'BANGLADESH WILL MOVE TOWARDS LIGHT'

Bangladeshi filmmaker Ahsan Kabir Liton opens up on the turmoil his country's cultural space is going through

- APARNA NAIR

The house in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, where legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak and his niece, celebrated writer Mahasweta Devi, spent years, stood as a reminder of the country's past as part of the Indian side of Bengal. It was akin to a pilgrimage site where love for the arts transcended earthly realms.

In August this year, as the Sheikh Hasina government fell and miscreants went on a rampage, the house—built in traditional style with wooden windows bearing antique charm and an expansive, nostalgic courtyard—was razed to the ground. All that remains now is rubble, much to the dismay of film lovers in Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Notably, it was also the venue for the Ritwik Ghatak Film Society's regular meetings and the annual film festival.

"It was a sacred spot for us. Personally, it is where I got inspiration to pursue filmmaking," says Ahsan Kabir Liton, a Bangladeshi filmmaker, TV drama director, and writer, who is attending IFFK this year as part of the Federation of Film Societies of India's K R Mohanan Endowment jury.