Ritwik Ghatak's Legacy: A Cinematic Echo of Displacement and Partition

The seminar at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival highlighted how Ritwik Ghatak's films portrayed a collective refugee experience rooted in India's partition. Despite his impact on cinema, Ghatak's work remains undervalued. Various filmmakers and actors acknowledge his influence in representing the diaspora's plight and call for more studies on his films.

The 31st Kolkata International Film Festival seminar spotlighted Ritwik Ghatak's films, which vividly encapsulate the 'collective refugee experience' stemming from India's partition. As discussions unfolded on his birth centenary, participants lamented Ghatak's lack of recognition despite his profound cinematic exploration of human displacement.

Supriyo Sen, a renowned filmmaker, shared personal anecdotes about his encounter with Ghatak's films, which resonated deeply due to his family's own experiences of fleeing East Pakistan. Sen regards Ghatak's partition-focused narratives as crucial in giving a voice to displaced communities and referred to his works as a 'spark.'

Actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee, Ghatak's grandnephew, emphasized the significance of his films during the partition era, calling for further studies. Meanwhile, director Ashoke Viswanathan admired Ghatak's independent approach to filmmaking, noting his instinctive style and deep emotive expression in each frame.

(With inputs from agencies.)