University of Calcutta. Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_of_Calcutta_7383.JPG)
College/University
Gallery of Jisshu Sengupta
Heramba Chandra College. Photo: Anupamdutta73, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heramba_Chandra_College.jpg)
University of Calcutta. Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_of_Calcutta_7383.JPG)
Jisshu Sengupta, born Biswaroop Sengupta, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter, and director known for Bengali cinema and television, as well as Hindi and Telugu films. He began with the television series Mahaprabhu in 1998 and later gained recognition through films including The Last Lear, Piku, Mardaani, Ek Je Chhilo Raja, and Abhijaan.
Background
Jisshu Sengupta was born Biswaroop Sengupta on March 15, 1977, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the son of Bengali film actor Ujjwal Sengupta and Mukta Sengupta, who worked as a homemaker and wedding planner. His family background placed him within Kolkata's Bengali film and cultural environment.
Before entering acting, Sengupta played cricket and represented Bengal in sub-junior competitions. He later shifted his professional ambitions toward Bengali television and cinema, adopting Jisshu as the name by which he became publicly known. He has an elder sister, Satarupa Sengupta, who was previously married to singer Anindya Bose.
Education
Sengupta studied at Heramba Chandra College and the University of Calcutta in Kolkata. Heramba Chandra College is a Kolkata institution affiliated with the University of Calcutta, one of India's oldest modern universities and a major center of higher education in eastern India.
His formal education preceded a career that moved between Bengali television, film acting, production, direction, presentation, and cricket-related entertainment. His early work in television connected him with the expanding Bengali commercial television industry of the late 1990s.
Sengupta began his screen career with the Bengali television serial Mahaprabhu in 1998, playing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The role brought him early recognition and established him as a leading presence in Bengali television. He subsequently entered Bengali cinema and appeared as Rabindranath Tagore in Chelebela, while also working with directors including Rituparno Ghosh, Shyam Benegal, Aparna Sen, and Gautam Ghose.
His film work expanded across Bengali, Hindi, and Telugu productions. His credits include Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero, The Last Lear, Barfi!, Piku, Mardaani, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Ek Je Chhilo Raja, Abhijaan, and Sita Ramam. His collaborations with Bengali filmmakers included Rituparno Ghosh's Abohoman, Shob Charitra Kalponik, Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish, and Noukadubi, as well as Srijit Mukherji's Rajkahini and other projects.
Sengupta also worked as a television presenter and anchored Bengali television and award programs. He produced the television serial Aparajito through Blue Water Pictures, the production company associated with him and Nilanjana Sengupta, and directed television programs including Aparajito, Tomay Amay Mile, and the reality show Shonge Srijit.
Cricket remained an important part of his public career. He captained the Bengal Tigers in the Celebrity Cricket League, a competition bringing together film-industry teams representing regional cinema. His involvement combined his earlier cricket experience with his later work in the entertainment industry.
Achievements
Sengupta established himself as a leading Bengali television actor through his portrayal of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 1998 serial Mahaprabhu.
He developed a sustained screen career across Bengali, Hindi, and Telugu productions, working in both regional and mainstream Indian cinema.
His performance as actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay in Abhijaan brought recognition for interpreting the life and career of one of Bengali cinema's most important actors.
(Bengali television series in which Sengupta played Chaita...)
1998
Interests
Cricket and television production
Sport & Clubs
Cricket
Athletes
Virat Kohli
Connections
Sengupta married actress and producer Nilanjana Sharma in 2004. They have two daughters, Sara Sengupta and Zara Sengupta. Sara appeared with him in the film Uma, in which they played father and daughter.
His father, Ujjwal Sengupta, was a Bengali film actor. His elder sister, Satarupa Sengupta, was previously married to Anindya Bose, lead singer of the Bengali band Sahar.
Father:
Ujjwal Sengupta
Bengali film actor and Sengupta's father.
Mother:
Mukta Sengupta
Worked as a homemaker and wedding planner.
Wife:
Nilanjana Sengupta
Actress and producer who married Sengupta in 2004.
