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Director:
Riya Sen, Raima Sen, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jishu
Sengupta
Direction: Rituparno Ghosh
This is a period film set in the 1920s, based on a short
story by Rabindranath Tagore. The film is essentially a
Hindi version of the original Bengali film, Naukadubi.
A tender romance blossoming in Kolkata between law
student Ramesh (Jishu Sengupta) and his friend?s sister
Hemnalini, is nipped suddenly when his father sends an
urgent and mysterious summons from his village home.
There, the dutiful son is peremptorily ordered to marry
Susheela, daughter of a hapless widow. Ramesh refuses.
Confesses that his heart belongs to another. But the
widow's fervent plea softens him ultimately. And he
concedes, albeit with a heavy heart. The wedding takes
place with due ceremony; and Ramesh sets out with his
bride on a river boat journey back to Kolkata.
Back in Ramesh's new home in Kolkata, the facts of
mistaken identity gradually come to light. She is Kamala not Susheela. Her
husband is a doctor named Nalinaksha Chatterjee. Ramesh writes an
advertisement to trace his whereabouts; but he does not have the heart to
break this news to the helpless trusting young girl in his care. He puts her
into a boarding school instead. But soon, Hem's would be suitor Akshay comes
to know of Ramesh's secret and brings proof positive to Hem. Ramesh, unable to
handle such a scandal, seeks hiding in Gorakhpur with Kamala.
A devastated Hem is brought to Kashi by her father to help her forget. There
she meets Nalinaksha and they warm up to each other.
Kamala in the meanwhile having read the advertisement in an old newspaper,
realizes the enormity of the lie she has been living, and walks out determined
to drown herself in the river. Ramesh returns and finds her suicide note,
searches everywhere to no avail. He does not know that she has been rescued by
a courtesan and deposited in Kashi under Nalinaksha's mother's care. Kamala
now sees her real husband for the first time, but cannot speak up, for he is
betrothed to Hem.
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Soon a fierce storm arises;
the boat tosses helplessly and finally capsizes in the
churning waters. Later that night, Ramesh comes to his
senses on a deserted shore under a starlit sky. Some
distance away, he sees the unconscious form of a young
bride. Her pulse is still beating, and in response to his
voice calling 'Susheela' she opens her eyes at last. There
is no one else in sight, alive or dead. The two move off,
take a train to Kolkata, the bride wondering why they were
not going to Kashi, but trusting his judgment implicitly.
Hem, his true love, knows nothing of all this. Ramesh has
been missing from the evening of her birthday party. They
have learnt of his hasty departure from the city, but
nothing else. Though she pines inwardly, she is confident
that he will return soon.
Finally, the advertisement she keeps knotted in her saree
is discovered, and the whole truth comes to light. Ramesh
finally traces Nalinaksha and arrives at his house.
The whole sorry mess raises many questions of head and
heart and the validity or otherwise of social conventions.
We are left wondering whether true love will finally
triumph.
Director Rituparno Ghosh has brilliantly made a classic
period story with such finesse that he does justice to
Tagore’s work. The cinematography is excellent as it
beautifully takes you around the picturesque Kolkata and
the pristine ghats of Varanasi.
While Raima Sen has already proved herself as a capable
actor, it is Riya Sen who reveals the talent in herself in
a complete role reversal of the simple village girl.
Kashmakash is an exemplary piece of work which is for the
select audience appreciative of Tagore’s works.
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Aniz Filmvala |
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CREDITS & CREW:
Banner : Mukta Searchlight
Films
Directed by : Rituparno Ghosh
Director Of Photography : Soumik Halder
Sound : Dipankar Chaki/Anirban Sengupta
Art Direction : Indraneel Ghosh
Editor : Arghyakamal Mitra
Lyrics : Gulzar
Music : Sanjay Dazz/Raja Narayan Deb
Costume : Saborni Das |
CAST:
Ramesh - Jishu
Sengupta
Susheela - Riya Sen
Hemnalini - Raima Sen
Nalinaksha Chatterjee - Prosenjit Chatterjee
Dhritiman Chatterjee
Apratim Dhar
Sumanta Mukherjee
Sagar Mukherjee
Ammu Chatterjee
Maria Chatterjee |
