Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passes away at 49
Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passes away at 49
National Award winning Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, 49, died at his south Kolkata residence in the morning, following a cardiac arrest.
Winner of 12 national and several international awards, Rituparno Ghosh was suffering from pancreatitis and died of heart attack at 7.30 am, his family said.
Rituparno Ghosh shot to fame by his direction of a children’s film Hirer Angti in 1994. His film Unishe April won national award winner in 1995.
His other widely acclaimed films include Dahan, Asukh, Chokher Bali, Raincoat, Bariwali, Antarmahal and Noukadubi.
As news of his death spread, a pall of gloom descended n Tollywood.
Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee deeply mourned Rituparno Ghosh’s death, saying, “I cannot believe that Rituparna is no more. It is very difficult to accept this news. We lost a very promising film director at a very early age.”
Many film actors and actresses thronged his residence to pay their last respects.
State Commerce and Industry minister Partha Chatterjee visited his home this morning.
Ritupano Ghosh was in the middle of directing a film on the hit TV series Byomkesh Bakshi. Director Sujoy Ghosh of Kahaani was to play the legendary Bengali detective in his directorial venture. (With PTI inputs)
SATYAMSHOT 
May 30, 2013 at 2:41 AM
rupam { xhobdo } Says:
May 30, 2013 at 1:28 AM e
Satyam ji,
Just read about Filmaker Rituparno Ghosh , So sad news
, Love his films, RIP, Prayers…
http://m.ndtv.com/article/india/rituparno-ghosh-national-award-winning-filmmaker-dies-at-49-373092
Regards
Rupam { xhobdo }
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May 30, 2013 at 3:06 AM
One my favorite film ‘Unishe April’ by Rituparno Ghosh ~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XIIe0KBrH4&sns=tw
{ Part 1 , with English Subtitle }
RIP Rituparno Da
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May 30, 2013 at 5:52 AM
Apart from talent atleast the man in his later year was open about sexuality …wonder same can be said about karan johar,bhansali or Khalid Mohammed
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May 30, 2013 at 6:46 AM
wow, poor guy.. at his age. completely unexpected.
Not a fan of his though barring Antar Mahal and to an extent Choker Bali (the longer cut on which I’ve long wanted to see). Ghosh took on these interesting subjects but by and large was a rather static director. Of course I’ve by no means seen all of his Bengali work.
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May 30, 2013 at 7:23 AM
I’ve seen a couple of his Bengali films (Utsab and one other) and those didn’t change my view (which is in line with yours).
Very unexpected, RIP!
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May 30, 2013 at 7:30 AM
Yeah that’s terribly young..unfortunate news.
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May 30, 2013 at 11:35 AM
RIP.Extremelysad!
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May 30, 2013 at 9:50 AM
RIP
Ps: wonder what’s the cause of his death at this age…(cause of cardiac arrest?)
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May 30, 2013 at 11:46 AM
A colleague of mine died one month back (same age) of cardiac arrest. He was working five minutes earlier and had relatively active lifestyle. Paramedics were at scene in 2-3 minutes but couldn’t revive him. I don’t think there is any reason. May be Rajen can tell us more.
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May 30, 2013 at 11:52 AM
In the human body (and I suppose any advanced animal organism) the number of things that have to function normally and with great precision is so great that it’s amazing these sorts of things don’t have more often! Every time I read about this stuff I am (even as a layperson) amazed by the level of complexity at every turn. Specially in the neuro-sciences the more one learns the more one is ‘shocked’ by what’s going on! But to get to your point the same thing happened with Tim Russert. There was literally no time to do anything. Also related to this heart there’s this thing that happens (relatively rarely) where, and I don’t remember the details, one of the arteries just slices another one somehow or some such process and again death happens almost instantly. This happened with a TV actor some years ago. But you’re right in that the illusion medical science often creates is that there must be a tangible reason for everything in the sense of being detectable and hence reversible.
