In Bengali filmmaker Anik Dutta's alleged suicide note, a message for daughter

National Award-winning Bengali filmmaker Anik Dutta, who allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday, reportedly left behind a handwritten note addressed to his daughter, Oishi. News agency PTI reported, citing police, that the note said nobody was responsible for his death. Investigators are now verifying the handwriting and examining all aspects linked to the filmmaker’s death.

Police sources said the note was reportedly found inside a white envelope placed in a magazine titled Cinematography Art. The document was allegedly recovered from the rooftop of Dutta’s former wife’s residence in Kolkata, though officials are yet to issue a final statement on its authenticity.

Note sent for forensic examination

Police have reportedly sent the handwritten note for forensic examination to determine whether the handwriting matches that of the filmmaker. Investigators are continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the death, and the note is being treated as an important part of that process.

The filmmaker reportedly died on May 27 after falling from the terrace of a south Kolkata residence. He sustained critical injuries in the fall and was taken to a private hospital near Dhakuria, where doctors later declared him dead.

Anik Dutta was 66. He is survived by his wife and daughter. His sudden death has shocked Bengali cinema audiences, particularly because he was still actively working on films at the time.

Concerns about his latest release

Reports said Dutta had recently expressed fears that his latest release could end up being his final film. At the time of his death, he was reportedly working on Aparajito 2. His last directorial project was Joto Kando Kolkatatei, featuring Abir Chatterjee, Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed and Dulal Lahiri. The film was released in September last year.

Anik Dutta became one of the most recognised names in Bengali cinema after directing Bhooter Bhabishyat in 2012. The film starred Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Swastika Mukherjee, Mir Afsar Ali and Saswata Chatterjee, and drew praise for blending horror, satire and political commentary in a fresh way.

Many viewers continue to regard Bhooter Bhabishyat as one of the most important Bengali films of the decade. Dutta later directed Ashchorjyo Prodeep before gaining wider national attention with Aparajito, starring Jeetu Kamal.