Review>>>

Utsav
Rituparno at his best
Recently a premiere show was held to review Rituparno Ghosh’s new film Utsav before its commercial release at Nandan 111. The screening of Utsav had made its rounds at different cities of USA such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houstan, New York and Atlanta. This was made possible by a group of enterprising Indian producers under the banner of Cinemawallah who first unveiled the curtain by screening Rituparno Ghosh’s two earlier films Unishey April and Dahan in 1999.

Bengalis who had settled in the USA in the 60’s nostalgically recall the films of directors such as Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar and yesteryear stars Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Soumitra Chatterjee and Madhabhi Mukherjee. Being away from India for decades, they had no idea of the evolution of the Bengali cinema as it stands today. Therefore, Rituparno Ghosh’s film took both Bengalis and Indians by storm, according to reports.
The film’s screenings were followed by lively interactions with both the leading stars Prasenjit, Rituparna Sengupta and director Rituparno Ghosh with the audience, after the enthusiastic crowd and overwhelming response was simply astounding.

Be that as it may, to this critic Utsav (Festival) perhaps sees the director (who has also written the story and screenplay) Rituparno Ghosh at his best, as compared to his earlier three films Unishey April, Dahan and Ashukh.
Utsav follows a narrative structure shot entirely within the precincts of a feudal, palatial building where the traditional Durga puja (Utsav) has been taking place for the past 150 years. Against this backdrop, instead of renewing ties, it becomes the perfect ploy for a joint Bengali family, now scattered in Calcutta to settle old scores, creating much tension during the festive occasion. The dialogue interactions could have been more slow paced punctuated by lapses of silence. But the camera work is slick and creates the ambience what words can’t convey.

Joy (Ratul Ghosh), perhaps the youngest member of this joint family, comes from the USA to make a video film of the traditional Durga puja and how it is celebrated at home to satiate the curiosity of the East for those who live abroad. The aged mother (Madhabhi Chakravorty) who lives alone, is apprised of the fact that there is a buyer interested to purchase the entire property.
What is more is that the person who is interested in buying off the property is a relative who was turned out of the house as he was not economically sound, which hurts the sentiments of Mamata Shankar, his wife who breaks down hysterically at the very mention of him. In fact much of the footage of the film gains mileage by this incident alone, letting loose a volley of tensions that intertwines itself into the dialogues, thus providing much narrow for the interpersonal relationship of members of the family to gain new ground.

When all is said and done, Joy sends a copy of the video print capturing moments of the autumnal festival and some of the human angle contributing a fulfiling, enrichening experience along with its positive and negative aspects. For example, it reunites an unhappy, newly wed couple (played by Prasenjit and Rituparna Sengupta) who along with the old mother watch the video projection while trying to reconcile the present with the past.

References to Satyajit Ray and Aparna Sen during the narration could have been avoided and Deepankar De’s presence as the relative, keen on buying the ancestral house was unnecessary. Nevertheless, Utsav also symbolises the preservation of a culture and ritual in the face of all odds and trying circumstances.

Theatre>>>

Theatre inducts Tollywood stars
Both the jatra and theatre have in the past, inducted Tollywood stars to stimulate public interest for box-office dividends. Names such as Soumitra Chatterjee, Sandhya Roy, Madhabhi Mukerjee and Sabitri Chatterjee have honoured the Bengali theatre with their presence.

On December 9, in the newly renovated auditorium of Sujata Sadan, this reviewer was invited to witness a Bengali play presented by Niva Arts.
Joar Bhata (Low tide High tide) is based on the concept and story of Samar Mitra and directed by Ashoke Chatterjee. The casting has been illuminated again by Tollywood stars in the shape of Shakuntala Barua, Sunil Mukherjee and Gyanesh Mukherjee who are slotted mostly in character roles.

As the title of the play Joar Bhata suggests, there are high and low tides in the affairs of men as Shakespeare would have us believe. In the backdrop of the traditional Durga puja, a time of the year looked forward to in most joint families, becomes the perfect ploy to explore the emotional highs and lows of human interactions and conduct. The dramatic possibilities comes across by a fairly even performance by most members of the cast. Only the duration could have been slightly less lengthy.

The homely ambience has been competently captured though, some excesses in melodrama is uneschewable as it forms an integral part of the theme. Sunil Mukherjee’s comic antics on stage injects lighter moments while Shakuntala Barua’s Mejo bou invests the character with qualities of the humane and all endearing wife and daughter-in-law.

Gyanesh Mukherjee’s Father Geoffrey appears comfortable in his role as the Jesuit despite the qualm of losing the clinic’s matron played by Madhuri Chatterji, the kidnapped mother of a long lost husband and son. Adept use of stage effects have been made in suggesting, a jeep, a plane flying overhead and the lazer lighting to embody the presence of the are some power of Goddess Shakti.

Anit Mukerjea