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May 30, 2013 at 12:04 PM
I was listening to this story some months back on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/2013/02/21/172495667/resuscitation-experiences-and-erasing-death
transcript:
http://m.npr.org/news/Books/172495667
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May 30, 2013 at 12:32 PM
A good discussion Satyam & munna–I stopped short at the ‘RIP’ & the question since delving deep at this stage may seem to some as ill-timed, inappropriate and politically incorrect. But once those ‘barriers to discussion’ are removed-yeah it is interesting –“there must be a tangible reason”– there are –but not all are understood, nor amenable to explanation and some not appropriate for public consumption…
If one excludes trauma/accidents/deprivation/malnutrition/chronic morbidity, in his socio economic strata–one is left with predominantly the ‘lifestyle disorder causes’–but he didn’t seem obese and unsure if he was diabetic/hypertensive either.
He was creditably open about his ‘sexuality’ lately .
These ‘choices’ sometimes do place one at increased risk of some problems NOT always categorised into the ‘traditional venereal’ problems. And this is NOT about rituparno ghosh & he may NOT have anything to do with this.
But ‘cardiac arrest’ is a manifestation not the cause usually…
On a related note, the cause of death of Nehru is still not clear to me nor the recent ‘illness’ of Sonia Gandhi.
Ps: sometimes certain causes (& questions) are best left unanswered-
In the memory of the ‘departed soul’
Ps: the abve is just a random ‘lay person’ perspective and is NOT to be taken wrongly
RIP
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May 30, 2013 at 12:36 PM
very interesting read.. thanks..
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May 31, 2013 at 9:27 AM
Munna,
The details are sketchy but his death seems different from your colleague’s. It seems he was suffering from pancreatitis which most likely was the cause of his death rather than a primary cardiac event. As Alex pointed out, eventually everyone dies from their heart stopping beating but that really is not the CAUSE here. I wouldnt speculate about the cause of pancreatitis and if his life style choices had anything to with it as I think it is not neccessary or dignified.
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May 30, 2013 at 2:05 PM
Most likely complications from AIDS.
Anyhow..when its your time, its your time…there is no stopping/appeasing of Yama.
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May 30, 2013 at 2:12 PM
U got the hint Di…
But hey, we don’t hav the complete info – so ‘no comments’ on ghosh specifically…
The above was a generic observation (‘layperson’)
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May 30, 2013 at 10:15 AM
RIP. I loved abohoman. Haven’t seen all his movies.
Abhishek Bachchan: Absolutely shocked with the news of the passing of Ritu da. A dear friend and a great director and a wonderful human. RIP Ritu da. Had the honour of working with him in ‘Antarmahal’. Such a fine director. Will really miss his exuberance and zest for the movies and life. Just realised that Ritu da was the only director that my family have all worked with individually. Pa (Amitabh Bachchan)- ‘The Last Lear’, Ma (Jaya Bachchan)- Sunglasses, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan- ‘Chokher Bali’, ‘Raincoat’ and me- ‘Antarmahal’.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: I am shocked and deeply saddened by this news. I just can’t believe it! May his (Rituparno Ghosh) soul rest in peace.
Subhash Ghai: India has lost one of its finest filmmakers. He (Rituparno ghosh) was extremely sensitive and a true artist. I’m sad about his sudden demise. His films will be remembered always. May God bless his noble soul.
Parineeti Chopra: Had the honour of meeting Rituparno Ghosh this year at the National Awards. Cannot believe how unpredictable life is. RIP sir.
Karan Johar: Rituparno Ghosh. RIP. Too young to go… just does not seem fair… warm, sensitive and talented. Remember him fondly.
Akshay Kumar: Deeply saddened and numbed to hear about the unfortunate demise of the very talented, Rituparno Ghosh. Had met him on several occasions in the past for a film called ‘Rahgeer’, unfortunately things didn’t work out. Have some fond memories of him. My thoughts and prayers with him.
Prosenjit: I’m in a state of shock. Just can’t believe that Ritu da is no more with us. I have countless memories of the man. He was a true maverick and a brilliant human being. We would have long sessions of creative arguments and there were learnings to take away from all that. I have lost a friend. Ritu da has been having health issues for a while now, but we never saw this coming. He was always active, brimming with ideas and so passionate about cinema. He is one man who truly loved his job; achieved perfection in everything, absolute indomitable spirit. Cinema will never be the same without him.
