the bengali take on an agatha christie mystery thriller!
rituparno ghosh has long stood as a prominent figure in Indian cinema. it’s hard to imagine that anyone who has come across bengali cinema could remain unfamiliar with their name or body of work. although films like kahaani and the namesake had introduced me to kolkata, abohomaan was my first entry into bengali language cinema. and it happened to be a rituparno ghosh film! later did i learn that we were deprived of the opportunity to see naseeruddin shah, shabana azmi and vidya balan, play roles that explore the intricacies of relationships centered around a married film director who falls in love with an actress. but then i was glad to be introduced to ananya chatterjee who left such an impression, nothing short of irreplaceable. abohomaan was a textbook revelation on how the curators of bengali cinema approached art. how nuances within relationships are envisioned, how women in these stories emerge as central characters. i don't think many Indian filmmakers possess such profound clarity when it comes to understanding the inner world of women, their thoughts, emotions, and ways of being.
rituparno gosh never conforms to the needs of having to engage their audience in a nail-biting thriller format. the three hour run-time in itself is the hint! they'd prefer to let the narrative unfold subtly, but yes there is dramatic display at its finest too. subho mahurat follows the same rhythm!
yes, there is a murder and the investigation is central to the narrative. but the director is reluctant to let the story unfold solely by its thriller elements and instead insists on telling it through the lenses of the women of its world. there is padmini, the wealthy and graceful woman, mallika the journalist, navigating men in her life, unapologetic in expressing her preferences, unafraid to choose, without self-doubt. AND then there is ranga pishima, unmarried, cat mother, grandmother to five kittens, witty and graceful, but not flawless.... she's the perfect miss marple.
the twist isn’t delivered in a nail-biting, last minute flourish, it unfolds quietly. and more often you do guess it right. i didn’t play the guessing game this time, i was far too absorbed in the women and their worlds. and if the three hour runtime feels daunting, watch in parts! that’s what i did!!
Would I recommend? Give it a try, it might or might not work, but keep in mind its toooo long
the bengali take on an agatha christie mystery thriller!
rituparno ghosh has long stood as a prominent figure in Indian cinema. it’s hard to imagine that anyone who has come across bengali cinema could remain unfamiliar with their name or body of work. although films like kahaani and the namesake had introduced me to kolkata, abohomaan was my first entry into bengali language cinema. and it happened to be a rituparno ghosh film! later did i learn that we were deprived of the opportunity to see naseeruddin shah, shabana azmi and vidya balan, play roles that explore the intricacies of relationships centered around a married film director who falls in love with an actress. but then i was glad to be introduced to ananya chatterjee who left such an impression, nothing short of irreplaceable. abohomaan was a textbook revelation on how the curators of bengali cinema approached art. how nuances within relationships are envisioned, how women in these stories emerge as central characters. i don't think many Indian filmmakers possess such profound clarity when it comes to understanding the inner world of women, their thoughts, emotions, and ways of being.
rituparno gosh never conforms to the needs of having to engage their audience in a nail-biting thriller format. the three hour run-time in itself is the hint! they'd prefer to let the narrative unfold subtly, but yes there is dramatic display at its finest too. subho mahurat follows the same rhythm!
yes, there is a murder and the investigation is central to the narrative. but the director is reluctant to let the story unfold solely by its thriller elements and instead insists on telling it through the lenses of the women of its world. there is padmini, the wealthy and graceful woman, mallika the journalist, navigating men in her life, unapologetic in expressing her preferences, unafraid to choose, without self-doubt. AND then there is ranga pishima, unmarried, cat mother, grandmother to five kittens, witty and graceful, but not flawless.... she's the perfect miss marple.
the twist isn’t delivered in a nail-biting, last minute flourish, it unfolds quietly. and more often you do guess it right. i didn’t play the guessing game this time, i was far too absorbed in the women and their worlds. and if the three hour runtime feels daunting, watch in parts! that’s what i did!!
Would I recommend? Give it a try, it might or might not work, but keep in mind its toooo long
