A filmmaker who concentrated on man and his day-to-day struggle for existence, Ritwik Ghatak is one of Bengal's most noted filmmaker and scriptwriter. Known for his depiction of social reality, he along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen is often credited with paving the pathway for parallel cinema. Born on November 4, 1925, Ghatak received many accolades during his lifetime, including the Padma Shri for Arts in 1970. Both as filmmaker and theorist, his views on films have become part of research and curriculum in cinema.
On the filmmaker's 94th birth anniversary, here are 5 films by Ghatak, one must revisit
Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960): Starring Supriya Choudhury, Anil Chatterjee, Gita Dey, Bijon Bhattacharya, Niranjan Roy, and Gyanesh Mukherjee, the film is a part of a trilogy consisting of Komal Gandhar (1961), and Subarnarekha (1962), all dealing with the aftermath of the Partition of Bengal and how refugees coped with the change.
Nagarik (1952, but released in 1977 posthumously): Ghatak's first feature-length film, it is about a fresh graduate searching for a job, much like others in a post-partition Bengal. A love story of sorts set amidst poverty and desolation, the film ends with a symbolic sign of rejuvenation and hope.
Ajantrik (1985): Starring Kali Banerjee, it is a comedy-drama, in which an inanimate object (an automobile) becomes a character in the story. Kali Banerjee plays Bimal, a taxi-driver whose car is his only companion. The film shows his experience of ferrying people from one place to another.
Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1973): A Bangladeshi film by Ghatak, it explores the life of fishermen on the bank of the Titas River in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh. The film sees a fisherman's wife being abducted by bandits on the river, on the night of her marriage, and how her life transpires after that.
Jukti Takko Aar Gappo (1977) : Ghatak's last film, it won the National Film Award's Rajat Kamal Award for Best Story in 1974. The film saw Ghatak playing an alcoholic, disillusioned intellectual who after losing his wife is forced to become a wanderer. He meets a number of people and also is shown meeting Naxalites and is set against the backdrop of the first Naxalite wave of rebellion in India.
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