Raima Sen: Rituparno ghosh was an extremely talented and well read person, a right example of one-man show. I think he was best in portraying women characters. He knew everything about his craft and was a good actor too. Rituparno would pay lot of attention on detailing of characters as he would tell me exactly where should I place my bindi and how should I tie my hair, how should I carry my costumes. I think he had that power that he could even make a tree act. He was like a family to me and used to consider me as his daughter. I always looked up to him for any advice, be it personal or professional. Whenever he would come to Mumbai, he used to stay at my house. I have learnt a lot of things from him and his talent has inspired me a lot. I was a newcomer when I did ‘Chokher Bali’ and remember my first emotional scene. I could not cry at all. So he stood behind the camera and started crying and I just imitated him in front of the camera. Later, while shooting with Aishwarya Rai, I was in awe of her and forgot my dialogues. Rituparno realised this even before I could tell him about it, and he asked me to do few scenes without looking at her. I have many such memories.
Buddhadeb Dasgupta: It’s a shocking news. He (Rituparno Ghosh) was way too young. I knew him since the days even before he started out as a filmmaker. From his very first film, ‘Hirer Angti’, what came across about him was his absolute conviction in his work. He never chose to have the easy way by being ambiguous about issues that need to be talked about. The same was true about the way he led his life. He was openly effeminate and I remember him telling me that he wanted to leave this planet as a woman. In fact, he was planning on going through a surgery to attain womanhood. Wherever he went across India, people knew him – something you can’t say the same about all Bengali directors. He was full of life but his health issues proved costly.
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May 30, 2013 at 10:30 AM
He singlehanndedly brought back Bengali urban audiences back to the theater. Loved all his films I have seen except Chokher Bali and Last Lear, which were very average efforts. Bariwali, Utsab , Shubhamuhurtam are among the best films I have seen in last twenty years. Fine human document, unparalleled by any contemporary Indian filmmaker. Unnishe April, Titli, Dosar, Antar Mahal, Raincoat were very good too. haven’t seen the rest. Like with Ray’s films I could walk into any Ritu film and be sure of being engaged. And his performance in Ar Ekti Premer Galpo was world-class, as was the film, which I am sure he ghost-directed. Numerous antional Awards ( 6?), win at Berlin Film Festival, and nominations in a couple of other international festivals point to his stature as a cinema artist.
Loss of a major talent. Looking forward to his Chitraganda and Satyoneshi.
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May 30, 2013 at 11:17 AM
raincoat i guess was the only one in hindi and both ajay devgan and aishwarya was dam good
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May 30, 2013 at 11:27 AM
*where dam good*
ya he was static in a sense if one defines static with staleness and lack of drama but his characters made up for him and last lear originally do not belong to him as it was utpal dutt’s drama at first place ….most of the stories where original atleast a thing which can not be even said about modern great directors mostly
12 national awards in 19 films is astonishing
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May 30, 2013 at 10:38 AM
RIP!!!
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May 30, 2013 at 10:48 AM
Eminent filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh has died at the age of just 49. He made 19 films in his career, most of them going on to win multiple National Film Awards. He also brought to the screen several issues regarding sexuality and morality which were long considered taboos in Indian cinema. CNN-IBN’s Entertainment editor Rajeev Masand joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on Rituparno Ghosh’s contribution to Indian cinema.
Q. How was he different from most Bollywood directors? Asked by: Avinash Thakur
CNN-IBN\’s Rajeev Masand joined IBNLive readers on Rituparno Ghosh\’s contribution to Indian cinema.
A. I would say there was a rare honesty in the way he portrayed man-woman relationships – and even same-sex relationships subsequently – that you just don’t see in Hindi movies. He understood the complexity of relationships and he had this skill of portraying them on screen with great sensitivity.
Q. How is it that Bengal and to some extent Kerala produces the best filmmakers though Bollywood gets all the attention —one means from Ritwik Ghatak to Rituparno Ghosh, it’s a galaxy. Asked by: Komal Rai
A. Indeed Bengal has produced some of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema, and Rituparno Ghosh joins that pantheon. Bollywood is flashy and has many fine filmmakers too, but popular mainstream cinema always tends to get more attention.
