Sudipto Sen

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Sudipto Sen
Born
Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Alma materUniversity of Calcutta
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2006–present

Sudipto Sen is an Indian film director known for his work in Bengali and Hindi cinema.[1][2][3] He directed various films and short films as Lucknow Times, The Last Monk, The Kerala Story, and Bastar: The Naxal Story. Sen also established Sipping Tea Cinemas, which serves as the production banner for many of his films. [4]

Sen received the National Film Award for best direction for his film The Kerala Story.[5][6]

Early life and education

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Sudipto Sen was born in a Sen family in Siliguri, West Bengal.[7] He has a bachelor's in physics and a master's in Applied Psychology from University of Calcutta.[8]

Career

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Early work

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Sen began his career directing documentaries in the late 1990s. His early work includes The Other Wealth (1997), described as an experimental short documentary. During this period, he also produced several development-focused films, reportedly collaborating with institutions like the World Bank.[citation needed]

Feature films

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Sen made his feature film debut with The Last Monk (2006), which was screened at international festivals such as Cannes, Rotterdam,[9] Raindance, and Singapore.[10][11] This was followed by Akhnoor (2009), an Indo-French co-production that received awards at the Golden Gate Film Festival, Brussels, and San Francisco.

His later feature works include Gurujana (2022), a biographical film on 15th-century Assamese philosopher Srimanta Sankardeva, which was officially selected for the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).[12][13]

Recent Work and Impact

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In 2023, Sen directed The Kerala Story, a film based on alleged cases of religious conversion and terrorism. It generated widespread public debate and commercial success, reportedly grossing over ₹242 crore domestically—making it one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year.[14] [15]

In 2024, he released Bastar: The Naxal Story, which dealt with the Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh and received attention for its depiction of internal conflict in India.

Filmography

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Directed Features

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Year Title Ref(s)
2006 The Last Monk [16][17]
2011 Amrit Kumbh [18]
2015 Lucknow Times [19][20]
2022 Gurujana [21]
2023 The Kerala Story [22][23]
2024 Bastar: The Naxal Story [24]
TBA Saharasri [25]

Projects in development

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As jury member

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  • International art culture and cinema festival (IACCF) 2021 [28]
  • IFFI 2022 [29]

Awards

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2025 National Film Award Best Director The Kerala Story Won [30] [31]

References

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  1. ^ K Jha, Subhash (8 May 2023). "Sudipto Sen director of 'The Kerala Story': The same people who were criticising us have watched the film and are praising us". The Times of India.
  2. ^ "Who is Sudipto Sen, the director behind the controversial movie The Kerala Story". Firstpost. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Director Sudipto Sen hints at The Kerala Story sequel: Here is what we know so far". CNBC TV18. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  4. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Sudipto Sen celebrates Charak's success at Cannes 2025; says, "It is a victory for our Indian culture, demonstrating to the world the power and significance of our mythology"". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  5. ^ Bharat, Monali. "71st National Film Awards 2025 — Complete Winners List". Bru Times Newsmes News.
  6. ^ "Sudipto Sen on receiving his National Award for The Kerala Story: Big box office was first award, this is double whammy". Hindustan Times. 24 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Sudipto Sen: कौन हैं सुदीप्तो सेन जिन्होंने 'द केरल स्टोरी' बनाई? बिंदुओं में समझे करियर से लेकर सभी विवाद". Amar Ujala. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  8. ^ "'द केरला स्टोरी' के डायरेक्टर हैं इस यूनिवर्सिटी से पास आउट, जानें सुदिप्तो सेन की एजुकेशन के बारे में". ABP Live. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  9. ^ "The Last Monk to be screened at the Rotterdam Film Festival". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  10. ^ Sinha, Vaishnawi (3 May 2023). "Who is Sudipto Sen, director of controversial film The Kerala Story? All about ISIS, 'love jihad' plot". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  11. ^ "How Adah Sharma's The Kerala Story can be a huge surprise at the box office?". 3 May 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  12. ^ "'Gurujana' is a musical tribute to 15th–16th century Assamese polymath Srimanta Sankardeva". Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Gurujana". IFFI. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  14. ^ "The Kerala Story box office day 12 collection: Film hits ₹150 crore mark, is second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023". Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  15. ^ "The Kerala Story Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  16. ^ "The Last Monk to be screened at the Rotterdam Film Festival". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  17. ^ Sinha, Vaishnawi (3 May 2023). "Who is Sudipto Sen, director of controversial film The Kerala Story? All about ISIS, 'love jihad' plot". DNA. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  18. ^ "More Hollywood hotties are coming for you". The Siasat Daily. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Lucknow Times (2015)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Divya Dutta begins work for Lucknow". Times of India. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  21. ^ "'Gurujana' is a musical tribute to 15th–16th century Assamese polymath Srimanta Sankardeva". Press Information Bureau. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  22. ^ "'The Kerala Story' director Sudipto Sen fell sick, hospitalised". Mint. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  23. ^ "The Kerala Story box office collection: Sudipto Sen-directorial crosses Rs 175 crore". Business Today. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  24. ^ Mishra, Pratikshya (15 March 2024). "'Bastar: The Naxal Story' Review: Nothing Can Save This Film From Itself". The Quint. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  25. ^ "'Saharasri' poster: Subrata Roy biopic to be helmed by 'The Kerala Story' director". The Hindu. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar Rights Sold To Sudipto Sen, Latter Plans 2nd Part". Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  27. ^ a b >"Sudipto Sen on Charak, Controversy, and Cannes: 'Backlash Means You're On The Right Path". Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  28. ^ "ADVISORS". IACCF. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Nadav Lapid's 'vulgar' remark on The Kashmir Files a personal opinion, says IFFI jury member Sudipto Sen". India Today. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  30. ^ "71st National Film Awards 2025 full list of winners: 12th Fail wins Best Film; Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey, Rani Mukerji bag top acting honours". 4 August 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  31. ^ "Sudipto Sen on Best Director win at National Awards: Vindication of our 10-year struggle". 1 August 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.