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With a weak storyline, A Death fails to impress

Published

7 years ago

on

With a weak storyline, A Death fails to impress

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Konkona Sensharma’s mediocre debut relies too much on cast; acting and music are its sole forte

By Sucheta Dasgupta

In the 19th century, ‘paschim’ (meaning west, but referring to northern and central Indian locations, and not to be confused with ‘paaschaatya’, meaning The Occident) was a common destination for the travelling Bengali. The well-heeled among community members would travel to Deoghar, Jasidih and Ghatshila (all in Jharkhand) for the curative ‘change of air’ (hawabadal) recommended by the family doctor, Varanasi and Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) for study and pilgrimage, and Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Bhopal and Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) to work for the British government. This was even as their less enlightened brethren in the heartlands continued to live by beliefs such as the one that dictated anyone walking nine kos (one kos is a little over three kilometres) away from his village should lose his caste. But the Renaissance had arrived and its message was spreading fast.

In 1933, Irishman Ernest Timothy McCluskie set up McCluskieganj near Ranchi, in the scenic backdrop of the Lohardaga Ghat hills and the Dugadugi river, as a mooluk (homeland) for Anglo-Indians. Just under 475 km from Kolkata, the town soon became a favourite getaway for Bengali holidaymakers who, along with Gujaratis, have traditionally been the most active in the domestic tourism scene. Set in the pre-liberalisation 1970s and depicting the lives of the Bengali jeunesse dorée, A Death in the Gunj is actor Konkona Sensharma’s first directorial venture and is based on a slice-of-life penned by her father, the writer Mukul Sharma. And from context to content, in so many ways, it is a Bengali film in English just as Shoojit Sircar’s Piku is a Bengali film in Hindi.

The film opens with a panoramic shot of the misty jungles of McCluskieganj with hill ranges on the horizon. The camera cuts to two men standing in front of the open boot of a car, discussing how best to fit “a body” inside it. Who died? What led to their demise? The entire story is told in retrospect.

It is about a family from Calcutta (as the West Bengal capital was then known) spending its winter holidays in the Gunj. The patriarch-in-making Nandu (Gulshan Devaiah) and sensitive Shutu, or Shyamal, played memorably by Vikrant Massey, are brothers travelling with Nandu’s controlling wife, Bonnie (Tilottama Shome), their whiny eight-year-old, Tani (Arya Sharma), and Bonnie’s sexy-minx Franco-Bengali friend, Mitali aka Mimi, also played masterfully by the talented Kalki Koechlin. The group arrives at the bungalow of Bonnie’s parents, the drinks-loving ex-serviceman OP Bakshi (Om Puri) and kind and down-to-earth Anupama (Tanuja). They are joined there by more friends—Australia-bound Brian (Jim Sarbh) and fun-loving and macho, if rakish, Vikram, who is of nawabi ancestry and is portrayed in a powerful performance by Ranvir Shorey.

Shutu, the pivot of the story, is a student with a secret. He is the quintessential ‘weakling’, emotional, intellectually gifted and an introvert who ends up becoming a pushover. His crisis is not an uncommon one among Bengali youth. He is struggling to cope with his father’s death and, predictably, studying science when he clearly enjoys languages more. In no few instances, he reminds the viewer of Michael Burke’s 2003 drama film, The Mudge Boy, wherein the titular character is played by a young Emile Hirsche. However, unlike him, Shutu is denied his moment of redemption, which arrives in a kabaddi game but is taken away from him in true-blue Bengali fashion by an overprotective mother figure. One can say his character study is at the heart of the film.

The other subject the film deals in is showing the audience how the Bengali other half lives. To that extent, it is also a mildly ironic look at their often-superficial, self-centred lives, where they are shown maniacally singing, dancing and playing games while the feeding and care of their pets are left to the household help. Mimi’s hedonism and bohemian ways form part of a familiar stereotype. It is perhaps the first time Koechlin plays a femme fatale with a decadent side to her; as usual, she is a treat for sore eyes.

There are many nostalgic period props—the blue Ambassador, the bellbottoms, the trunk call and rotary dial phones and the currency (the Anglo-Indian patisserie lady says, that will be nine rupees and four annas, please). There is humour—when Tani goes missing and her mother is worried for her safety, her tipsy and forgetful grandfather says, why are you people working yourselves up over nothing? Haridas is not to return; the tribals have found him and eaten him up by this time. Haridas, the tortoise, was a family pet who was forgotten on a trip and never returned home.

