Ritu brought Bengali middle class back to the cinema hall: Anik Dutta

Kolkata: News of filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh's untimely demise sent shock waves across the film fraternity. A pioneer in new wave cinema in Bengal, Ghosh had worked with some of the most prominent actors from Bengali and Hindi film industry. The winner of several National Film Awards, Ghosh was known to be close to stars like Aparna Sen and Prasenjit Chatterjee.

Both Tollywood and Bollywood celebrities expressed grief and paid condolence to Ghosh's family.

A visibly emotional Kaushik Sen, prominent theatre director and cinema personality who was close to Ghosh, said, "There is no way to explain the loss to not just Bengali but Indian cinema where cerebral content is in a minority. He was supposed to come in for the inaugural show of my new stage production last evening. I received a call from his associate, saying Ritu-da had high fever and would not be able to make it but that he promised to catch the next show. I guess that won't ever happen again. I think he will be most remembered and missed for bringing those issues on screen which have always been considered as taboos."

Prosenjit Chatterjee, the superstar of Bengali cinema who won the Special Jury Award at the National Film Awards in 2006 for his performance in Rituparno Ghosh's 'Dosar' has been in a state of shock ever since the news broke. "He is so distraught that he is not in a position to talk," his publicist told IBNLive when contacted.

Debashree Roy, who has acted in two of Ghosh's films is shell-shocked. Roy won the National AWard for Best Actress in 1994 for her performance in Ghosh's 'Unishe April'. "It is a great loss for Indian cinema and Bengali cinema. And it is a bigger loss at a personal level. I met him first in the early 1990s and I acted in 'Unishe April'. We became very good friends. Even now, it has not really sunk in that he is actually no more. He was God-gifted. I also acted in 'Asukh.' We were very close, our chemistry was great, Now at the moment, I can't say anything more than that I have lost a near and dear friend," she told IBNLive.

Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Bengali superstar who is more well-known as Feluda or Gora and for his role as the terrorist leader in 'Dil Se', said: "It is not just a loss for the film industry but also for the entire cultural field. He was so culturally active, even in the fields of television production, literature, etc, that it is difficult to fill the void."

Actress Raima Sen, who has known Ghosh as a family friend ever since she was a schoolgirl, told IBNLive "It's extremely shocking to say the least. And I am feeling so helpless that I am in Mumbai and not in Kolkata. I was so close to him, you know he was my mentor not just in cinema but in life. I have known him as a child and remember him having conversations with my mother in the drawing room. He turned my world around with 'Chokher Bali' and I have been so grateful to him that I have worked in nearly every film after that. I spoke to him last month and he said I should not be upset about getting no role in his latest Byomkesh flick and that we would work together soon. So, it is a loss for Indian cinema which has lost one of its most sensitive filmmakers and a personal loss for me."

"Ritu had inspired a whole new generation of film makers. He brought Bengali middle class back to the cinema hall. He is one of the most significant film makers in India today. One of the most talented film makers in India till date," said director Anik Dutta.

Some of the Bollywood celebrities took to Twiiter to express grief over his death.