SERVICES Best Jobs Send Flowers Hotel Deals

TOLLYGUNGE

SNIPPETS

oha Ali Khan, the budding actress of Bengali films and daughter of Sharmila Tagore notches up some fame for her acting in a couple of Bengali films like Iti Srikanto (an extremely convoluted film) and Antarmahal, directed by Anjan Das and Rituparna Ghosh respectively. Antarmahal is Rituparno Ghosh’s most controversial film in the sense he has taken wild-cat liberty to employ ‘sex scenes’ in the film to a primary motivation of the director. A tender-foot like Soha Ali Khan has not had much say in her role as it has been shaped up in an image of thick sex symbols, an object of flesh consumption. And contrary to the demand of the story written by the eminent Tarashankar Bandopadhyay that explores the status of women during regimes of feudal lords in the seventh century.

One day Mrinal Sen, while talking to this critic over the phone, disclosed that Sharmila Tagore phoned him to get his opinion if it would be befitting for Soha to act in a Bengali film to be directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Mrinalda did not know much about the film and how Rituparno would tackle his new film with a new face like Soha. Since Mrinalda’s opinion was deemed very important by Sharmila, he advised her to allow Soha to act in the film, saying “Rituparno is an actor’s director and you can allow her to act in his film.” But when Soha was doing the role of the wife of Jackie Shroff, as her possessive husband, stuck only in sexual frenzy, she had no idea how the film would turn out. And since the film is now running in commercial circuits, Soha could only say, “It is an experimental role of a woman/ wife forced to relive a life which is not her own. It is the exploitation that women in the 17th century in Bengal had to suffer being an object of carnal satisfaction.”

According to the actor, her character is ‘broken and very weak’ and lacks her own identity. Said she, “Doing the role was hard because it’s alien from your life and you really need to be sensitive.” The local press, after its release, has panned the film heavily for its mythical sexual exposure of women and its tacky content; sleazy scenes of sex, crude depiction of sexual text and its implausible interpretation. And Soha has been sadistically used to portray a kind of sex scenes unprecedented in Bengali films. Though Soha had tried to mellow down the ‘extreme sleaze’ saying ‘it’s not tantalising at all’.

Aparna Sen to make her maiden Hindi film
Aparna Sen, the mercurial director of many hues, is to make her next film in Hindi. Her long-mothballed project Goynar Baksho (Jewellery Box) has been revived after a long time gap and she has expressed her willingness to treat it as ‘three-generation-story’ film. Her latest film 15, Park Avenue, shown in the just concluded London Film Festival, is based on ‘mentally retarded’ sister and her interaction with others in the family and surroundings she confronts everyday. Her third English film 15, Park Avenue seems to have triggered off high hopes among her admirers as she has tackled a daring subject like ‘mentally retarded’ and her small universe. The film has been made in the wake of huge success of Mr. & Mrs Iyer, a film exposing fury of Hindu/ Muslim fundamentalism, now ripping through India.

The new film Goynar Baksho deals with a tale of three women of three generations in a middle-class family and their bizarre social existence and conflicts, often rattling the balance. The film, it is gathered, will be made in comedy form. Says Aparna Sen, “I had planned to make this film several times in the past and this time I hope everything will work out fine.” The film took a long time to take off as there was a glitch between the author and the earlier producer Jhamu Sugandh of Mumbai who has already produced a number of Bengali films. It is interesting to note Govinda, the current congress MP and an actor of many hit Hindi films, has been roped in to play the role of Konkona Sensharma’s husband. She is playing Somlata. Paresh Rawal has also been chosen to act in the film which will also feature Sharmila Tagore and her daughter Soha Ali Khan. According to the director, Soha is playing a double role in the film. This is the first time Aparna Sen has marshalled a band of famous artistes of many-coloured talents in her film. It is being produced by Bipin Vohra, instrumental for producing 15, Park Avenue.

According to the director she scouted the story of Goynar Baksho way back in 1992. The story is said to have magic realism in it. And that is why she was first drawn to the subject. Says she, “It shows the changing position of women in our society through three generations vis-a-vis the changing attitude of women.” Her artistic development, this critic feels, is nearly shaped like a kind of spiral that repeats similar movements in cyclical phases, yet each time at a different level.

Bengali film industry yet to be recognised as industry
Despite glib utterances and a fuzzy central law declared by Sushma Swaraj during her ministership to deem ‘cinema as an industry’, the Bengali film industry is in deep water, not empowered to enjoy ‘benefits’ that an industry does in reality. Eastern Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA), the apex body of the film industry, is faced with a heavy crises as it had failed to provide ’benefits’ to be enjoyed under ‘industry status’. The exhibitors, in particular, have a reason to grumble as they don’t get ‘electricity/power’ at the industry rate, making it pay through their nose. It is often complained electricity/power cost is so high, it is well nigh impossible for them to meet other urgent needs, including the pay of the cine workers. FICCI and CII, despite their yearly meetings with the Bengali Chief Minister, simply have failed to solve the irritating problem, affecting the Bengali film industry for many years.