Asit Sen - The Slow Speaking Comedian

Story of comedian Asit Sen, who made people laugh by speaking slow dialogues. He became a star in films by copying the style of a servant and learned acting by lying to his family.

Here is the story about Asit Sen, famous for acting and comedy in black and white films. Asit Sen had his own identity. His speciality was to deliver dialogues in a very slow voice. Because of this style, he became a superhit in his role in 'Bees Saal Baad'.

Asit Sen worked in about 250 Bengali and Hindi films. The story of Asit Sen's entry into films is quite interesting. When he reached Bombay, he had to work as a cameraman with famous filmmaker Bimal Roy.

In reality, Asit Sen was very fond of photography. He had a photo studio in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. He went to Kolkata in 1949-50 in connection with photography. There he joined New Theatres and met Bimal Roy while acting in a drama.

Seeing his comic timing and speaking style, Bimal Roy gave him the role of a professor in his film 'Sujata'. After this Asit started being recognized as a great comedian. He lied to his family and went to Calcutta to work in films.

Asit Sen was born on 13 May 1917 in a Bengali family in Gorakhpur. In connection with employment, his family came from Burdwan district of West Bengal and settled in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Asit Sen's father sometimes ran a radio and gramophone shop and sometimes an electrical goods shop.

Asit Sen did not like sitting at the shop but was very fond of photography, so he used to go to many functions and take photographs as Pran Saheb did. When Asit passed 10th, his mother wanted him to get married, but Asit wanted something else.

He wanted to join New Theatres in Calcutta and learn filmmaking from director Nitin Bose. But he was not able to understand how to go to Calcutta. Luckily he went there in connection with a wedding. After reaching Calcutta, he made an excuse to his family that he had to stay in Calcutta and study B.Com.

After coming to Calcutta, Asit tried his hand at theatre and worked in some plays. Gradually he started getting praise for his work, but then Asit had to return to Gorakhpur at his father's insistence.

Asit's father was well acquainted with the Police Commissioner of Gorakhpur. When he was transferred from Gorakhpur, a big farewell ceremony was organized in the city. Asit Sen was made responsible for photography in this function and was called back to Gorakhpur from Calcutta for the purpose. Everyone liked the pictures taken by Asit very much.

Asit Sen also became so happy with his praise that he opened Sen Photo Studio in Gorakhpur. His photo studio was doing well, but World War 2 broke out. At that time, all the photography equipment in India came from abroad. This could not happen due to war and Sen's photo studio was in trouble.

When the photo studio was on the verge of closure, Asit Sen started worrying about his livelihood. Through his connection, he reached Bombay where he got a job of a still photographer in a film company. Asit got engrossed in his new work, but then he got a telegram from home that his mother was ill and went back home.

Asit immediately went to Gorakhpur. News was received about his mother's illness, but Asit's grandmother passed away before his mother. Asit was devastated by two deaths in the house within a short span of three months. He was neither was he being able to stay in Gorakhpur nor was he being able to muster the courage to go to Bombay and work again.

As luck would have it, Asit Sen Started film career as Bimal Roy's assistant.

One day Asit made up his mind and left everything behind and reached Calcutta again. What happened to Asit Sen after going to Calcutta, he told in an interview given in 1960, "There I met my friend Krishnakant who was working with Kanan Bala in the film 'Banphool'. "

Krishnakant introduced me to actress Sumitra Devi and her husband Dev Mukherjee. This acquaintance with both of them became very useful to me in future.

It was thanks to him that he met filmmaker Bimal Roy, who by then had made his first Bengali film 'Udayer Pathe' and was now preparing to make it in Hindi.

Asit said, "He was looking for an assistant who was an expert in Hindi, so he hired me. He had hired assistants before me, so I was the third assistant, but gradually due to my work, I became his first assistant. Along with this, I also started doing small jobs in some films. My first film was 'Humrahi', in which I played a very small role."

From 1945 to 1949, Asit Sen was associated with New Theatres. In the early 50's, Bimal Roy decided to go to Bombay and took Asit Sen as a part of his team.

Bimal Roy made Asit Sen the Director

Asit Sen remained Bimal Da's assistant till 1956. He was credited as a production executive in 'Do Bigha Zameen' released in 1953, 'Parineeta' released in 1953, 'Biraj Bahu' released in 1954 and as an assistant director in the film 'Devdas' released in 1955. In 1956, Bimal Da gave Asit Sen a chance to direct the film 'Parivar' under the banner of his own film company Bimal Roy Productions.

Soon after this, in 1957, Asit Sen made the film 'Aparadhi Kaun?' Directed. After directing these two films, Asit wanted to turn to acting again.

His unique style of speaking dialogues made him famous

He signed the film Chhota Bhai. In this film, Asit had to do comedy in the role of a stupid servant. They had no idea what to do. Then he remembered that in his childhood, a servant in his house used to speak in a very slow tempo – "Ka ho babu.. ka karat hav…"

Asit Sen copied the same style. This trick worked and Asit Sen got a line of comedy roles.

Because of his style of speaking dialogues at a very slow speed, directors started demanding him to speak dialogues in the same manner in every film. Bimal Roy himself was impressed by Asit's dialogue delivery and gave him a role in the film Sujata. Asit Sen started to fear being typed in the same style, but the 1961 film 'Bees Saal Baad' took him to great heights because of this style.

In this film, he played the role of Gopichand detective. His character of Detective Gopichand became so popular that it was copied several times. What's more, in 1982, filmmaker Naresh Kumar, brother of actor Rajendra Kumar, made the film 'Gopichand Jasoos'.

Asit Sen Worked in 250 films

After this, 'Chand Aur Suraj' in 1963, 'Bhoot Bangla' in 1965, 'Naunihaal' in 1967, 'Brahmachari' in 1968, 'Yakeen' and 'Aradhana' in 1969, 'Pyaar Ka Mausam', 'Purab' in 1970. Aur Paschim', 'Dushman', 'Majhli Didi', 'Buddha Mil Gaya', 'Mera Gaon Mera Desh' in 1971, 'Anand', 'Door Ka Rahi', 'Amar Prem', 'Bombay to Goa' in 1972. Played side roles in 250 films including 'Balika Vadhu', 'Bajrang Bali' in 1976.

Shocked by wife's death, Asit Sen passes away

Asit Sen was married to Mukul, who was from Calcutta. Both of them had three children. Two sons Abhijeet and Sujit Sen and one daughter Rupa. Abhijit Sen was an assistant to a famous director like Dulal Guha and then started working in Bengali films.

Sujit Sen is a cameraman.

Asit Sen's wife Mukul Sen fell very ill, after which she died after some time. Due to the death of his wife, Asit Sen became alone and was so broken that after a few months, he too passed away from this world.