Ranjan Ghosh is happy with the recognition coming his way. He recently picked up an award for Ahaa Re at the 3rd Bengaluru Bengali Kannada Film Festival, 2019 — Best Director (Viewers’ Choice). The film was nominated in three categories. While the Best Debut Director (Viewers’ Choice) award went to Indraadip Das Gupta, Abir Chatterjee-starrer Ami Joy Chatterjee was declared as the Best Film (Viewers’ Choice). Held between June 19 and June 21, the festival was organised by Satyajit Ray Film Society Bengaluru, in association with the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and Federation of Film Societies of India (southern region).
“What made it really amazing was the presence of so many greats — Girish Kasaravalli, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Sandip Ray. Girishji said the next generation of filmmakers in Bengal should try to put Bengal back on the global map. It is these conversations that made the festival a great learning experience for me,” said Ranjan. The director said the film was shown to a packed house.
“There were more than 500 people and also those who sat on the stairs to catch the film. Also, there was a thunderous applause at the end,” he said.
The film’s lead, Rituparna Sengupta, was present at the festival and screamed her lungs out when the film won an award. “Even when we went back, she was in tears. I am thankful to her for many things.
This film wouldn’t have been possible without her involvement as the producer. She also said that I must start thinking of the sequel to Ahaa Re. I missed my team — Arfin, Amrita, Hari Nair and the rest — at the festival,” he added.
