A River Called Titus

Based on the 1956 Bengali classic novel of the same name by Adwaita Mallabarman, renowned Bengali auteur Ritwik Ghatak’s hauntingly beautiful, elegiac saga is set in pre-independence India and follows the tumultuous lives of the Malo fishing community along the banks of the Titas River in pre-Partition East Bengal (Now Bangladesh). Focusing on the tragic intertwining fates of a series of fascinating characters, in particular, the indomitable widow Basanti (Rosy Samad/Afsary), Ghatak tells the poignant story of an entire community’s vanishing way of life and culture.

Made in 1973, two years after Bangladesh’s independence, A River Called Titas remains a deeply relevant cinematic gem from a master filmmaker who was described by Satyajit Ray as, “one of the few truly original talents in Indian cinema.”

The screening will be preceded by a pre-recorded introduction by guest curator Anupma Shanker.

Screening as part of our SAHM film season