Birth Anniversary Special: Poetry of Partition and the films of Ritwik Ghatak

Think of the history of Bengali cinema and Satyajit Ray's name will instantly come to your mind. However, there is another big name that left behind a rich cinematic legacy - Ritwik Ghatak. While Ray was showered with so many critical acclaim in India and later abroad, it was Ritwik Ghatak's repertoire that captured the imagination of audiences with a steady pace. Each of his films represents a landmark achievement, movingly reflecting the social realities of a nation trying to revise its identity in the aftermath of British colonial rule and the

partition

of India and Pakistan, and representing the melodrama of everyday life under the country’s newly modernized economy.

Here is a list of his best works as a director which every movie buff must watch.

Meghe Dhaka Tara

Based on the novel by

Shaktipada Rajguru

, Meghe Dhaka Tara is touted to be Ritwik Ghatak’s most celebrated movie. How can we forget the brilliant acting of Supriya Devi in this cult classic? ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ is perhaps the most touching portrayal of harsh life in Bengal following the dreaded partition. Ghatak worked as both the writer and director in this film.

Komal Gandhar

Komal Gandhar explored three interconnected themes – Anusua, the lead character’s dilemma, the infamous divided leadership of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the tragic fallout after the partition of India. Unlike his other works, this one interestingly follows an upbeat mood with the lead pair (Vrigu and Anusua) being reunited ultimately. The music once again added a different flavor to this flick. Though it was a commercial failure, ‘Komal Gandhar’ is still counted one of Ritwik Ghatak’s masterpieces.

Ajantrik
This Bengali film is often regarded as India's first science fiction. ‘Ajantrik’, Ghatak's first commercial film as a director, revolves around a poor taxi driver who has a so-called 'living' car. The unique subject made it one of the earliest Indian films that focused on an inanimate object. ‘Ajantrik’ also received a special entry for screening at the Venice Film Festival in 1959.

Subarnarekha

This is the last instalment of Ghatak's Partition Trilogy. ‘Subarnarekha’ narrates the life story of three refugees in West Bengal: a Hindu man, his little sister, and a low-caste boy. Basically named after the river Subarnarekha, it was actually produced in 1962 but was released in 1965. ‘Subarnarekha’ was even ranked as number 11 in a critics' poll of ‘All-Time Greatest Films’ conducted by Asian film magazine ‘Cinemaya’ back in 1998.

Titash Ekti Nadir Naam
Being one of the bold examples of hyperlink cinema, this film portrays the riverside life of fishermen on the banks of the Titas river in Bangladesh. It featured multiple characters in a collection of interconnected stories. In 2007, the British Film Institute termed ‘Titas Ekti Nadir Naam’ as the best Bangladeshi film ever made.

Jukti Takko Ar Gappo
With a unique cinematography, this film saw Ritwik Ghatak himself playing the protagonist – an intellectual & hopeless drunk driven from his home. He travels across the countryside and meets many characters with their own unique stories. It was also one of the first movies to show the glimpse of Naxalite movement just taking shape in Bengal.

Bari Theke Paliye

It’s the story of an 8-year-old boy who runs away from home and his father (who he imagines as an oppressive demon) to the mythical city of Calcutta and confronts the realities of life in a big city. Many believe ‘Bari Theke Paliye’ was a tour-de-force for the director who was at home both in rural & metropolitan Bengal. This classic coming of age movie still holds the audience glued to the screen.