Reputed Bengali film director Anik Dutta on Wednesday afternoon died after falling off the terrace of his building at Hindustan Park in South Kolkata.
The 60-year-old allegedly arrived from his other house by car, and went straight to the terrace, from where he fell to his death.
He was taken to Manipal Hospital by his wife and house staff, where he was declared dead. He also left a suicide note on the terrace from where he fell, stating that “no one is responsible for my death”.
The police, however, are investigating all angles to rule out foul play. Dutta is survived by his wife and daughter.
Known for films such as Bhooteshwar Bhabishyat and Aschorjo Prodip, Dutta debuted in 2012 as a director. His last film was Joto Kanda Kolkatatei (2025).
He has won several awards, including the West Bengal Film Journalists Association Award for Best Director for Borun Babu Bondhu and Filmfare Awards East for the same film.
His work was often inspired by Satyajit Ray, whose works he admired. He also made the film Aparajito: The Undefeated, based on Ray’s classic film Pather Panchali.
Dutta was the grandson of Narendra Chandra Dutta—the founder of the United Bank of India—and was also known for having opposing views to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, due to his leftist-leaning ideology.
In fact, in 2019, Anik Dutta's film Bhobishyoter Bhoot was prevented from being screened in theatres.
The film director had also questioned the ubiquitous presence of Mamata’s cutout during the Kolkata International Festival at the Nandan Theatre.
