For Anik Dutta, it was always singara, never samosa.
“He always preferred Bengali food over any other cuisine. He was fussy about the right names of dishes,” said Rajasree Mukherjee, Dutta’s classmate from Patha Bhavan.
Mukherjee was at the New Theatre One studio in Tollygunge, where Dutta’s body was brought before he was cremated at Keoratala burning ghat.
The maverick filmmaker is suspected to have fallen to his death on Wednesday afternoon from the terrace of an apartment in Hindusthan Park, where his wife owns a flat.
His body was first taken to Nandan and then to the Tollygunge studio on Friday. Actors, directors, politicians, friends and fans gathered to remember him and share memories.
Anik Datta potrate garlanded at Nandan on Friday morning
“Aparajito theke gelen Anik Dutta (Anik Dutta remains undefeated)” read a giant board placed in the background.
The line is borrowed from Dutta’s 2022 film, a behind-the-scenes take on Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali.
Director Sudeshna Roy, who worked with Dutta on several projects, said he was direct and honest. “He spoke clearly, directly. We worked together so many times,” she said.
Actor and BJP MLA from Sonarpur South, Roopa Ganguly, broke down while paying her respects.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose said Dutta’s death was “a great loss for Bengal and Bengali culture”.
BJP MP and actor Rudranil Ghosh was also present.
Veteran actor Biswajit Chakraborty, who acted in Bhooter Bhabishyat, Dutta’s debut film, which marked a seminal moment in the Bengali film industry, said he was a brilliant storyteller.
“He gave me one of my best roles (the ghost of a retired army officer) to date. He was a brilliant storyteller and scriptwriter. The younger generation of filmmakers should learn from his films,” Chakraborty said.
Filmmakers Goutam Ghose, Srijit Mukherji and Kamaleshwar Mukherjee, and actors Jeet, Abir Chatterjee, Jeetu Kamal and Sudipta Chakraborty were among those present.
Dutta is survived by his wife Sondhy and their daughter Oishee, who lives in Europe and returned home on Thursday.