Q. Do you think he should have directed more Hindi films to reach a larger number of audience? Asked by: Pati
A. I think it is to his credit that he was able to reach out to large audiences even though he worked mostly in Bengali. His films spoke a universal language in that audiences watched them with English subtitles. His emotions were universal, his stories were relatable. He was most comfortable working in Bengali because he set his stories in that milieu and made stories about mostly the Bengali middle class.
Q. Which according to you is the best movie among the ones made by Rituparno and why? Asked by: Ganesh
A. My personal favorites are ‘Titli’ and ‘Bariwali’ because they were about complex relationships, they explored emotions that weren’t simply black or white, and because he drew out remarkable performances from his female protagonists in both films. He armed his women with a great combination of vulnerability and strength.
Q. Do you think his later movies lacked the freshness than his earlier movies. His later movies like Chitrangada and One more love story were a manifestation of his mental conflict with the society. Asked by: ss
A. I don’t think any other filmmaker had the variety of ideas that Rituparno Ghosh did. His plots were original and inventive and they dealt with real people and real relationships. ‘Chitrangada’ was based on a Tagore writing, and Just A Love Story was not directed by him. Yet he was very clearly making a point about same-sex relationships and equality and against prejudice. I think he remained relevant throughout his career because he was fascinated by what he saw around him and told stories about real people.
Q. His biggest contribution to Indian cinema? Asked by: Sunil
A. That he made relevant, pressing, important films about the human condition with all its complexities. That he reached out to global audiences with his stories of real three-dimensional people. That he adapted some fine works of literature to the screen. And that he told stories about the Indian middle-class that were uncomfortably honest.
Q. Hi Rajeev..do you think Bengali writers and filmmakers have soul in their films like no other? Asked by: pallavi sakhare
A. I don’t like to generalise or make sweeping statements, but Bengal is the cultural capital of India and the artistes who have come out of there have such rich cultural legacies and strong roots in Indian culture that they often make heartfelt and honest films that you don’t often get to see, particularly in Hindi films.
Q. So many National awards is certainly not a joke. Is it a loss for Indian cinema apart from the obvious one to Bengali cinema? Are there other filmmakers who can take over the mantle? Asked by: Gurusekhara
A. It is a great loss not just to Bengali cinema but to Indian cinema because Rituparno was a consummate filmmaker whose films spoke a universal language. He conveyed the human experience, he understood the human condition. I can’t imagine anyone else taking over his mantle because he was bold and brave and blazingly original. There are many fine filmmakers, but I’m not sure any can step into his shoes.
Q. How will history remember him? Asked by: Anuj
A. History will remember Rituparno Ghosh as a filmmaker who put Indian cinema on the map. As a filmmaker who told honest stories about the human condition, who understood complex relationships and had the skill to portray them with great sensitivity and simplicity. He will be remembered as a filmmaker who created real, full-bloodied female characters on the screen who oozed both vulnerability and strength like all real women do.
Q. Raincoat was a very very good film. Your take? Asked by: nikhil
A. It was a moving story and very well performed by its leads. A simple story, not hard at all to relate with, told simply. Never manipulative but emotionally stirring.
Q. What were the influences on him as a film maker? Asked by: leena
A. He has said many times that Ray was one of the lasting influences in his life, but he was also influenced by non-filmmakers…great liteateurs like Tagore whose work he adapted to the screen more than once.
Q. Which is your personal favourite Rituparno Ghosh film? Asked by: Pawan
A. ‘Titli’ and ‘Bariwali’.
Q. RIP? or RIH (rest in hearts)? Asked by: Deepak
A. That’s a good one – RIH.
Q. How you felt when you firstly heard about him? Asked by: sri
A. When I first heard of his passing, I was deeply saddened. It is a great loss and that vacuum can never be filled.
Q. Who do u think can fill the huge vacuum that has been created by Ghosh’s death? Can it be filled at all? Asked by: Rajorshi Das
A. I don’t think the vacuum can be filled. There will be many fine filmmakers who will come but it’s hard to replace someone as versatile and as relevant as him.
Q. I think he was Satyajit ray of our time. Your take? Also was he working on any subject these days? Asked by: Atul
A. Rituparno Ghosh finished shooting his latest film, a detective story based on the character Byomkesh Bakshi just two days ago in Kolkata.
