Pankaj Saha’s education began in a pathshala. Just like Apu in Pather Panchali, Pankaj used to carry with him to school his slate, books and mat (asana or a carpet to spread on the ground) to school.
Gurumashai used to sell coal while teaching his students. The school used to get over when the afternoon four o’clock train passed by the pathshala and Pankaj, with the other children, came out shouting joyously at the closure of the school.
On the days Pankaj did not want to attend school, Gurumashai would himself bring his loaded Bullock cart to the doorstep and lift up little Pankaj in his lap. Pankaj, smeared with coal dust was compelled to go to school. His favourite classmate in pathshala – Reba ‐ fair and very beautiful, had told him with anger and pride ‐ why did you secure the first position? I would have stood first otherwise!
In Class Three Pankaj got admission to the famous Bankura Zilla School and has cherished excellent memories of the school throughout his life.
Pankaj’s father, on account of his government service, got transferred to different districts. Hence Pankaj experienced a flavour of village and suburban life in his childhood. Due to his father’s transferable service, he had the opportunity of studying in Danton High School in Medinipur district at the border of Odisha and also in M.N Academy of Lalgola, in Murshidabad district, founded by the rajah.At that point his grandfather’s residence was in Lalgola.
At the centenary of Lalgola School, the school authorities had requested Pankaj for a write up on the memories of his school days, as an alumnus of the institution. Pankaj had sent his write up for the school memoir. However, on the day of the programme, the Government of West Bengal decided to confer upon him a Lifetime Achievement Award and unfortunately, he was unable to attend the centenary celebration of Lalgola School.
When he was promoted to class seven, he came to Kolkata with his family and got admission to the good old Barisha High School, in the outskirts of Kolkata. One of the teachers who once served this institution was Kabishekhar Kalidas Roy. Pankaj had the privilege of studying under many noble teachers. One of the notable alumni of Barisha High School was Shantipriya Chattopadhyay, who in 1939 secured the first position in Matric Examination held in the entirety of India and Burma.
Pankaj attended the centenary programme of Barisha High School holding his father’s hand and during the one fiftieth anniversary of the school, the school authorities felicitated Pankaj as an alumnus of the school. At that time, Pankaj was working as the director of Kolkata Doordarshan. Last of all he got admission to Jadavpur High School. At that point in time schools like South Point, Patha bhavan, Jadavpur Vidyapith had not been established. Hence, Jadavpur High School was a famous school and was under the charge of Jadavpur University.
The majority of the students in this school were children of the professors of Jadavpur University. The playground of this school was the same playground as of Jadavpur University. The president of the school’s managing committee was the legendary professor of Jadavpur University Dr H L Roy and the secretary was Hemchandra Guha, the vice chancellor of Jadavpur University. Pankaj was the founder secretary of the school’s student union.
He was the editor of the school’s Wall magazine as well as the editor of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth centenary edition of the school magazine. The president of the school magazine was the very learned bengali teacher of Pankaj, Aditya Kumar Chattopadhyay. After the Higher Secondary Exam results were announced, Pankaj’s teacher Aditya Kumar Chattopadhyay had himself visited Pankaj’s residence to pursue him to study Bengali literature. The elders however had advised Pankaj against it and had explained to him that securing a job would be difficult after completing a course in Bengali literature. So, Pankaj would escape through the rear door in order to avoid facing his Bangali teacher. This was an action he regretted later in life. Pankaj initially was a student in the science section but his interest in journalism made him shift to humanities. After passing the Higher Secondary Exam from this school, he joined Jadavpur University at the advice of his father Manindranath Saha with Political Science and International Relations. The influence of Jadavpur University transformed his life. Simultaneously, through a distant education programme, Pankaj completed a course in bengali language and literature under Visva Bharati and received the title of ‘Adyatirtha’ and ‘Madhyatirtha’. As the first batch of student of Pune Film and Television Institute of television faculty, he completed his course of programme direction and production with great success.
Pankaj Saha studied film studies in London University. He did his research from London School of Economics and Political Science under the renowned professor Dr. Tom Nositor. Pankaj Saha also taught Asian poetry and Bengali language in Inner London Education Authority of London. In India he taught journalism and mass communication at Jadavpur University and Visva Bharati University as a guest professor. He gained the experience of teaching in the Bengali language and literature department of M.A classes in Lady Brabourne College as a guest professor.
