KOLKATA: Surama Ghatak, the spouse of iconic filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak, passed on to the great beyond at a government hospital in Kolkata on May 7. She used to be preventing most cancers for some years and used to be admitted to the hospital on April 27. She used to be 91 and is survived by way of son Ritaban.
Born in Shillong on November 14, 1926, Surama had met Ghatak after she came right down to Kolkata. Theatre used to be her pastime and she or he had first joined the south squad of IPTA. It used to be at her aunt’s position the place she had first met Ghatak. By then, she used to be acutely aware of Ghatak having directed “Nagarik”. What attracted her in opposition to Ghatak used to be his performance within the play “Bisarjan”. Ghatak too had noticed her. In reality, she had asked Surama’s aunt who that “Das Kapital” used to be at her position!
The camaraderie had increased and shortly, Ghatak began taking classes for her. But she used to be additionally warned by way of her aunt to not interact with Ghatak. Back then, fees were introduced against Ghatak and there used to be a fear of him being expelled. But Surama had stood by way of him and persevered to interact with him until he used to be confirmed to blame. Later when he went to Bihar to shoot two documentaries, he would steadily write letters to her. Some of his letters describe how insufficient he felt for now not having me by way of his facet.
Film scholar Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, who used to be with regards to the Ghataks, recollects her contribution as a political activist. “Boudi used to be a political activist even prior to her acquaintance with Ritwik. She had even served a jail time period,” he stated. Surama would steadily talk about bring lodged in a jail for a 12 months and eight months. Her fellow inmates were charged with murder and robbery. Subsequently, she went on to jot down a memoir titled “Shillong Jailer Diary”.
What set Surama with the exception of the Bijoya Ray and Geeta Sen (other halves of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen respectively) used to be the way in which she had led her existence. “It used to be a very difficult and even tragic existence. She had misplaced her daughters and even her granddaughter. Yet, in grief and in disaster, she at all times came across as very a dignified person. My aunts had gone to meet her at the nursing home when she used to be in poor health. Even two days prior to her death, her memory used to be sharp. She had recollected how my grand mom were stunned that she had agreed to marry my granduncle,” remembered her grand niece Ina Puri.
That used to be a tale Surama had earlier recollected as smartly when she had shared how Ghatak, in a few of his early letters, had written to her about how his complete family used to be stunned together with her choice. At that point, it used to be difficult for them to imagine how a woman may just fall for a person like Ghatak — somebody with grimy toes, who smoked beedis and wore ankle-length dhotis. In one in every of her recollections, Surama had mentioned a letter that Ghatak had written to her prior to their marriage. “Ami tomar motei upojukto noi, michimichi tomake dobachhi. Lokhhi mohilati jole porlen. Ei hochhe tar suchintito obhimot, barir sobar katha theke bojha gelo tomake biye korte pere ami dhonyyo...” — these are the precise traces he had written in a letter to describe how the entire family had felt that it used to be Ghatak who will have to imagine himself privileged for having got the danger to marry her!
But love had dominated and the couple had tied the knot. Lokhhi – as she used to be referred to as at home – used to be a favorite within the Ghatak family too. “Nameo lokhhi, kajeo lokhhi” – used to be what used to be steadily stated to describe her. Nobody back then had anticipated that their dating may just get estranged one day. But repeated disasters and even the lack to free up his movies had taken a significant toll on Ghatak. Coupled with that used to be his alcohol habit. The remaining nail within the coffin used to be when “Komal Gandhar” had flopped.
With little or even no cash, it used to be difficult for her to boost her 3 children. Surama in spite of everything had made a tricky choice and she or he left Kolkata upon getting a job to show in a Santhia faculty. For years, Surama would talk in regards to the glance in Ghatak’s eyes when she used to be leaving home to soak up the process. Five months later, he had written to her as though nothing had took place between them. He had even made her the manufacturer of “Jukti Takko Aar Gappo” and the only proprietor of the film. According to Mukhopadhyay, “There were variations between them. But I at all times felt that regardless of the entirety, they nonetheless had a passionate dating and a very deep alliance.”
