Ritwik Ghatak (1925–1976) was one of the most distinctive and influential filmmakers of Bengali cinema and an important figure of Indian parallel cinema. Born in Dhaka, he moved to Kolkata after the Partition of India, an experience that profoundly influenced his artistic vision. His films frequently portrayed the pain of displacement, broken families, lost homes and the emotional consequences of Partition. Ghatak began his filmmaking career with Nagarik, although the film was released only after his death. His celebrated films include Ajantrik, Meghe Dhaka Tara, Komal Gandhar and Subarnarekha. He combined powerful storytelling with innovative editing, music, sound and visual symbolism. His cinema often drew upon Bengali theatre, folk traditions and classical cultural forms. Meghe Dhaka Tara remains one of the most recognised works of Bengali cinema and is noted for its portrayal of a displaced refugee family. Although his films did not always receive wide commercial success during his lifetime, his influence on later Indian filmmakers and film scholars became substantial. Ritwik Ghatak is remembered today as a visionary filmmaker whose work gave a powerful cinematic expression to the wounds and memories of a divided Bengal.