Probashi- Cover Story
Probashi- Cover Story
Interview with
Goutam Ghose Goutam Ghose : Indian Cinema ’ s “ Moner Manush”
Goutam Ghose , rated amongst India ’ s most acclaimed film directors , has always heeded to the calling of his heart . In early seventies , just out of college , Goutam struck an un‐ family by trodden path for a boy belonging to middle class taking theatre and photojournalism as a career‐ an unconventional choice of profession for those times . Moved by issues plaguing the Country , he borrowed money to make documentaries on themes like power crisis and famine‐ this was his form of expression and protest , despite running up substantial personal debts . His documentaries didd some plain speak which unsettled the establishment and got him into trouble with the censor board . Subsequently he moved to Mumbai and became a very successful advertisement film maker . Financial success and fame both followed , which he was soon to give up to make his first feature film Ma Bhoomi on Telengana peasant uprising in Telegu on a shoe string budget Though Telegu language was unfamiliar terrain , the issue of peasant revolt was close to his heart . Ma Bhoomi went on to win him his first National
Award and was a major box office success . It is considered a major landmark film in Tl rejected i a slew Siki of financially h attractive movie i l offe G ers which followed because non gave him the scope to make a statement for people close to his heart- the oppressed and the down trodden . Inspired by greats like
Satyajit Ray , Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak , Goutam has never wavered from issue based films ; bucking the view that realistic cinema cannot bring box office success . His Hindi films like Paar , Yatra , Patang with A‐ list actors like Naseeruddin Shah , Shababa Azmi , Nana Patekar , Rekha etc
, were well received by audiences nationally , earning him the epithet of “ a film maker with a cause ”. His recent block buster in Bangla , Moner Manush , talks about Lalon Fakir , a baul in 19th Century Bengal , who talked about religious tolerance‐ a rare film in today ’ s times of glitz and glamour . His current film running in cinema hails , Shunyo Awnko ( the Zero Act ), asks the question – the development journey of India , for whom , to where ? Winner of 17 National Film
Awards and slew of International awards including Knighthood of the Star of the Italian Solidarity and special mention at Cannes , Goutam is one of the few film makers in this country who use cinema as a medium to express the issues plaguing the Country and allows the camera to speak the truth . Goutam is candid when he says that cinema cannot change the world , but contends it leaves a documentation of society of its times for the future generationn to learn from and judge objectively . And when we call Goutam
Ghose “ Indian Cinema’ s Moner
Manush ” ( A Man who listens to his heart ) we are completely on target .
You had the benefit of a culturally |
vibrant family upbringing ? Any |
childhood |
memories |
which |
influenced profession? |
your |
choice |
of |
My father ’ s family originally hails from Faridpur in present
Bangladesh and crossed over to India at the time of Partition . My Mother ’ s side belong to Dhaka Bikrampur in Bangladesh but had long moved to Burma and from there to Calcutta much before partition happened and were well settled .
What I missed in my childhood was a country home what in bangla you call adi bari . While boys in my class would go to their village homes during vacation , I and my siblings would stay put in
Calcutta . My father would tell about our home in Bangladesh with great nostalgia , but with a refrain would add that politics has traced a line on the map which we call border and thus robbed us access to our ancestral land . Even today I cringe at the fact as to why the Country had to be divided .
My maternal uncle ’ s place was a hub for plays , magic shows and music recitals . At our house learning music was compulsory . Music was considered essential to become a good human being . When I was