Often Ghatak introduced in her references in his movies. “In ‘Megha Dhaka Tara’, Neeta used to be born on Jagadhatri Puja day. Boudi would steadily let us know that Jagadhatri Puja happens to be her birthday too. Her reference is further prolonged to ‘Komal Gandhar’. The predicament within the lifetime of the central persona – Anasua - is obviously drawn from boudi’s existence cartoon. ‘Jukti Takko Aar Gappo’ used to be autobiographical. When positioned within the higher historical perspective, boudi had a dominant function to play in this film’s discourse too,” Mukhopadhyay analysed.
Ghatak had used his favourite track – ‘Amar onge onge ke bajae bashi’ – in this film. “This used to be a track he used to steadily sing all the way through his courtship days. Later on, when he used this track for the film, he even shot it in Shillong. It wouldn’t be incorrect to suppose that Ghatak intentionally did this to leave a unconscious connection with boudi within the film,” Mukhopadhyay stated.
Ghatak passed on to the great beyond in 1976. Mrinal Sen had damaged the inside track of Ghatak’s death to her. Surama lived on with his recollections for 42 extra years. During this time, she wrote books including “Ritwik” and “Padma Theke Titas”. She used to be additionally making plans to compile another anthology. “She told my aunts that she used to be operating on Ritwik Ghatak until the tip. She persevered writing on Ritwik and his paintings until the very end. Often estrangement results in rancour and bitterness. But I by no means saw that in her. She used to be scuffling with most cancers and bereavement. One after the other, tragedies struck her. Yet, she remained strong. Even days prior to her death she had told my aunts that she handiest had to entire the foreword for the guide. The rest, in keeping with her, used to be all finished,” Puri stated.
Bengal leader minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed grief over her death. Friends and family are mourning. The manuscript now lies someplace in her Chetla place of dwelling. Waiting ceaselessly for her pen. It lies incomplete but will at all times exude the essence of an indomitable spirit while Surama in spite of everything joins her spouse within the land of Megha Dhata Tara for never-ending sessions of Jukti, Tokko Aar Goppo.
Born in Shillong on November 14, 1926, Surama had met Ghatak after she came right down to Kolkata. Theatre used to be her pastime and she or he had first joined the south squad of IPTA. It used to be at her aunt’s position the place she had first met Ghatak. By then, she used to be acutely aware of Ghatak having directed “Nagarik”. What attracted her in opposition to Ghatak used to be his performance within the play “Bisarjan”. Ghatak too had noticed her. In reality, she had asked Surama’s aunt who that “Das Kapital” used to be at her position!
The camaraderie had increased and shortly, Ghatak began taking classes for her. But she used to be additionally warned by way of her aunt to not interact with Ghatak. Back then, fees were introduced against Ghatak and there used to be a fear of him being expelled. But Surama had stood by way of him and persevered to interact with him until he used to be confirmed to blame. Later when he went to Bihar to shoot two documentaries, he would steadily write letters to her. Some of his letters describe how insufficient he felt for now not having me by way of his facet.
Film scholar Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, who used to be with regards to the Ghataks, recollects her contribution as a political activist. “Boudi used to be a political activist even prior to her acquaintance with Ritwik. She had even served a jail time period,” he stated. Surama would steadily talk about bring lodged in a jail for a 12 months and eight months. Her fellow inmates were charged with murder and robbery. Subsequently, she went on to jot down a memoir titled “Shillong Jailer Diary”.
What set Surama with the exception of the Bijoya Ray and Geeta Sen (other halves of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen respectively) used to be the way in which she had led her existence. “It used to be a very difficult and even tragic existence. She had misplaced her daughters and even her granddaughter. Yet, in grief and in disaster, she at all times came across as very a dignified person. My aunts had gone to meet her at the nursing home when she used to be in poor health. Even two days prior to her death, her memory used to be sharp. She had recollected how my grand mom were stunned that she had agreed to marry my granduncle,” remembered her grand niece Ina Puri.