Q. Do you feel that Rituparno should receive a posthumous life time achievement Oscar? Asked by: Deep
A. That is for the Academy to decide. I feel Indian awards functions and the government must come up with a way to honour him even after his passing, and must come up with a way for generations of cinema enthusiasts to know him and remember him even years later.
Q. Your recommendations for his films? Asked by: p.s
A. My favorites are ‘Titli’ and ‘Bariwali’ but I would recommend you watch ‘Utsab’, ‘Dosar’, ‘Khela’, ‘The Last Lear’. He told heart-wrenching stories with great sensitivity.
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May 30, 2013 at 11:06 AM
titli wass immensely likable and both mother and daughter was immensely likable
daughter konkana crazy about superstar mithun who in past was the love interest of mother aparna sen( real life mother and daughter)and how in a single trip who 3 comes united and things fold up.. really likable
a real interesting story and abhishek bachchan was extremely good in antarmahal in a deaf and muted persona a film which was rather semi porn and don’t deserve to be in that list
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May 30, 2013 at 2:37 PM
RIP
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May 30, 2013 at 6:44 PM
Really sorry to hear this. I was a big fan of his movies. I found them sensitive, thoughtful and often fascinating in terms of exploring relationships and human character. Will def make the effort to try to find the few films of his I’ve not yet seen, but will also revisit my favourite, Raincoat.
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May 31, 2013 at 1:03 AM
I forgot to mention ‘ Naukadubi’. Working on a flimsy Tagore story full of fanciful coincidences he managed to craft a fine film full of aesthetic delights.
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May 31, 2013 at 6:23 AM
Bollywood mourns over Rituparno Ghosh’s demiseBy Subhash K. Jha, May 31, 2013 – 10:29 IST
To lose a friend, a dear friend, so suddenly is not a easy thing to deal with. On hearing of Rituparno Ghosh’s sudden death, all his friends in Kolkata went into shock on Thursday morning.
Sujoy Ghosh whom Ritu turned into an actor to play the Bangla detective Bhyomkesh was desperately trying to arrange an air ticket to Kolkata. “It’s so sudden. I can’t believe Rituda is gone!” Sujoy exclaimed before he hurriedly signed off.
Ritu’s closest friend the Bangla heart-throb Prosenjit who worked in several highly-acclaimed film with his director-friend, sobbed uncontrollably. “It’s so sudden. He was all right until midnight on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning he was gone. This can’t be true.”
Arjun Rampal who got a career-defining role in Rituparno’s The Last Lear was in transit on the way to the US with his family for a holiday when the news reached him.
After the initial response of shock and disbelief, Arjun said, “Just the other day I was asked to name the people who made the biggest difference to my career and Ritu was on top of the list. He took keen interest in my work right till the end. He called me up after seeing Chakravyuha and Inkaar and praised me performance. Before we worked together in The Last Lear, he was critical of my choice of films. ‘What are these films that you are doing?’ For The Last Lear we went through a month of intense preparation, and I could feel this change in me as an actor. I remember I had this big important scene with Mr. Bachchan and the way Ritu worked in it, fine-tuned it and finally shot it was something else. He would push me beyond the boundaries to make me realize my potential. Within a year I’ve lost two people from whom I’ve learnt a lot. First, Ashok Mehta and now Rituda. Sad. My holiday is ruined. My wife is trying to console me saying he went because he had to go. But why should I not feel sad? I am glad I feel a sense of loss when I lose someone who matters to me. If I didn’t I’d be convinced I am totally desensitized. I regret not meeting Rituda for a long time.”
The shock was palpable even in Mumbai. Jackie Shroff who had worked with Ritu in Antar Mahal said, “Rituda’s going is a loss to the entire film industry. We’ve lost an invaluable artiste.”
Raakhee Gulzar who worked with Ritu on the whodunit Shubo Mahurat recalls him fondly. “What a talented boy! And so driven. He was especially good with his female characters probably because he was in touch more with his feminine side. I had a wonderful time working with him. Why did he have to go so early when his best was clearly in front of him?”
Manisha Koirala who worked with Ritu in Khela and Antar Mahal was stunned on getting the news in New York.