There are cultural references—the mutton, for instance, is cooked with potato, and Mimi cuts them too finely, not knowing it would make them melt into the gravy. The mahua and the madol of the Santhals may be familiar to many a Bengali, but will capture the imagination of north and south Indians. As will Sagar Desai’s eclectic choice of music—especially the traditional Santhali folk song—Toot gachhe bhoot nache. Otherwise, the film is held together by the superb acting of its strong cast—the veterans deliver what is promised and the younger lot does not disappoint. Sirsha Ray’s camerawork is moody and melancholic.

Nevertheless, the linear narrative of the film drags quite a bit in both the first and second halves. The ending is an anti-climax. The screenplay is superficial and the treatment sketchy and somewhat self-indulgent, with too many plot holes. It shies away from confronting the parenting, family and mental health issues it sets out to address.

The movie is marketed misleadingly as a mystery and a thriller; it is not speculative fiction either, as one newspaper has tried to claim. Because speculative fiction means the writer must create an entire parallel universe and a (fake) séance (“planchette?”), a song and the cinematic suggestion of someone having given up his ghost, literally, does not even an old-fashioned ghost story make.

Sensharma’s directorial venture is competently produced but lacks courage—and a well-told story. It ends up leaving the viewer a trifle underwhelmed.

At one point in the film, Koechlin’s Mimi wonders, what if Shutu had been a girl? What if Shutu had been a girl? Would the added pressure of misogyny have led her to ‘man up’, break free of her dilemmas and face up to her issues? Just to see for herself if she could stand up to society and follow through on her own psychological quest? Possibly satisfy it? It’s a moot point.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Book reviews

Walking On The Razor’s Edge: The path of the seeker

Published

4 months ago

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July 19, 2024

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The Power of Karma Yoga by Gopi Chandra Das (Jaico Books) is an attempt to unravel the mystique of the Bhagavad Gita in the contemporary context. Is Lord Krishna’s counsel to Arjuna still relevant in today’s time and social space ? How can the timeless teachings of Lord Krishna be adopted by people struggling to cope with the stresses and challenges of modern life? Is there a key teaching which can be easily adopted by stress-torn people? These and many more questions are answered by the author in his easy-to-read style.

The basic premise is that the stress is a function of identity; identity with ego or with role-playing. We all play roles in life: in the family, the office and in the social sphere. These roles demand close identification and exact their cost by way of fear, frustration and failures.

The way out is to ease one’s sense of identity with one’s temporal roles. At the metaphysical level, it means keeping oneself in a detached state from one’s ego. This requires sustained spiritual discipline, but automatically yields to mental distancing with mundane roles as well. No wonder the Katha Upanishad compares the spiritual path to a razor’s edge.

Lord Krishna sought to instil this detached perspective in Arjuna by underlining the perishable nature of the body and the transitory nature of the world. However, the key is to strike a balance between total detachment and total attachment. The golden mean is attained by letting go with discrimination. If we detach too much, it will become difficult to perform our duties; if we cling too much, the material will become a millstone. The idea is to be in the world and yet not be of it. As the Persian saint Abu Said said, “To buy and sell and yet never forget God.”

Detachment, however, doesn’t mean irresponsibility. On the contrary, it means working with utter responsibility; with a sense that the job at hand is a moment to glorify the divine. It is not only work for work’s sake; work is taken up as a tool for self-realization. This is more deeply grasped if we acknowledge that the Gita is not only a handbook of divine knowledge or spiritualised action but essentially a guidepost for the man treading the path of enlightenment.

Sri Aurobindo says: “The Gita is not a weapon for dia­lectical warfare; it is a gate opening on the whole world of spiritual truth and experience, and the view it gives us embraces all the provinces of that supreme region. It maps out, but it does not cut up or build walls or hedges to confine our vision.”

Or as Paramahansa Yoganananda puts it: Gita sheds light on any point of life in which the devotee finds himself in.

Delving yet further, Gopinath explains in the book that letting go is made easy by the practice of apagriha, or being unattached to desires with conscious control on attachment-driven strivings. In the process, one’s motive gets transformed from want-driven to purpose-driven. The aim, at the highest level, being self-realization: the acme of spiritual strivings. For all material strivings ought to be in essence spititual strivings.

When we shift from want-driven to purpose-driven action, the need for personal validation ceases. In our quest for a spiritual-centric action mode, yagna plays an important role. The concept of yagna is transposed from a religious fire-rite to diurnal mundane acts in which personal motives are quenched. As the borderline between the spiritual and the material gets increasingly dissolved, the quest for enlightenment becomes the summum bonum of life.

The direction and blessings of a sadguru is also needed in this eternal quest for soul freedom. In the ultimate sense, the material life and its duties become a stepping stone for a higher life which man embraces to achieve the state of kaivalya. The book lucidly interweaves real-life stories with philosophical concepts, which make for interesting reading.

