‘Bhabar Bhita’ to premiere in Dhaka marking Ritwik Ghatak’s birth centenary

A special documentary titled 'Bhabar Bhita – The House that Held Bhaba' will premiere at Bengal Shilpalay in the capital’s Dhanmondi on Friday, commemorating the birth centenary of legendary filmmaker Ritwik Kumar Ghatak.

Directed by Molla Sagar as a heartfelt tribute to Ghatak, one of South Asia’s most influential filmmakers, the documentary traces Sagar’s journey to Old Dhaka in search of the ancestral home where Ritwik and his twin sister Pratiti Devi Ghatak, affectionately known as 'Bhaba' and 'Bhabi', were born and spent their childhood. It presents the history and present condition of the house that shaped their early years.

The premiere will be attended by noted artists, filmmakers, cultural personalities, critics, journalists and admirers, who will come together to honour Ghatak’s enduring legacy.

Born on November 4, 1925, in a house in Old Dhaka, the twins were separated by history after the Partition of 1947 - Ritwik and his family moved to India, while Pratiti stayed back in Bangladesh. Ritwik passed away in 1976, still searching for a new home in his creative imagination.

Sharing the inspiration behind the project, Sagar recalled his meeting with Pratiti in Dhaka in 2014. “She was then around 90 and had lost much of her memory, almost bedridden; I requested her for something symbolic, and she gifted me a black-and-white photo of Bhaba, and that was my priceless treasure.”

“With that photo in hand, I set out with my camera to find the old house in Old Dhaka. Bhaba, through that photograph, accompanied us on the journey, while conversations with Bhabi gave birth to the film ‘Bhabar Bhita’,” Sagar added.

The event is organised by Life Bangladesh in association with Chhut Chhobi Chhaya Adda.