The scheduled screenings of Ritwik Ghatak's films, "Amar Lenin" and "Komal Gandhar", at a government school in Kolkata were cancelled following objections from political leaders. 

This year marks the centenary of the renowned filmmaker's birth. To commemorate the occasion, the films were scheduled to be shown at Naktala High School with the support of the Ritwik Memorial Trust. The school's headmaster initially granted permission, but just a few days before the screening, he unexpectedly withdrew his approval.

Photo: Collected

He informed the Ritwik Memorial Trust that a few individuals had threatened to vandalise the school if these two films were screened. Their strongest objection was against the film "Amar Lenin". The cancellation of the screenings due to political interference has sparked widespread outrage in Tollywood. 

Omkar Roy, the spokesperson for the Ritwik Memorial Trust, said, "When the headmaster approached us in the third week of January, he was initially enthusiastic about the screening. He even mentioned that he was a fan of Ritwik Ghatak. However, after February 5, he came under pressure and informed us that there were issues with screening the films."

Following this, the organisation approached a local club, but they too rejected the request under pressure from higher authorities. As a result, arrangements were made to screen the films on the roadside.

The headmaster of Naktala High School stated that the cancellation was due to scheduling conflicts rather than external pressure. However, another school official mentioned that some people had raised concerns about "Amar Lenin", one of the films in the lineup, because of its strong political themes.h

The official clarified that there were no objections to "Komal Gandhar", a film portraying the struggles of those displaced by the Partition of India.

"Amar Lenin" (1970), created to mark Vladimir Lenin's birth anniversary, initially faced censorship challenges, which were later lifted after intervention from then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Read more

Ritwik Ghatak’s revolutionary film language

"Komal Gandhar' is part of Ritwik Ghatak's renowned trilogy, alongside "Meghe Dhaka Tara" and "Subarnarekha", both from the 1960s. The latter delves into the cultural impact of Partition and the experiences of refugees from East Pakistan.