On his 97th birth anniversary, here are 4 films by legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak that are a must-watch

If you, like a lot of other people, are a person who has always been intrigued by the filmmaker’s work but did not find a way to dig into his filmography, this is just the space for you
Ritwik Ghatak
Ritwik Ghatak

American film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum once said that filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak was “one of the most neglected major filmmakers in the world”. Today, even almost five decades after his death, the genius of the director is mostly restricted to a niche film audience. If you, like a lot of other people, are a person who has always been intrigued by the filmmaker’s work but did not find a way to dig into his filmography, this is just the space for you. On his 97th birth anniversary, we bring you four films of the auteur that are a must-watch.

Ajantrik (The Unmechanical, 1958)
Considered one of the first Indian films to humanise an inanimate object and treat it as a character in a narrative, Ajantrik marked the debut of Ritwik Ghatak as a director. The comedy-drama tells the story of small town taxi-driver Bimal and his sole companion, his taxi, which he lovingly calls Jagaddal. The film follows episodes of Bimal’s life, transporting people from one place to another. But while all these happen, he forms a deep attachment with the car, which starts affecting the other relationships he has in life.

Bari Theke Paliye (The Runaway, 1959)
A coming-of-age drama, Bari Theke Paliye is a film that stands out in Ritwik’s filmography. It follows the story of Kanchan, an eight-year-old boy. An imaginative and mischievous kid, he thinks of his father as a cruel demon who oppresses his mother. To break free from his rule, Kanchan runs away to the big city – Calcutta. But when he faces the harsh realities of city life, it changes the way he perceives everything.

Subarnarekha (1965)
The third film of his famous Partition trilogy, Subarnarekha deals with the aftermath of the Partition of India and how the people it affected coped with it. The film tells the story of Sita, a Hindu refugee who travels from East Pakistan to West Bengal with her brother Ishwar. At a refugee camp, they meet the son of a lower-caste, abducted woman. Despite societal constrictions, Ishwar takes in the boy (called Abhiram) as his own. But years later, when Abhiram and Sita fall in love and decide to marry each other, Ishwar stands against their wish, and all their lives take a turn different than they had imagined.

Nagorik (The Citizen, 1977)
Released posthumously, Nagorik is one of those films which many believe would have changed the course of Indian cinema, had it been released immediately after its making. The film explores the journey of Ramu, a fresh graduate on the hunt for a job, like many others in post-Partition India. He is in love with Uma, a girl who comes from a poor background just like him. As the two of them dream of a life together, the socio-economic circumstances around them begin to pose conflicts that they had never even imagined.

Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @MallikPrattusa

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