Adoor rates Ritwik Ghatak’s three films as all-time favourite

Describing auteur Ritwik Ghatak as one of the foremost torch bearers of Indian cinema, his student at the Pune film institute and eminent director Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Wednesday rated three of his films as his most favourite all-time classics besides others.

Adoor opens up on Ritwik Ghatak’s films

Speaking at a discussion to commemorate the birth centenary of Ritwik at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), Gopalakrishnan said like Ritwik, he also came from theatre background.

"Ghatak’s cinematic exercises were unique in their conceptual originality, untamed energy and incisive observation of everyday life," Gopalakrishnan said, describing him as one of the foremost torchbearers of Indian cinema who had not got due recognition.

Gopalakrishnan described Ritwik's Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960), Subarnarekha (1965) and Ajantrik (1958) as all-time classics apart from the story and script of Hindi film Madhumati also written by him.

"I certainly retained some of the influences of Ritwik Ghatak's films in my work, including melodrama, in my own way," he said to a question.

Pointing out the unconventional use of sound and images in Ritwik's films, the legendary Malayalam film maker said his teacher brought many practices from theatres where he had been involved and used them in cinema.

Recalling the days in 1963 when he was in the second year of the Pune film institute, when Ritwik joined as Vice-Principal, the Mukhamukham director said, "We were excited as we waited for him to take classes and tell us about the use of sounds and use of unusual angles." He was an iconoclast in his approach to cinema and his use of visuals and sound was unconventional, Gopalakrishnan said.

About the perception regarding Ritwik’s alcoholism, he said, "We never saw him coming to the classroom in an inebriated condition. We would rather always see him carrying books in his hands." The discussion on Ritwik in KIFF was also held on Tuesday when participants said that he films of Ritwik brought to the fore a 'collective refugee experience' and retains their relevance even today.

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