Rituparno Ghosh- Trailblazer of new wave Bengali cinema

Credited for ushering in a new wave in Bengali cinema by his trailblazing films like 'Unishe April' and 'Dahan', director-turned-actor Rituparno Ghosh was known for glorifying women besides exploring the touchy subject of same sex relationships.
As someone who had a different take on sexuality, life, filmmaking and equally adaptive to the trends and changes of contemporary filmmakers, Ghosh blazed the turf of Bengali film industry with his works.
Ghosh played an important role in the revival of the film industry post the nineties with his arty and sensitive films like 'Unishe April', 'Dahan', 'Chokher Bali', which were not essentially melodramatic.

A self-confessed Satyajit Ray fan, Ghosh's films glorified women, their inner feelings, passion and sufferings. The filmmaker also explored same sex relationship in his last release 'Chitrangada'.
Fondly known as Ritu da, Ghosh was never apologetic about his cross-dressing or his sexuality and in Kaushik Ganguly's 'Arekti Premer Galpo' and Sanjoy Nag's 'Memories in March', he played pivotal gay roles.
Born on August 31, 1963, Ghosh grew up in Kolkata. His father was a documentary filmmaker and so he was exposed to the world of art and cinema right from childhood. He started his career as a creative artist in an advertising agency, and later shifted to films. He made his directional debut in 1994 with children's film 'Hirer Angti'.

His second film 'Unishe April' starring Aparna Sen and Debashree Roy won him his first of the 12 National Film Award.