Photo: Dear Maa
Directed by: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Sanchita Chatterjee Kolkata:
Starring: Jaya Ahsan, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Dhritimaan Chatterjee, Shaswat Chatterjee, Anubha Fatepura, Nandika Das, Ahana, Padmapriya Jankirman, Sayan Munshi, Biswajit Chakraborty, Sonali Gupta
Duration: 2 hours 24 minutes
WBFJA Rating★★★★★★★★★☆☆
After many years, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury has returned to directing Bengali films.
‘If you suffer for me, you will suffer a lot/If you make me understand, becoming a mother is not just a matter of words!’
I guess being a mother is really not easy. That’s why Brinda didn’t want to become a mother. Because in the social structure we know, mothers have to make most of the sacrifices for their children. Mothers will wake up at night, feed them, put them to sleep, and if necessary, quit their jobs. If it is not the case, the mother is criticized. Brinda (Jaya) is a busy employee, and she is very busy with her new role in the office. Her husband Ark (Chandan) is also a busy man, but he wants to be a father. Despite the fierce love between the two, their opinions do not match at all. Brinda does not understand why all girls have to be mothers. And Ark does not understand why only Brinda's insistence will continue.
Finally, there is a breakup. Little Jhimli comes home from the orphanage. She is the soul of her father, the soul of her father. It is as if Brinda lives a little far from this world of father and daughter. She herself believes with all her heart that she is not worthy of being a good mother. She does not get the love that breaks her heart. Meanwhile, Arkar's sudden death seems to grab Brinda by the neck and force her to face many difficult truths. By then, Jhimli (Ahona) has come to know that her real mother is someone else, following the rules of adoption. Brinda keeps Jhimli close to her with all her heart. She fulfills the needs of the girl as much as she can. But can an entire childhood and adolescence be spent just to fulfill daily needs? How does one day twelve-year-old Jhimli (Nandika) find out about Ahona Nair (Padmapriya), her real mother. Then one day she disappears.
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The film begins with Jhimli's disappearance. Brinda and his sir Somesh (Dhritimaan) confront the police station's IC Mr. Nandi (Shashwat). Nandi, who is very busy managing the house and office, does not even listen to Brinda's complaints. Where did Jhimli go, does Brinda really not know? Or will she not tell even if she knows. Will Officer Nandi be able to find Jhimli and bring her back?
He is not a regular director of Bengali films. Aniruddha Roychowdhury does not make films often. But a deep picture of the spiritual relationship between people is captured in all his works. This film is no exception, but rather says something very important in the context of today's society.
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Just as the steering of a car has long been in the hands of women, a man can now take on the responsibility of handling a newborn sitting in the back seat. That does not diminish his pride. Again, one can become a mother without being cuddled with a child all the time. The entire film is the story of Brinda becoming a mother. Yes, girls are mothers, but that does not mean that all girls become good mothers. The director has carefully brought out the journey of how a responsible and introverted person gradually puts aside their ego, stubbornness or self-awareness and becomes a real mother, or a different person. Mother may not necessarily mean an emotional, protective, and affectionate shelter. Mother means an umbrella, mother means dependence. But still, the feeling of not being close to her mother may have led Jhimli to her real mother. Yet, she also felt guilty. Tears came to Jhimli's eyes for the mother she loved but could not love, she felt suffocated day after day. This is also the name of love!
Little Ahana and a little older Nandika are the soul of this film. Both are impeccable, both are extraordinary. Perhaps no one else could have become Brinda like Jaya. So is the easy-going Chandan. I don't know why a natural actor like him does so little work. Shashwat played the role of a very tough cop in a heartwarming way. Perhaps only Shashwat can convey the feeling of annoyance, fun, and finally a pain in the neck at the same time.