![]() ![]() It may have been the source of inspiration for the American film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975) and the Hindi film Karz (1980), both of which dealt with reincarnation and have been influential in their respective cultures. It was one of the early ones to deal with the theme of reincarnation and is believed to have been the source of inspiration for many later works dealing with reincarnation in Indian cinema, Indian television, and perhaps world cinema. Ghatak's only major commercial success was Madhumati (1958), a Hindi film which he wrote the screenplay for. One of Ghatak's later films, Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1973), is one of the early to be told in a hyperlink format, featuring multiple characters in a collection of interconnected stories, predating Robert Altman's Nashville (1975) by two years. Ghatak's Bari Theke Paliye (1958) had a similar plot to François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959), but Ghatak's film remained obscure while Truffaut's went on to become one of the more famous of the French New Wave. His first commercial release Ajantrik (1955) was one of the early Indian films to portray an inanimate object, an automobile, as a character in the story, many years before the Herbie films. For example, Ghatak's Nagarik (1952) was perhaps the earliest example of a Bengali art film, preceding Ray's Pather Panchali by three years but was not released until after his death in 1977. Satyajit Ray did what he could to promote his colleague, but Ray's generous praise did not translate into international fame for Ghatak. While other filmmakers like Satyajit Ray succeeded in creating an audience outside India during their lifetime, Ghatak and his films were appreciated primarily within India. Other students of his at the FTII included Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Subhash Ghai and Adoor Gopalakrishnan. ![]() Cinema and I was called by Satyajit Ray as a book that covers all aspects of filmmaking. Although his stint teaching film at FTII was brief, one-time students Mani Kaul, John Abraham, and especially Kumar Shahani, carried Ghatak's ideas and theories, which were elaborated upon in his book Cinema and I, into the mainstream of Indian art film. Ghatak's early work sought theatrical and literary precedent in bringing together a documentary realism, a stylised performance often drawn from the folk theatre, and a Brechtian use of the filmic apparatus.Ī scene from Ghatak's last film Jukti Takko Aar Gappo (1974)Īt the time of his death in February 1976, Ghatak's primary influence seemed to have been through former students. Chinnamul was followed in two years by Ghatak's first completed film Nagarik (1952), both major breakthroughs for the Indian cinema. Ghatak entered the film industry with Nimai Ghosh's Chinnamul (1950) as actor and assistant director. He was renowned for his partition trilogy Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-capped Star), 1960 Komal Gandhar (E Flat), 1961 and Subarnarekha (The Golden Thread), 1962. Ghatak, who was a member of the Communist Party of India till he was expelled in 1955, was one of the main leaders behind the party's cultural wing, the Indian People’s Theatre Association. ![]() In 1948, Ghatak wrote his first play Kalo sayar (The Dark Lake) and participated in a revival of the landmark play Nabanna. Ritwik's elder daughter Samhita, made a docufeature titled Nobo Nagarik. He is working on adapting Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's novel Ichhamati. He has restored Ritwik's Bagalar Banga Darshan, Ronger Golam and completed his unfinished documentary on Ramkinkar. ![]() Ritaban Ghatak is also a filmmaker and is involved in the Ritwik Memorial Trust. ![]()
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