Asit Bandopadhyay (or Banerjee) (1936 – 17 September 2020) was a Bengali playwright, screenwriter, actor and director.
He joined the drama group Bohurupee as a trainee in 1959 and completed a year's course under the tutelage of Sambhu Mitra.
Asit Bandyopadhyay's only role at Tin Poishar Pala (Three Penny Opera) was a duality in the genre of Brecht's acting, his character revealed a fact of history and social evolution in a dialectical coexistence.
The founder of the Bhikkhu Ashram - the trainer of the beggars - his seven humorous performances of cruelty, surpassing his skill as a behind-the-scenes organizer, brought lasting fame to one of the most famous actors of all time.
There he played the lead role in the poetic story drama, accompanied by prominent actors and actresses from Coochbihar.
He has written, directed and staged about 60 plays, which have been performed all over West Bengal to name a few Banik Barir Bou, Daini, Pagla Raja, Kalo Meyer Kanna, Hira Jhiler Kanna Kumari Janani, Bangali Babu, Khora Badsha, Kohinoor, Mahajaner Meye, Jangli, Koch Devyani, Billomangal, Biddya Sundor, Chanakya, Qurbani, Pagla Doctor, etc.
He received special acclaim for his performances in Nabyendu Chattopadhyay's National Award-winning film Parashuram's Kuthar, Atmaja O Shilpi and Chidananda Dasgupta's Amodini.
He won the Bengal Film Journalists Association Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Mrinal Sen's Chorus.