Acclaimed filmmaker Raja Mitra passes away at 79

KOLKATA: Tollywood lost Raja Mitra, one of the acclaimed filmmakers whose movies and documentaries made a large-scale impact. The National Award-winning director breathed his last on Thursday at a government hospital in Kolkata. He was 79.

Mitra made his directorial debut in 1987 with the film ‘Ekti Jiban’ which earned him the National Award. The film, based on a story by Buddhadeb Basu, had Soumitra Chatterjee, Biplab Chatterjee and Madhabi Mukherjee in leading roles. Set in the 1930s, the film deals with the life of a Sanskrit teacher, Gurudas (played by Soumitra), who sets out to compile a Bengali dictionary realising the absence of it. With the Union Cabinet granting Bengal the classical language status, ‘Ekti Jiban’ becomes all the more relevant now. With more than 32 documentaries like Coal for The Masses, Economy of HS Oil in Railways, Calcutta Footpath Dweller, Scroll Painters of Birbhum and Kalighat Paintings and Drawings to his credit, Mitra was acclaimed for his choice of subjects among the cinephiles.

The news of his demise was shared by his son, Roudra Mitra, on social media. “A six-time National Award winner in cinema (including Swarna Kamal and Rajat Kamal), known for his unyielding principles, determination, and forthright nature, my father, Raja Mitra, passed away at 3 AM today after a long battle with cancer,” he wrote.

Filmmaker Atanu Ghosh mourned the loss of Mitra on social media. “Rajada is no more. Raja Mitra, whose Ekti Jiban remains a milestone in Bengali cinema.

He left an indelible mark with other significant works like Nayanatara, Jatoner Jomi, Birbhum’s Scroll Painters, and the documentary on Kalighat Paintings,” he posted.