A suicide note addressed to his daughter in Sweden has been recovered from the terrace of a multi-storey building in Hindustan Park, south Kolkata, from where prominent Bengali filmmaker Anik Dutta jumped to his death on Wednesday, 27 May. Police confirmed the note contained no accusations, with the line 'No one is responsible for my death' written in the director's hand.

How the Incident Unfolded

CCTV footage confirmed the incident occurred between 1:05 pm and 1:10 pm. According to police and eyewitnesses, Dutta visited the flat of his former wife, Sandhi Dutta, in the Hindustan Park building before making his way to the terrace. He was found critically injured and rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead shortly after admission.

The suicide note was discovered inside an envelope placed within a copy of a magazine called Choreographic Art, left on the terrace. The director's own residence was at Dover Lane in south Kolkata. His body has since been transferred to SSKM Hospital for an autopsy, which is scheduled for Thursday morning, as the time for the procedure had passed on Wednesday.

Last Rites Scheduled for Thursday

BJP MLA Rudranil Ghosh confirmed the funeral arrangements, stating that Dutta's daughter, Aishee, is expected to return from abroad on Thursday afternoon. According to Ghosh, Aishee will first review her father's documents before the body is taken to Nandan — the state film centre — by 4 pm, where it will lie in state for a period. The body will subsequently be taken to Keoratala crematorium for the final rites.

West Bengal's Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has reportedly ordered that the last rites of the director be conducted with due honour. Adhikari is also likely to attend the funeral, according to reports.

Political and Cultural Figures Pay Tribute

News of Dutta's death drew prominent figures from across the political spectrum to the hospital. Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leader Mohammad Salim and BJP MLA Rudranil Ghosh were among those who arrived. The family has not filed any complaint, though police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation. A police team and forensic experts have visited the director's residence in the Hindustan Park area.

Ghosh paid personal tribute, saying: 'Anik Dutta's sense of humour was incredible. In fact, I think he will remain in a place of honour forever. Anikda actually lived on his own terms. Not only did I enjoy chatting with him, but I also enjoyed arguing with him. The last time we met was a few days ago at the premiere of a film.'

A Filmmaker of Rare Distinction

Anik Dutta was the grandson of Narendra Chandra Dutta, the founder of United Bank of India. He made his directorial debut in 2012 with Bhooter Bhabishyat, a film that became both a critical and commercial landmark in Bengali cinema. His subsequent works — Aschorjo Prodip (2013), Meghnadbad Rahasya (2017), Borunbabur Bondhu (2020), and Aparajito (2022) — cemented his reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Bengali filmmaking.

His final directorial project, Joto Kando Kolkatatei (2025), featured actors Abir Chatterjee, Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, and Dulal Lahiri. An outspoken filmmaker with left-leaning politics, Dutta was an ardent admirer of Satyajit Ray and was known for his vocal opposition to the West Bengal government. In 2019, his film Bhobishyoter Bhoot was prevented from being screened in theatres, reportedly due to its political content. The autopsy and ongoing police investigation are expected to provide a fuller picture in the coming days.