GHATAK'S 'NAGORIK'..70!

Ritwik Ghatak's 70 years old first film 'Nagorik' (1952).

Today is 97th Birth Anniversary of great Bengali Filmmaker-Screenwriter Ritwik Ghatak!..Mostly known for his emotional social films..close to Neo-realistic Cinema!

Great Ritwik Ghatak's view of directing film!

In 1952 he wrote & directed his first film 'Nagorik' which was first Art & neo-realist film in Bengali cinema! It reflected lower middle-class emotions and unemployment through documentary realism! But this film released twenty-four years later (after his death) in 1977. So missed the honour of becoming pioneer of Bengali art and neo-realistic film of Indian cinema..And that honour went to Satyajit Ray's 'Pather Panchali' which released in 1955. But Ray praised Ghatak as truly original talent in Indian cinema!

Realism of Ritwik Ghatak's film 'Nagorik' (1952).

Great Ramananda Sengupta cinematographed this film 'Nagorik' in realistic way. In this, artists Satindra Bhattacharya, Prova Debi, Kali Banerjee, Sova Sen, Ketaki Dutta, Geeta Shome & Ajit Banerjee did their roles effectively!

This is 70th anniversary year of 'Nagorik' (1952) which later proved that Ghatak was real pioneer of our Neo-realistic Cinema!

I still remember watching this film during our Film Appreciation Course at FTII in 1989! That time his elder daughter Samhita Ghatak was also with us!

Tribute to this genius & his this film!!

- Manoj Kulkarni