An investigative film-maker who never shies away from addressing the social evils, Ghose started as a photo journalist but the passion for cinema kept him restless. Borrowing a 35mm camera from his mentor, he went on to make documentaries that soon established his acumen as a film-maker. Ghose believes in making a connect and never work from armchair. In his own words, Ghose passionately remarks, “You have to go and meet people to understand them – distance and observation don’t pay, Even now, our rural poor or those who live on the fringes are not seen in the media unless there is a natural disaster or a carnage.” Paar (1984) proved to be a milestone; Nobel laureate German writer Gunter Grass was so touched by the movie that ‘the silent triumph on the faces of the characters when they complete their ordeal and realise that every one of the pigs has made it.’
A well-travelled intellectual, Ghose is candid about his thoughts. Commenting at a festival that he was attending as a guest, he said, “You think this festival will become a movement? Impossible! The reason is that India is a heterogeneous country. Every State has its own language and culture. A movement takes shape when everyone thinks alike. And this diversity is our recognition. See, they advertise ‘Incredible India’ and we choose to ignore it. It is actually incredible. I was in Mexico recently; I was surprised to see that it has changed so much. Spanish culture is dominant there because Spain ruled them for 200 years. The British ruled us for so long and yet couldn’t destroy our culture. That’s what I love about India.” In recent times, Ghose has given some remarkable performances as an actor in Bengali cinema.