Veteran director Partho Ghosh, the cinematic voice behind intense thrillers like 100 Days, Agni Sakshi, and Ghulam-E-Musthafa, has passed away at 75 following a cardiac arrest at his Mumbai home on June 9, 2025 — a day after his birthday. His death marks the end of an era for Bollywood’s golden age of emotionally-driven, hard-hitting cinema.
Born in Kolkata, Ghosh exploded onto the scene with 100 Days (1991), a cult psychological thriller that still holds up decades later. But it was Agni Sakshi (1996), a visceral portrait of domestic abuse featuring Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, and a haunting Nana Patekar, that cemented his legacy. The film didn’t just win hearts — it won National Awards.
Then came Ghulam-E-Musthafa, a gut-wrenching gangster drama that balanced brutal action with soul-shaking emotional depth. Ghosh had a gift — he made violence feel human, and heroes look flawed.
Actress Rituparna Sengupta, whom he introduced to Hindi films, remembered him as “an exceptional talent, a visionary director, and a kind soul.” Ghosh’s later years were filled with TV work and early development on sequels to his iconic films — now forever unrealized.
As an artist who delivered layered narratives before Bollywood began chasing spectacles, Ghosh leaves behind a legacy that deserves to be remembered — not just for the hits, but for the empathy and rawness he brought to the big screen.