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Entertainment

Justin Bieber shares unseen pictures from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pre-wedding sangeet

Justin Bieber’s energetic performance on Friday was the highlight of the sangeet ceremony, which took place at the Nita Ambani Convention Centre in Bandra, Mumbai.

Published

5 months ago

on

July 7, 2024

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Justin Bieber shares unseen pictures from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pre-wedding sangeet

Global popstar Justin Bieber brought the energy at Anant Ambani and Radhika Ambani’s pre-wedding sangeet on July 5 in Mumbai. The soon to be married couple (wedding in July 12th) was spotted enjoying themselves as Bieber belted out his hits. While glimpses from the night went viral earlier, Bieber has now shared unseen photos and videos from his memorable trip to India.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C9GBcUqSJ0m/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=24b3f57f-b3b7-4956-9144-a3e6c0230b27&img_index=1

The heartwarming pictures show Justin Bieber bonding with Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant and their family. In one picture Justin stands with Anant and Radhika, all three dressed festively for the sangeet ceremony. Another photo captures a casual moment where Justin Bieber is seen chatting with Akash Ambani on a couch while Anant and Radhika are posing with him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9GANRboRp6/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=24b3f57f-b3b7-4956-9144-a3e6c0230b27&img_index=1

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The group also posed for a larger picture that included Shloka Mehta and Anand Piramal. The final photos show Justin Bieber and Anant Ambani engaged in a friendly conversation, solidifying the warm atmosphere of the visit. Justin’s trip to India started on Friday morning with his arrival in Mumbai.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9GAOBRoO00/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=24b3f57f-b3b7-4956-9144-a3e6c0230b27&img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9FvfWxIpQX

That night Bieber transformed the Jio Convention Centre into a party zone with his hit songs and celebrities like Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt grooved along with him. Videos circulating on social media show Justin Bieber dancing with Orry and receiving a hug from Alaviaa Jaffrey( daughter of Javed Jaffrey). According to reports Justin Bieber has been paid $10million for this special performance.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9GAO8_I5NH/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=24b3f57f-b3b7-4956-9144-a3e6c0230b27&img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Fu5I5oxBm

Bieber’s energetic performance on Friday was the highlight of the sangeet ceremony, which took place at the Nita Ambani Convention Centre in Bandra, Mumbai. The singer made the guests groove on his songs Baby, Love Yourself, Peaches, Where Are You Now and Sorry. Bieber’s fresh off his triumphant return to the stage once again set the internet ablaze with his electrifying performance at Anant and Radhika’s sangeet ceremony.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Fv2nuI1_e

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Entertainment

Yashraj Mukhate collaborates with Amit Trivedi for Mann Dhaaga song

In a post circulating on Instagram Yashraj Mukhate talks about his experience of listening to Amit Trivedi’s music and recalls how he had always dreamt of collaborating with Amit Trivedi. He said his dream came true 2 years later in 2024 where he collaborated with Trivedi on the song Mann Dhaaga.

Published

8 months ago

on

March 16, 2024

By

Amit Trivedi is known for his soulful compositions which weave profound lyrics, captivating music lovers. His songs spark a deep desire in aspiring artists to collaborate with him. Music producer and You Tuber Yashraj Mukhate had immense admiration for Trivedi’s artistry. In a post circulating on Instagram Yashraj Mukhate talks about his experience of listening to Amit Trivedi’s music and recalls how he had always dreamt of collaborating with Amit Trivedi.

He said his dream came true 2 years later in 2024 where he collaborated with Trivedi on the song Mann Dhaaga. He wrote that he had been listening to the entire Dev D Album carefully in 2012. And he kept listening to it on loop for 3 weeks. He continued to listen to Amit Trivedi compositions in Aisha, Kai Po Che, Udaan, Lootera, Queen, Fitoor continuously. He said he could not stop himself and became a big fan of the music director. He said he started dreaming of meeting his idol one day and collaborating with him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4hUSe1osw2/

He recalled that he had to download songs from songs.pk and listen to them. He said the songs kept running inside his mind all through the day. He added that he even remembered Amit Trivedi’s ad jingles word for Fanta, Frooti, Dish TV and all of them.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C35NUIVNz5h/

Mukhate said he always dreamed of meeting Amit Trivedi and wanted to thank him for giving this experience. The post has gone viral on social media with 96,445 likes till now. Large number of social media user commented on the social media post where one user Parth said the Yashraj Mukhate was truly an inspiration. One user said his dedication had brought him to level. One user said a man should make all his dreams come true by going through one hustle at a time.

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