna or Jeetendra or my uncle Shammi Kapoor whowanted to enhance his romantic image always went to Sachin Bhowmick's screenplayfor sustenance.”“He was an encylopaedia of knowledge oncinema and screenplay. And though he wrote what looked liked fiercely Indianscreenplays he could very cleverly adapt foreign films, like he did for my KhelKhel Mein,” added the actor.Bhowmick married actress Kalpanawho starred opposite Shammi Kapoor in Professor. The marriage did not work outtoo well. Recalling the initial days of his first marriage, Sharmila Tagoresaid, “It was a big mistake.And Sachin was so embarrassed hehid away from all his friends including Shakti Samanta and me. Luckily hedivorced and married a beautiful Bengali woman.”Recalling thefamily-friend, Sharmila added, “A prolific writer and a learned man,Sachin was a dear friend of my mother. During those days, around 1959, Sachinwas a travel writer. He would travel to various destinations especially Europeand then write beautiful pieces, a la today's Suheil Seth.I rememberin one piece Sachin had written, ‘If you want to see the town driveslowly. If you want to see the jail drive fast.’ That line stayed withme.”Recalling Aradhana, Sharmila says, “It was Sachinwho convinced my mother to let me join Hindi films. If it weren’t for himmy mother would’ve never allowed me. And he only convinced Shakti-da tosign me for Aradhana. I think Shakti-da wanted Hema Malini after her successfulDream Girl. Sachin pitched in for me. That incident brought uscloser."If the 1960’s established Bhowmick as a star writer,the coming decades just went to prove the reach and extent of histalent.Breaking away from his romantic mould, Sachin deliveredwinning stories of Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Dushman(1998) and even wrote the screenplay for superhero flicks Koi...Mil Gaya andKrrish.A prolific writer, Bhowmick wanted his biography to bewritten while he was still alive. “A biography of Sachin was beingwritten. He wanted it completed in his lifetime. But it remained incompletebecause I have not yet met the author,” Sharmila addedregretfully.Subhash Ghai who worked with him in many films expressed his grief over Bhowmick’d death, “It’s my great personal loss. He was most interested in films but never filmi as a person.”