Filmmakers Discuss the Shifting Identity of Bengali Cinema

Filmmakers Ashish Avikunthak, Indrasis Acharya, and Ishaan Ghose have raised questions about whether Bengali cinema is losing its rootedness and failing to capture the full scope of Bengal. They point out that Kolkata frequently stands in for the entire region, while familiar genres overshadow diverse lived experiences.

Ishaan Ghose spent time observing the workers and children at Dhapa, Kolkata's largest landfill, noting that this world existed invisibly just a few kilometers away from the cultural hub. His cinematic work includes films such as Jhilli and Morichika.

Ashish Avikunthak avoids standard cinematic imagery and storytelling conventions by utilizing long takes, ancient rituals, and formal Bengali to address civilisational questions. He argues that the simplification of the Bengali language over the past century has led to a loss of its original depth and rootedness.