In black and white

Film maker Anurag Basu on how Ritwik Ghataks work is a big influence
As a child,I was greatly inspired by film-maker Ritwik Ghatak. When I was eight and studying at a government school in Bhilai,Chhattisgarh,I remember watching some of Ghataks black-and-white films on Doordarshan. I would return to Kolkata during my school vacations and see the films a number of times again. My favourite were Komol Gandhar,Meghe Dhaka Tara and Subarnarekha. We were not allowed to watch too many films but my father encouraged me to watch these films,since Ghatak and Satyajit Ray were his favourites too.

I did not have an understanding of his genius then but I would cry each time I saw his films. The starkness in the frames,and the sheer poetry with which he conveyed an intense emotion were touching and moving. Ghatak was not just a great film-maker but also a great screenplay writer. His wrote for other filmmakers and you can see his genius in Bimal Roys Madhumati 1958.
His style of gently bringing out the story through the eyes of the female protagonist has subtly influenced the treatment of characters in my films. In Gangster,I attempted to convey the story through the eyes of Kangana Ranaut using the same approach Ghatak used in his films. I strive to be like him.