Pioneer of new wave Bengali cinema passes away

KOLKATA: Renowned filmmaker and 12-time national award winner Rituparno Ghosh died of a heart attack, in his sleep, on Thursday. He was 49.

Ghosh, who ushered in a new wave in Bengali cinema, was suffering from pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

Braving rains, thousands of cinelovers thronged the state-run cultural complex ‘Nandan’ at Kolkata to bid a tearful farewell to Ghosh. People waited patiently as the queue comprising mourners of all ages, a sizeable number of them women, stretched around a kilometre.

Ghosh’s colleagues and friends from the Tollywood fraternity — directors, actors, producers, singers, lyricists, poets and musicians — stood near the body as people offered floral tributes. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was among those who offered wreaths.

Acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghosh said, “I couldn’t believe my ears when I was told this morning that Ritu (as he was known to the film fraternity) is no more. He cannot go this way... I can’t yet believe he is no more around.”

After an advertising career in the 1980s, he made his first film, Hirer Angti (diamond ring), in 1994. Some of his most famous films were Unishe April (April 19), Bariwali (land lady), Memories in March, Chokher Bali (sand in the eye), The Last Lear and Raincoat — working with Bollywood actors in the last three.

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Rituparno Ghosh has won 12 National Film Awards.