A compilation of screenplays of Rituparno Ghosh's films and some unpublished essays by the filmmaker will be released by Jadavpur University Press to mark Ghosh's 60th birth anniversary next year. The book Rituparno Ghosh: Archives of a Modern Master (working title) will be published in mid to late 2023, Jadavpur University Press (JUP) has announced.
It will include English translations of several of his screenplays like Chokher Bali (2003), The Last Lear (2007) and Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish (2012). The book will also contain some unpublished essays by Ghosh. A bunch of movie stills will add to the book's visual appeal.
Aishwarya Rai and Raima Sen in a still from Rituparno Ghosh's 'Chokher Bali' SOURCE: JU Press Twitter
“The Jadavpur University Press (JUP) recognises the cultural need to create an easily accessible, adequately annotated and credible archive of Ghosh’s screenplays and associated paraphernalia for both practitioners and scholars of cinema to draw upon for posterity. These screenplays also showcase the technical brilliance of Ghosh’s writing and dialogue, a quality that is often overlooked in the shadow of his politics and persona as a director. It is also fitting that the JUP publishes the screenplays of the iconic alumnus of Jadavpur University," said Arunava Banerjee, publicist, Jadavpur University Press.
Ghosh's unpublished screenplays such as Guru, Princely Imposter and a concept note for Kabuliwala Today will also find place in the book. The Bengali screenplays have been translated into English by Anjana Basu, long-time associate of Ghosh.
Rituparno Ghosh at work Jadavpur University Press/Twitter
“I worked with Rituparno Ghosh from the beginning of his career. We had been friends since his advertising days. While he helped me brush up my Bengali, I did the same with his English. We had a long collaboration that continued till his untimely death in 2013. I have worked with many of his contemporaries and successors since but nothing matches the intensity of the camaraderie I shared with him," Basu said. She is an author who has translated several books and also worked as an advertising consultant in Kolkata.The book celebrates the life and works of the National Award winner and promises to be a collectible document for filmmakers, film students, scholars and others.Pre-orders for the book will be opened next year. One can check the Jadavpur University Press social media handles for more details.
