Beyond the story line, I think this film delivers one of the year’s best cinematography. This is not plastic nirvana seen in Bollywood tree stories, but a realistic usage of lightning craft. 19th century Bengal had very little electricity, and in antarmahal the earthy hues almost tell a parallel, story of the life and times of the zaminder with utter perfection. Any body to whom cinema is a performance / craft platform would would be stunned by Abhik Mukherjee’s camera.
And I came across what I think as atrocious remarks from fellow reviewers. I think people should be aware of cinematic nuances before commenting. I do not find anything remotely rouge or porno. You cannot film something like last Tango in Paris without using skin, because you are telling the story of material and singularly physical relationship and the inherent debauchary involved. And in Antarmahal, the zaminder is depicted as a oppresive, oversexed tyrant. You just cant talk about it for 2 hrs. You need to depict. Particularly I am amazed by some of the female viewers comments. It gives me an impression that they have not heard about forced Sati, austracized and quarantined widows in 19th century Bengal, before Vidyasagar came into the picture.
I think the wicked masochism is depicted in an absolutely bold and realistic manner and ’’this gen’’ just cannot come out of the candy floss environ.
To the undecided, just go and watch an original product.