3 min readPuneDec 17, 2025 08:44 PM IST
First published on: Dec 17, 2025 at 08:22 PM IST
The film lovers of West Bengal are, often, divided between Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak. “Ghatak was a very different filmmaker from Ray. But, the two were not rivals. Manik da (Ray) and Ghatak were very good friends,” says Jabbar Patel, a veteran filmmaker and the Director of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF).
“It was Manik da who suggested to Indira Gandhi, then the Prime Minister of India, to take Ghatak to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) as he was a wonderful teacher,” says Patel.
Ghatak was the Vice-Principal of FTII in the 1960s and started a new school of cinema. Kumar Sahani and Mani Kaul, among others, followed Ghatak’s path in making films. “Different filmmakers came in, and a different pathway started right here in Pune,” says Patel.
PIFF, which will be held between Jan 15 and 22, will celebrate many icons of Indian cinema. Among them is Ghatak, whose birth centenary is, currently, underway. There will be screenings of his famous films as well as stories about his contributions.
“There was a time when Ghatak went to Bimal Roy with a story he had written. He said that he was not going to make the film but it was an interesting concept. Roy made the film; it was Madhumati, one of the earliest films about reincarnation and a love story that lasts lifetimes, among others. It was one of the greatest films of the time,” says Patel.
PIFF will also celebrate V Shantaram’s 125th anniversary. Shantaram was another filmmaker with deep roots in Pune. His 1957 classic, Do Aankhen Barah Haath, which won the prestigious Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival was shot in parts in the city.
“Shantaram’s earlier films were made at Prabhat Studio. These included classics, such as Duniya Na Mane. It was a milestone film about a young girl married to an old man, which was also a great hit in Marathi, called Kunku. Padosi, his last film with Prabhat Studios, was about a Hindu-Muslim friendship,” says Patel.
PIFF, which is organised by the Pune Film Foundation, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, and Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, Mumbai, will screen almost 140 films across sections, ranging from the world and Marathi competitive film sections to global cinema. The state government sanctions a budget of Rs 4 crore for the festival. The opening film is La Grazia from Italy, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, while the closing film of the festival is Father Mother Sister Brother, from Ireland and France, and directed by Jim Jarmusch.
A much-awaited feature is the world competition section, for which more than 900 films from 103 countries were submitted. “These films will be judged by an international jury, and the best international film will receive the ‘Maharashtra Government Sant Tukaram Best International Film Award’ which is worth Rs 10 lakh,” said Patel.
(From left to right) Film director Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak was the Vice-Principal of FTII in the 1960s. (Source: Express Archives) 
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