Thursday, May 30, 2013

Noted filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh passed away

Noted filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh died of cardiac arrest on Thursday at his south Kolkata residence.


He was 49.

Winner of 12 national and some international awards, Ghosh was suffering from pancreatitis and died of heart attack at 7.30 am, his family said.

Ghosh shot to fame with a children’s film directed by him ‘Hirer Angti’ in 1994. His film ‘Unishe April’ won the national award in 1995.

His other widely acclaimed films include ‘Dahan’, ’Asukh’, ‘Chokher Bali’, ‘Raincoat’, ‘Bariwali’, ‘Antarmahal’ and ‘Noukadubi’.

Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee deeply mourned Ghosh’s death, saying, “I cannot believe that Rituparna is no more. It is very difficult to accept this news. We lost a very promising film director at a very early age.”

Many film actors and actresses thronged his residence to pay their last respects.

Renowned artist Soumitra Chatterjee, said the news came as a great shock to him.

“He was a great genius and the void left after his death cannot be easily filled,” the actor said.

Raima Sen, grand daughter of legendary Suchitra Sen, said she was indebted to “Rituda” to give the turning point in her career.

“Rituda gave me a break with the film ’Chokher Bali’. He was more than a director to me; he was almost a part of our family. He was an unmeasurable genius,” she said.

Fellow national award-winning director Kaushik Ganguly said he was left shattered by the news.

Similar was the reaction of theatre personality Kaushik Sen who said, “He was supposed to come to watch my next production. It was a great loss.”

Panchayat Election Incidents of violence reported from districts

On Day 1 of filing nominations, allegations galore in West Bengal
A report from The Hindu 30/5/2013

Incidents of violence reported from districts such as Bardhaman, Bankura, South 24 Parganas and Howrah

The filing of nomination papers for rural polls in the nine districts of West Bengal that go to polls in the first phase on July 2 started on Wednesday amid complaints from the Left Front and the Congress that their candidates were prevented from collecting and filing their nomination papers by Trinamool Congress activists.

There were reports of violence from districts such as Bardhaman, Bankura, South 24 Parganas and Howrah, where prospective candidates were reportedly intimidated and, at certain places, attacked. “We had repeatedly urged the State Election Commission to ensure necessary security for a free and fair election. With the election panel not having made enough security arrangements so far and a section of administration being partisan to the ruling party, the entire democratic process of election is in jeopardy,” a statement issued by State Left Front Committee chairperson Biman Bose said. Meanwhile, a State Congress delegation met Governor M.K. Narayanan and alleged that Trinamool was not allowing their party candidates file nomination papers. “Despite the presence of State police, the Trinamool Congress is trying to create trouble at various places,” State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said.

Trinamool scared

Alleging that security forces were virtually absent in various parts of the districts going to polls, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretariat member Rabin Deb said the administration had not provided any security to Left Front candidates. Trinamool, he said, was scared of its shrinking support base and had realised that its victory was not possible unless it resorted to attacking Left Front candidates.

SEC seeks report
The State Election Commission has sought a report from the district administrations of Bardhaman and Bankuraon the incidents of attacks on the Opposition’s candidates.