He does not have any formal training in filmmaking.

But Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh was always inclined towards filmmaking. His father, Sunil Kumar Ghosh, was a documentary filmmaker. That is why Ghosh says, "I have seen films made at home!"

Winner of many National Awards, Ghosh was recently felicitated by the Bimal Roy Memorial Committee for his contribution to Indian cinema.

Ronjita Das caught up with him on his brief visit to Bombay, at the Sea Rock Hotel.

You have been felicitated for your contribution to cinema. How does it feel?

Very nice! It is always a precious feeling to be recognised for your work. Especially for Bariwali. The film is in keeping with the Bengali ethos.

But when people outside Bengal appreciate it, it ceases to become regional. That feels very good.

What made you choose Kiron Kher for Bariwali, ?

Initially, I had Rakhee in mind for the film. But then I happened to speak to Jaya Bachchan about the film. And she suggested Kiron Kher.

When I asked Kiron Kher, she was very keen to do the film. In fact, I had approached the National Films Development Corporation (NFDC) to finance my film, and it didn't work out. Kiron was so keen to work in the film that she got her husband, Anupam Kher, to produce it.

Kiran didn't know Bengali...

Actually, it took her a year to learn Bengali. I also sent her some audio cassettes for her to work on her diction.

What was it like working with her?

Excellent! She is very emotionally intelligent and sensitive. After some time, she was like my alter ego! I didn't have to express myself. She knew what I wanted without me having to tell her. It was almost like she could read my mind.

Her role was not a very glamorous one. It was one that required no make-up; there was no need for her elegant clothes, and there was no scope at all to flaunt her beautiful hair. Initially, it might have been discouraging for her, but she got over it gracefully.

She is fine actress to work with. She always had her sense of individualism. But at the same time, she was very attentive. Submissive, yet independent. That is a very rare combination. She also has a keen eye for details and nuances.

Most of your films are based on relationships. For example, the mother-daughter relationship is explored in Unishe April, while in Asookh, it is the father-daughter relationship. And Dahan, is about female bonding. Why do you concentrate so much on relationships?

Relationships fascinate me. Frankly, I can't dissect my art. That's left for the critics. I can only make my art.

I was born in a middle class family, so naturally, relationships played a very important part of my life. Even today, relationships are essential to me. So it (exploring relationships) comes easily to me -- it's not a concerted, laborious effort on my part.

Most of your films revolve around women...

It's just that I feel I understand the inner feelings of women, their passion, agony and suffering.

Do you think a male director is more capable of exploring a female psyche than a female director?

No, I don't. I don't believe in gender discrimination between artistes. I believe in the art of androgynous, which includes the male and female opinion.

You were in the advertising world before you became a director. How then did your first film, Hirer Agnti come about?

Well, I used to interact with Shabana Azmi a lot. I wanted to do a film with her, but she couldn't. However, she heard the script, and she offered finance and assistance from the Children's Film Society of India, of which she was the chairman. Obviously, she saw some potential in me.

How much weightage do you give music in your films?

Unlike Satyajit Ray, I'm quite non-musical. I use music only when it speaks for itself. I'm very miserly when it comes to songs. Out of the six films that I've done, only three films have songs in them. And these three films have only one song each.

I use songs as part of the ambience. The effect is like a song heard from a distant loudspeaker, so you can hear only strains of it. Also, it might be totally contrary to what is actually happening in the scene.

Whom do you derive inspiration from?

Satyajit Ray. It was after seeing his films that I thought of filmmaking myself. I was only 13 years old when television came to Calcutta. In those days, going to a cinema hall to watch movies was considered taboo. So with the television, I was suddenly exposed to a whole new range of films. I guess that worked on me subconsciously.

A huge number of Bengali intelligentsia looks upto Rabindranath Tagore. I am no exception. He was way ahead of his times. That's why Tagore is pertinent today.

Have you ever considered making Hindi films?

Well, I won't say that I haven't. But my paucity of knowledge where Hindi cinema is concerned deters me.

But if you did make one, what subject would you choose?

I would stick to relationships.

Looking back, is there any film you feel you could have made better?

Well, I think that in my first film, I paid too much importance to the beauty of the shot. I should have paid more attention to the actors. Since I was fresh from the ad world, I was used to concentrating on the surroundings. In ad films, if you notice, actors are not given that much importance as the surroundings.

Then, I feel there were flaws in casting, clothes, lights and so much more. If you ask me to edit all my six films and present them in a capsule, I'll be able to give you only 20 minutes!

Which is the film you are most satisfied with?

I have two favourites. Bariwali and Asookh.

What are your future projects?

I'm working on a film called Chokher Bali, based on a book by Tagore. The film stars Nandita Das, Raina Sen and Rajiv Banerjee. This film is also about relationships. It's due for release this winter.