That used to be a tale Surama had earlier recollected as smartly when she had shared how Ghatak, in a few of his early letters, had written to her about how his complete family used to be stunned together with her choice. At that point, it used to be difficult for them to imagine how a woman may just fall for a person like Ghatak — somebody with grimy toes, who smoked beedis and wore ankle-length dhotis. In one in every of her recollections, Surama had mentioned a letter that Ghatak had written to her prior to their marriage. “Ami tomar motei upojukto noi, michimichi tomake dobachhi. Lokhhi mohilati jole porlen. Ei hochhe tar suchintito obhimot, barir sobar katha theke bojha gelo tomake biye korte pere ami dhonyyo...” — these are the precise traces he had written in a letter to describe how the entire family had felt that it used to be Ghatak who will have to imagine himself privileged for having got the danger to marry her!
But love had dominated and the couple had tied the knot. Lokhhi – as she used to be referred to as at home – used to be a favorite within the Ghatak family too. “Nameo lokhhi, kajeo lokhhi” – used to be what used to be steadily stated to describe her. Nobody back then had anticipated that their dating may just get estranged one day. But repeated disasters and even the lack to free up his movies had taken a significant toll on Ghatak. Coupled with that used to be his alcohol habit. The remaining nail within the coffin used to be when “Komal Gandhar” had flopped.
With little or even no cash, it used to be difficult for her to boost her 3 children. Surama in spite of everything had made a tricky choice and she or he left Kolkata upon getting a job to show in a Santhia faculty. For years, Surama would talk in regards to the glance in Ghatak’s eyes when she used to be leaving home to soak up the process. Five months later, he had written to her as though nothing had took place between them. He had even made her the manufacturer of “Jukti Takko Aar Gappo” and the only proprietor of the film. According to Mukhopadhyay, “There were variations between them. But I at all times felt that regardless of the entirety, they nonetheless had a passionate dating and a very deep alliance.”
Often Ghatak introduced in her references in his movies. “In ‘Megha Dhaka Tara’, Neeta used to be born on Jagadhatri Puja day. Boudi would steadily let us know that Jagadhatri Puja happens to be her birthday too. Her reference is further prolonged to ‘Komal Gandhar’. The predicament within the lifetime of the central persona – Anasua - is obviously drawn from boudi’s existence cartoon. ‘Jukti Takko Aar Gappo’ used to be autobiographical. When positioned within the higher historical perspective, boudi had a dominant function to play in this film’s discourse too,” Mukhopadhyay analysed.
Ghatak had used his favourite track – ‘Amar onge onge ke bajae bashi’ – in this film. “This used to be a track he used to steadily sing all the way through his courtship days. Later on, when he used this track for the film, he even shot it in Shillong. It wouldn’t be incorrect to suppose that Ghatak intentionally did this to leave a unconscious connection with boudi within the film,” Mukhopadhyay stated.
Ghatak passed on to the great beyond in 1976. Mrinal Sen had damaged the inside track of Ghatak’s death to her. Surama lived on with his recollections for 42 extra years. During this time, she wrote books including “Ritwik” and “Padma Theke Titas”. She used to be additionally making plans to compile another anthology. “She told my aunts that she used to be operating on Ritwik Ghatak until the tip. She persevered writing on Ritwik and his paintings until the very end. Often estrangement results in rancour and bitterness. But I by no means saw that in her. She used to be scuffling with most cancers and bereavement. One after the other, tragedies struck her. Yet, she remained strong. Even days prior to her death she had told my aunts that she handiest had to entire the foreword for the guide. The rest, in keeping with her, used to be all finished,” Puri stated.
Bengal leader minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed grief over her death. Friends and family are mourning. The manuscript now lies someplace in her Chetla place of dwelling. Waiting ceaselessly for her pen. It lies incomplete but will at all times exude the essence of an indomitable spirit while Surama in spite of everything joins her spouse within the land of Megha Dhata Tara for never-ending sessions of Jukti, Tokko Aar Goppo.
The essence of being Ritwik Ghatak’s wife
![The essence of being Ritwik Ghatak’s wife]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
May 09, 2018
Rating:
