Summary
The city’s vibrant film and academic communities have come together to honour one of India’s most iconic filmmakers, Ritwik Kumar Ghatak, as the Departments of Film Studies of St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) and The Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC) host a two-day international seminar titled “Re-thinking Legacy: Ritwik Ghatak as a System of Thought.”
The seminar, which began yesterday, November 3, and continues today, November 4, 2025, marks the filmmaker’s birth centenary with rich discussions, retrospectives, and reflections.
The city’s vibrant film and academic communities have come together to honour one of India’s most iconic filmmakers, Ritwik Kumar Ghatak, as the Departments of Film Studies of St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) and The Bhawanipur Education Society College (BESC) host a two-day international seminar titled “Re-thinking Legacy: Ritwik Ghatak as a System of Thought.” The seminar, which began yesterday, November 3, and continues today, November 4, 2025, marks the filmmaker’s birth centenary with rich discussions, retrospectives, and reflections.
Supported by the Alumni Association of St. Xavier’s College, the first day’s sessions took place at RK Hall, St. Xavier’s College, while today’s proceedings are being hosted at the Society Hall, The Bhawanipur Education Society College.
The academic event aims to explore Ghatak’s cinematic and philosophical contributions through a fresh, interdisciplinary lens - moving beyond the traditional focus on melodrama, mythology, and India’s partition. Scholars are instead delving into the deeper sociocultural and aesthetic systems that defined his art and worldview.
The impressive lineup of invited speakers includes distinguished scholars such as Professors Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, Moinak Biswas, Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Erin O’Donnell, Madhuja Mukherjee, Ira Bhaskar, Richard Peña, Jean-Michel Frodon, Sanghita Sen, Anindya Sengupta, Paulomi Chakraborty, Rongili Biswas, Ritu Sen Chaudhuri, and Anirban Das.
Adding to the academic dialogue, a roundtable of filmmakers has been planned, featuring noted names such as Indranil Roychowdhury, Debalina Majumder, cinematographer Basab Mullik, editor Sharmistha Jha, and sound engineer Sukanta Majumdar. The session will be moderated by Siladitya Sanyal, filmmaker and Professor & Head of the Department of Direction & Producing for EDM at SRFTI, who will steer discussions on Ghatak’s continuing influence on Indian cinema.
A special highlight of the seminar will be the felicitation of filmmaker Ritaban Ghatak, son of Ritwik Ghatak, by actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhyay, in a heartfelt tribute to the filmmaker’s enduring legacy.
“Re-thinking Legacy” stands as more than an academic exercise - it is a cultural bridge between eras, inspiring new generations to rediscover the revolutionary spirit of Ritwik Ghatak through dialogue, research, and creative engagement.
Last updated on 04 Nov 2025