Says Manisha, “I’m extremely sad to hear Rituda is no more. He was a sensitive director and a really nice person. I loved working with him. In fact his film unit had become family to me. Indian cinema has lost an able director. It’s a great loss for all of us. I wish his soul journeys into bliss.”
R Madhavan who has done a quirky film called Sunglass directed by Rituparno remembers the director most for his erudition. “He knew so much about cinema, art and life. I spent hours discussing these with him. Rituda was brimming over with life. It’s hard to believe he’s gone!”
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May 31, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Amitji dedicated whole blog on Rituda yesterday….
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May 31, 2013 at 2:53 PM
TV Actor Abir Goswami, seen in shows like Kkusum and Pyaar Ka Dard Hai, passed away on Friday afternoon.
The actor was in good health and was busy working out when he suffered a heart attack, his colleagues told IANS. Abir was in his 30s.
Sayantani Ghosh, who was to work with the actor in a Bengali film titled Sakkhat, said she had spoken to him over the phone at 1:15 p.m on Friday.
“We were planning to go for a movie together, and around 3 p.m., I got a call about his death. He was quite healthy and that’s what is more disturbing. It’s truly shocking,” she added.
Actress Smita Singh, who worked with Abir in Kkusum, was shocked when she first heard the news.
“It is true, he is no more. I am really shocked at the news. He was hardly 33 or 34 years old. He was working out in the gym and suddenly got a cardiac arrest,” Smita, who knew Abir since 2001, told IANS.
Abir had also been a part of shows like Hotel Kingston, Kumkum, Choti Maa, Badalte Rishton Ki Daastan and Ghar Aaja Pardesi.
A day before his death, Abir had taken to Twitter to mourn the sudden demise of acclaimed filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, who also suffered a cardiac arrest. He was 49.
“Rituda may ur soul RIP. I’m honoured to be touched by ur genius in this life,” Abir had tweeted.
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May 31, 2013 at 3:51 PM
Birds of the same feather flock together? Does that help provide a better ‘insight’ into sexual identity struggles?
Subhash Jha was accused of making ‘moves’ on Sonu Nigam.
BTW, the guy being alluded to in the second paragraph looks suspiciously to be Abhishek Bachchan..but I thought AB Jr was quite well-behaved and sensitive to such things..Maybe too much of DOSTANA corrupted him?? Also, since this statement is coming from a Bachchan bhakth like Subhash Jha, it sounds dangerously true..or may be he is going the Khalid Mohamed way?? From admirer to foe?
**********************************************************************************
Rituparno Ghosh was paranoid about his sexuality. Through experience he had learnt to be cautious about sending out the wrong signals to actors. He was often afraid of reaching out to actors, specially in Bollywood who, he felt, would read a wrong signal.
Ritu and I would often laugh over Bollywood’s homophobia. Once he went to meet this iconic superstar at his iconic residence where his bratty son came right up to Ritu, and within superstar-dad’s hearing, smirked: “Should I call you Ritu uncle or Ritu aunty?”
Such incidents used to hurt Ritu not because he was embarrassed by his sexuality but because he was afraid that his acceptance of his own sexuality had not got a similar acceptance from the Indian film industry. While shooting with male stars from Bollywood, Ritu would quickly withdraw from the studios in the evening and refuse to see his actors in their hotel rooms.
You never know.
In the past few years, Ritu suffered a double blow. First, his mother passed away and a few years later his father followed, leaving Ritu alone in their ancestral home.
His only brother Indranil, happily married and with children, had distanced himself from Ritu, leaving the filmmaker alone to grapple with his changing personality and the ensuing trauma.
A very close friend of Ritu told me recently, “I am not able to reach to him. He is undergoing these life-threatening surgeries and they are distancing him from everyone around him.”
In the last few years, Ritu became increasingly isolated from all his close friends as he sought to get himself a feminie physique to match his sexuality. In one of my last conversations with him, Ritu sounded terribly unhappy.
Among his many achievements, Ritu must be credited with being the first filmmaker to come out of the closet. The process of coming out started years ago.
Ritu was very fond of dressing up. During one of the innumerable film festivals that Ritu religiously attended year after year, he startled his heroine by attending a party in salwar-kameez and dupatta. This was years ago. In his closing years, the woman within Ritu had become far more assertive than just the clothes.
