Former Naxal leaders Sunday remembered film maker Mrinal Sen as a director who had the courage to speak the truth against state oppression and portray the Naxalite movement through his films.
The veteran film director passed away at his residence here on Sunday after a prolonged battle with age-related ailments, family sources said.
He was 95.
"He had the guts to speak the truth against state oppression. He was never afraid to speak the truth. His films portrayed the real picture of society and the political undercurrents," former Naxal leader, Ajijul Haque, told PTI.
"Later on when I met him on several occasions, I had spoken to him about his films," he added.
Another former Naxal leader and noted writer Santosh Rana told PTI, "His films had not only portrayed the tumultuous time of the 1970s but also helped in spreading the message against poverty, unemployment and rural distress."
Sen had brilliantly depicted the unrest among the masses and their aspirations that were not getting fulfilled in a nation, that had secured independence just a few decades back in 1947, he said further.
Ashim Chatterjee, a former Naxalite, too echoed the views of Rana and Haque.
Sen's trilogy-- "Interview", "Calcutta 71" and "Padatik"-- is considered to be a masterpiece for depicting the social and political upheaval in the Kolkata of the 1970s when the Naxalite movement was spreading in West Bengal.
Sen's overtly political films had earned him the reputation as a Left-leaning artist.
This was also the time of large-scale political unrest throughout the country, particularly in and around the then Calcutta.
In a career spanning for over six decades, Sen was one of the greatest ambassadors of parallel cinema, directing films in both Bengali and Hindi.
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