The films of legendary auteur Ritwik Ghatak continue to resonate deeply even decades after their release, as they bring forth the ‘collective refugee experience’ born out of India’s Partition, participants at a seminar held on his birth centenary at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) said.

According to a PTI report from Kolkata, speakers at a session observed that Ghatak’s cinema was ahead of its time, depicting the trauma of human displacement, loss, and longing through poignant storytelling. Despite his profound influence on Indian cinema, they rued that Ghatak never received the recognition he truly deserved during his lifetime.

Filmmaker Supriyo Sen, known for his acclaimed documentaries, recalled his first encounter with Ghatak’s work. “I came to know Ghatak through his films. His depiction of the Partition, the emotional ruptures it caused, and the displacement of millions was not just personal—it was the story of a people, a collective experience of loss and hope,” Sen said.

He added that Ghatak’s works such as ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’, ‘Komal Gandhar’, and ‘Subarnarekha’ captured the anguish and resilience of refugees from East Bengal, blending art and realism in a way that still feels contemporary.

Participants noted that Ghatak’s ability to intertwine the political with the emotional has kept his films relevant even today. His narratives, they said, transcend time by reflecting the universal human struggles of identity, belonging, and displacement.