When you make a telling commentary on contemporary issues, the setting need to be a reprieve to make the cinema palatable to a wider audience. That’s why I feel Gautam Ghose while making a statement of the times during the neo-normal post pandemic takes his protagonist to the beautiful location of Purulia to escape the dreariness of their mundane existence in the City of Joy. Most of us have seen pictures of the majestic blossoms in Purulia on the net a few months back, and GG’s camera captures the earthy charm of the place lovingly. The photography in the films of GG is peerless, and time and again, his photography has mesmerized us in films like Padma Nadir Majhi, Moner Manush, Antarjali Jatra, or Somoyer Sritimala. The other strong feature in a GG film is the poignant use of dialogues that leave a lasting impression. Sample this.
Stop Watching TV.
You’ll go crazy.
The World is sick.
Haywire times.
Listen to some good music, watch films.
When the protagonists in Somoyer Sritimala exchange these dialogues upon watching grim pictures of the migrants journey back home during the pandemic, we feel GG cautioning us of the perils of watching too much of electronic media filled with horrifying images. This, prophet like commentary, is a reflection of the dip we have undergone as a society.
The protagonists are a couple, a poet cum writer on social issues, and his wife, a school teacher. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the psyche of the teacher. She is seen taking online classes, and to fight her blues, she turns to nature to soothe herself. The husband who pens topical pieces of contemporary relevance receives threats for doing his job. The 35 minute short film is presented by Royal Stag Barrel Large Short Films, and directed by Gautam Ghose. It features Suman Mukhopadhyay, and Gargi Roy Choudhury in the central roles. Unlike some films of GG with a pessimistic ending (Shunya Awnka), this film ends on a positive note, calling urban crusaders to be bold and face the bullies and the corrupt to be able to bring about a transformative change. Gargi has sung two Rabindrasangeet numbers for the film upon insistence by GG, the first in her career.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Talking about cinema 