Goynar Baksho - the much awaited new Aparna Sen movie. The expectations ran way too high this time. I had to bring it down a few notches to actually like the movie and talk about it. A story woven around 3 women, a ghost, a lady, a rebel, on the canvas of dramatic borders conflicts, stretched through time and lives of people from opar Bangla to epar Bangla. The portrayal of the three women is so well done, it tugs on your heartstrings long after the movie is over. The movie intricately mixes the power these women possess, their desire, their dreams to be free, their despair, their arty manipulations, a various shades of feminism all woven around the male characters in their life, played with elan by Poran, Kanu, Piyush and Saswata. The minor women characters are also brought in with careful rendering of several womanly traits of motherly responsibility, jealousy, fashion consciousness through Somlata's mother in law, sister-in -law, neighbours and relatives.
But although the mortals and the dead had a lot to say and act, the main character in the movie, is still the silent wooden Goynar Baksho holding 500 Bhori gold, changing hands from generation to generation, women to women. It was slowly losing its materialistic value and transforming to an asset, used for fulfilling each women who possessed it, a chance to fulfill their need, desire and dreams.
The three women had a choice to use the box of gold for achieving their own purpose in life. Pishima (Rashmoni, played by Moushumi Chatterjee), living in a household that would have rather gotten rid of the young beautiful but spiteful widow, used the box to demand respect and generate fear in her kin. Her nephew's wife, Somlata, an ordinary girl from a poor family, non-Zamindari background, used it to become the breadwinner of the family. She almost fixed the egotistic men around her, who would rather die of poverty then work to earn a living. And her power comes through, when she does all the changes in her life and her families, without raising her voice or finger. She even wins the heart of Pishima after much trials and tribulations. She has her feet on the ground and she was truly fearless.
The first half of the movie was intense, funny and immensely likeable and I wish it ended at intermission and we could have left the theatre with a smile and a twinkle in our eyes. But the movie took rather abrupt dramatic change in the next half . Although fast paced , it lacked the former's sense of drama and the storytelling eventually fell apart. It become some other ordinary movie, with no Sen magic.
Somlata, shared the stage with Pishima in the first half, and matched her expletives with her subtleties, but the director could have given her some time and space in the script, to share her story and her life. Her subtlety was very well done and it went along with the 50's woman she portrayed, but , her desires could have had some on-screen recognition. Thus, the middle of the movie felt stifled and stopped short of greatness it was due for. The hint of romance was way too subtle. The roses and the poetry passed by like a whiff of smoke leaving no significant impression. The musical piece by Shubha Mudgal faded with the smoke too and the dates changed on the screen bringing to a better ending section. The hiatus in the transition could not lift up the tempo and it was flat in the overall context of the movie. It almost feels like a different directorial do.
During the 70's , as the youngest woman of the family Chaitali (Shrabonti) shares a smoke with the eldest, Pishi Thakuma's apparition (Moushumi Chatterjee) and discusses love, life and politics. In this scene, the movie almost comes back, with some effort though. Chaitali, who is dreamer of human freedom, a socialist, a rebel at heart, devoid of bourgeois sentiments, comes to posses the goynar baksho and she decides to passed it to for the greater cause of Muktijuddho, the Bangladesh war of freedom. Her story and Somlata's story do not mingle on screen, half hearted effort all through.
But Pishima' s and her portrayal, touches our heart, she moves through time and space effortlessly, (being a ghost did help), her pride in her zamindari blood, love of wealth, self and ego, slowly accepts the worldly ways. When with Somlata, she accepts her middle class life and with Chaitali, she learns to let go of all her earthly desires, finding final peace.
Nice movie ...but
Why the rush in the second half, why this substandard direction and script, why the lack of Aparna Sen's perfect touch. Why she went overboard with her idealistic "love of the moment" concept, which we see in all her movies. A love so pure that it has no ending , no beginning, no future, no physical fulfillment. Just an ache,( only can be said in bengali: bhishon bhalo laga ar kanna meshano bhalobasha). I love this concept and her way of portraying it. But it did not fit into this movie in a way that it would linger with you, like it did when Raja comes close to Meenakshi in the ending scene of Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. I want that magic again....maybe next time
