The professional basis of their first meeting soon becomes an open exchange of ideas, with the promise of growth for both women, in two different ways. Malini is engaged to Rajat (Ferdaus), the scion of an extremely wealthy family, who writes the text for her photographic stories. The relationship enters into a crisis when Malini becomes pregnant and refuses to abort the baby. The pressure on Malini begins to build up, but she does not bend. The climactic twist is so predictable that it reduces the powerful bonding between Urmila and Malini to sheer melodrama.
Technical Expertise
Inspite of a powerful storyline, Aainaate begins to collapse after a point because of a weak script rendered weaker with needless song sequences, superfluous scenes of intimacy and an unimpressive musical score. Malini’s character does not jell with song-and-dance numbers. Nor does it go with a man like Rajat who does not bother to write the text for Malini’s story on Urmila. The script is scattered with contradictions in the film’s ideological stance. A film that, in the director’s own words, “is based on social injustice committed against women over the years” should not have been anti-abortion. If this to show Malini exercising her independent choice, the film would have been different. But Aainaate keeps harping on motherhood as the ultimate for any woman that rules out abortion. Urmila’s two-faced character stands out like a sore thumb in this supposedly pro-woman film.
Duulal Dey’s handling of the many shades within the Urmila-Malini relationship is excellent. Soumitra Chatterjee as Rati’s sarcastic husband does a wonderful cameo with his double-entendre lines. Dipankar Dey is a pleasant surprise as the subtle and diabolic villain. Ferdaus tries his best but his looks and bizarre hairstyle spoil it all. Rati Agnihotri has put in her best into a character she has never played before. Rituparna has done excellent research for Malini, with a deep tan to signify the extensive field work she has to do as photo-journalist, her casual approach to the way she looks and dresses and the manner in which she handles the finer nuances of facial expression. One sore point is a man pointing out to the editor how the TRPs of the publication will soar with Malini’s story on Urmila! ‘TRP’ for a print media publication? Give us a break Mr. Dey. The dead bodies in the film look everything but ‘dead’ including the string of bodies in the opening scenes.
The sound of the camera clicking away like a concrete metaphor right through the film lives up to the title - Aainaate -, which means ‘in the mirror’, the camera is reflecting the image but not necessarily the story that lies behind the image. It tellingly fails to capture the image when Malini tries to photograph Urmila as her true, two-faced self.
Verdict
Aainaate deserves one star for Rituparna’s and Rati’s acting, one star of the story and one for the cinematography.
