Nilkantha Bagchi | |
---|---|
First appearance | Jukti Takko Aar Gappo (1977) |
Last appearance | Meghe Dhaka Tara (2013) |
Created by | Ritwik Ghatak |
Based on | Ghatak's personality |
Portrayed by | Ritwik Ghatak Saswata Chatterjee |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Filmmaker Theatre personality |
Spouse | Durga |
Children | Satya |
Religion | Hindu |
Nationality | Indian |
Nilkantha Bagchi (alternative spelling Neelkantha Bagchi) is an iconic Bengali cinema character that first appeared in 1977 in Ritwik Ghatak's Jukti Takko Aar Gappo . [1] In the 2013 film Meghe Dhaka Tara , the character portrayed by Saswata Chatterjee was named Nilkantha Bagchi. Chatterjee's character was based on the personality of Ritwik Ghatak.
The character of Debshankar, a painter, in the 2009 Bengali film Chha-e Chhuti , partially resembled Ritwik Ghatak's personality and Nilkantha Bagchi of Jukti Takko Aar Gappo. Debshankar delivered one of the most memorable quotations from Jukti Takko Aar Gappo, saying, ভাবো, ভাবা প্র্যাকটিস কর ("Think, practice thinking"). [2]
Jukti Takko Aar Gappo , made in 1974 and released in 1977, was Ghatak's last film. The film is considered to be the autobiographical film of Ghatak's alter ego. The film shows Nilkantha Bagchi, the protagonist, as an alcoholic, disillusioned Bengali intellectual. [3] [4] The film is set against the backdrop of the first Naxalite wave of rebellion in India. Ghatak explained, "In it the political backdrop of West Bengal from 1971 to 1972 as I saw it has been portrayed. There is no ideology. I saw it from a point of view of not a politician. I am not supposed to please a political ideology". [5] Ghatak was aware of a complete breakdown of moral values around him, especially among the younger generation. He tried to portray these issues in this film and in his unfinished film Sei Vishnupriya. [5]
In 2013, Bengali film director Kamaleswar Mukherjee made Meghe Dhaka Tara . The film was based on Ghatak's life and struggle. The name of the protagonist, Nilkantha Bagchi, was adopted from Jukti Takko Aar Gappo. The name of film was inspired from Ghatak's film Meghe Dhaka Tara (1969). The protagonist Nilkantha Bagchi (played by Saswata Chatterjee) resembled Ghatak's real life character. [6]
The character Nilkantha Bagchi is considered a cultural icon of Bengali cinema. The character of Debshankar, a painter in the 2009 Bengali film Chha-e Chhuti, partially resembled Ghatak's personality and that of Nilkantha Bagchi of Jukti Takko Aar Gappo. Debshankar also delivered one of the film's most famous lines, saying, Bhabo, bhaba practice koro ("Think, practise thinking"). [2]
Ritwik Kumar Ghatak was a noted Indian film director, screenwriter and playwright. Along with prominent contemporary Bengali filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen, his cinema is primarily remembered for its meticulous depiction of social reality, partition and feminism. He won the National Film Award's Rajat Kamal Award for Best Story in 1974 for his Jukti Takko Aar Gappo and Best Director's Award from Bangladesh Cine Journalist's Association for Titash Ekti Nadir Naam. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri for Arts in 1970.
Meghe Dhaka Tara is a 1960 film written and directed by Ritwik Ghatak, based on a social novel by Shaktipada Rajguru with the same title. It stars Supriya Choudhury, Anil Chatterjee, Gita Dey, Bijon Bhattacharya, Niranjan Roy, and Gyanesh Mukherjee. It was part of a trilogy consisting of Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960), Komal Gandhar (1961), and Subarnarekha (1962), all dealing with the aftermath of the Partition of Bengal during the Partition of India in 1947 and the refugees coping with it.
Madhabi Chakraborty is an Indian actress. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the Bengali film Dibratrir Kabya. She has acted in some of the most critically acclaimed films in Bengali cinema and is considered one of the great actresses of Bengali cinema.
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Jukti Takko Aar Gappo is a 1974 Bengali film directed by auteur of Indian cinema Ritwik Ghatak. Jukti Takko Aar Gappo was Ritwik Ghatak's last film. The film was believed to have a cinematography way ahead of its time. The film won National Film Award's Rajat Kamal Award for Best Story in 1974.
Saswata Chatterjee is an Indian actor of television and films based in Kolkata. Born to actor Subhendu Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee began his career with a Hindi serial directed by Saibal Mitra, based on Samaresh Majumdar's Kaalpurush. He gained popularity by portraying the character of Topshe in a Feluda-based television series directed by Sandip Ray. His acting in many Bengali films has been praised by the critics, including his portrayal of a Ritwik Ghatak-inspired character in the 2013 film Meghe Dhaka Tara. He enjoyed success at the national level in Sujoy Ghosh's 2012 blockbuster Hindi film, Kahaani, where he played Bob Biswas, an assassin.
Komal Gandhar, also known as A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale, is a 1961 Bengali film written and directed by legendary film maker Ritwik Ghatak. The title refers to the Hindustani equivalent of "E-flat". It was part of the trilogy composed of Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960), Komal Gandhar and Subarnarekha (1962), all dealing with the aftermath of the Partition of India in 1947 and the refugees coping with it, though this was the most optimistic film of his oeuvre. The film explores three themes juxtaposed in the narrative: the dilemma of Anusuya, the lead character, the divided leadership of IPTA, and the fallout from the partition of India.
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Tripti Mitra was a popular Indian actress of Bengali theatre and films, and wife of Sombhu Mitra, noted theatre director, with whom she co-founded pioneering theatre group Bohurupee in 1948. She has acted in films like Jukti Takko Aar Gappo and Dharti Ke Lal.
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Shaoli Mitra [alternatively spelt as Shaonli Mitra ; c. 1948 – 16 January 2022) was an Indian Bengali theatre and film actress, director, and playwright. She played the role of Bangabala in Ritwik Ghatak's Jukti Takko Aar Gappo. She is the daughter of Sombhu Mitra and Tripti Mitra, who were also theatre personalities.
Meghe Dhaka Tara is a 2013 Indian Bengali film directed by Kamaleswar Mukherjee and made under Shree Venkatesh Films banners. The film is inspired from the life and works of Bengali film director Ritwik Ghatak. The entire film is in black and white except the last scene which has been shot in colour. In this film Saswata Chatterjee plays the character of Nilkantha Bagchi and Ananya Chatterjee plays the role of Durga, Nilkantha's wife. The film was released on 14 June 2013. Besides giving an account of Ghatak's life, the film also depicts the socio-political environment of contemporary West Bengal during the Tebhaga and Naxalite movements.
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