The Rituparno Ghosh who passed away suddenly on Thursday morning was a very different entity from the Ritu that I came to know very closely in 12 years ago when he was shooting for Shubo Mahurat at a Kolkata studio. We would spend hours fighting, arguing and bickering over the merits of new films.
When I’d write something and he didn’t like, Ritu would sulk for months. We would then be back at it, mulling dissecting. Of late, our conversations has ceased. Ritu had become progressively reclusive. All his recent films as director and/or actor were defiantly homosexual in theme.
Ritu had taken his personal life to work. But he had no life to return to when he packed up his shooting.
=================================================
**Ghosh’s last interview**
In his last interview given two weeks ago, Rituparno Ghosh talks about some of his desires that will now remain unfulfilled after he breathed his last on Thursday (May 30, 2013):
Ever since I was a copywriter at Response Advertising, Kolkata, I was an avid watcher of films by Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha. Viewing their films I learnt a lot about the language of filmmaking. In my heart of hearts, I also desired to direct films one day.
My debut as a director was the Bengali family saga, Unishe April. I was lucky enough to direct stalwarts like Aparna Sen, Deboshree Roy and Dipankar De in the film. When I received the National Award for Best Feature Film in 1995, I could not believe myself. The x-ray eyes of Chetan Anand who was the chairman of the National Awards jury did not fail to recognise my efforts. I was even happier that Deboshree Roy, a very competent actress, received her due also with the National Award.
Since then I have carried on directing films in which I strongly believe. Taking the cue from Satyajit Ray and Tapan Sinha, I learnt the art of balancing reality, aesthetics and commerce whilst making films. My greatest challenge was to direct the grand Amitabh Bachchan in The Last Lear, an adoption of a play directed by late Utpal Dutt named Sesh Sahajahan.
While directing Jaya Bachchan and Naseeruddin Shah in my yet unreleased film Sunglass, I noticed how good method actors were. Both Jayadi and Naseerbhai are full-fledged method actors. Yet when the situations demanded they could be so spontaneous transcending all barriers of method.
My real regret is that I could not direct the nimble-footed Madhuri Dixit. She has the most beautiful smile, is highly photogenic and has a body language, which no other actress can match. We were almost on the verge of working together but destiny was not kind towards us. I shared a good rapport with Dimple Kapadia but never had a script in mind, which would do justice to her versatility.
I was really hurt when a senior icon like Dev Anand whom I highly admired was offended that I was remaking Guide. How on earth could I dare to remake a classic, which already set trends by the excellent direction of Vijay Anand? My film, which was supposed to have Akshay Kumar in the lead, was about the affair of a stuntman with an actress whom he saves in real life. I will carry on making films my own way and feel I am yet to deliver my best.
Source: NDTV
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May 31, 2013 at 4:06 PM
That c whoever it is does not have guts to say the same to kjo
Seems to be a lousy loser commenting on someone with incredible body of work
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May 31, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Agree.
“BTW, the guy being alluded to in the second paragraph looks suspiciously to be Abhishek Bachchan.”— yeah I also thought so.
And rituparno ghosh doesn’t sound like the guy who will lie –what does Satyam feel…at this–
“Once he went to meet this iconic superstar at his iconic residence where his bratty son came right up to Ritu, and within superstar-dad’s hearing, smirked: “Should I call you Ritu uncle or Ritu aunty?”
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May 31, 2013 at 6:09 PM
Not AB Jr – poor thing! Apparently the brat was Shah Rukh’s son Aryan according to this below (scroll down page 1 and 2).
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3609108
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May 31, 2013 at 6:08 PM
wow, very shocking and sad news. rest in peace, rituparno ghosh. he’s an acclaimed director but i’ve hardly seen any of his work! just ‘choker bali’ which i quite liked, even that’s not even the complete version!:( i’ll be hunting for his films….
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May 31, 2013 at 6:13 PM
i also did see ghosh’s “raincoat”, which i thought was superb..
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May 31, 2013 at 6:28 PM
http://diptakirti.blogspot.com/2013/06/rituparno-ghosh-few-random-thoughts.html
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