Sasidharan recollects Bergman as looking very frail at the function. “But he was in high spirits and also made a brief speech. Later he mingled with us and I had the privilege of meeting him up close and telling him how the NFAI Pune has a large cache of his classics,” adds Sasidharan.

As the news of Bergman’s death spread, the Archives in Pune has been inundated with calls from film societies across the country asking for his films. “We have 21 of his films and are ourselves going to hold a retrospective of his work in tribute to the great director this weekend,” says Sasidharan who has already chosen five of his classics—Seventh Seal, Summer Interlude, Virgin Spring, Scenes from a Marriage and Saraband—for screening at the NFAI auditorium.

Across the road from NFAI, the news of Bergman’s death resulted in a somber atmosphere at the Film and Television Training Institute of India (FTII), where every film student, irrespective of the course opted for, pores over the works of the master director. “He was a powerful director whom we have looked at very carefully here. His work had a kind of seriousness and an adult approach,” commented Suresh Chabbria, professor of film appreciation at the FTII.

According to Chabbria what made Bergman stand out was that unlike other great directors who tried to be universal in their approach, he narrowed his subjects for a more discerning and psychologically richer audience. “He was one of the first filmmakers of his time who openly touched ‘adult’ subjects like psychological problems and sexuality. He will be sorely missed,” adds Chabbria.

... contd.