Antarmahal---The Inner Chamber
Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Abhishek Bachchan, Soha Ali Khan, Rupa Ganguli
Run Time: 118 minutes
Acclaimed film-maker Rituparno Ghosh has dealt with tensions in marriage caused by the other woman in Chokher Bali. In Antarmahal, he revisits the theme.
After Rabindranath Tagore it?s Tarashankar Bandhopadhyay. Antarmahal is based on Tarashankar’s novel Pratima. Ghosh’s star cast are Mumbai actors, Soha Ali Khan, Abhishek Bacchan and Jackie Shroff. Jackie has previously played Chunilal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas and Soha has played Kamal lata in Iti Shrikanto. Besides this Rupa Ganguli (Draupadi), a Bengali actor also plays a significant character.
The Story
The story takes place towards the end of the 19th century in Bengal. Bhubaneswar Chowdhury (Jackie Shroff) is a rich and oppressive Zamindar (landlord). He is planning to please the British so that they bestow on him the Raibahadur title. There are quite a few contenders and so something unique has to be done.
On the other hand he also wants an heir and since he blames the failure on wife Mahamaya (Rupa) he marries again, the much younger Jashomati ( Soha). Both the wives compete against each other in an ego struggle. Younger wife Jashomati in her traumatised and lonely state gets drawn towards young sculptor played by Chota B.
Abhishek plays the sculptor who comes to make successful Jackie Shroff’s strange plan of creating a durga idol with the face of the all powerful Queen Victoria. In this way the crafty zamindar wishes to please the British.
Its ironical that the Durga worshipper Bhubaneshwar does not stay back from sexually traumatising Jashomati every night.
The Society
Over and over again the atrocities on women have become a major theme in Ghosh?s movies. Antarmahal is no exception, tales of marital violence, insult and molestation are revisited. Bhubaneshwar treats Jashomati like an animal on bed. It is there where the movie becomes an eyesore. Too many crude bed scenes along with lewd dialogue took the spirit to watch. But it’s a gross reality when you will flinch when he forces himself on her in front of the purohit.
The reason is to have a son while listening to exploits of brave men of his dynasty. Baseless hindu superstitions also become a dominant theme when Mahamaya prepares to sleep with 5/6 brahmins so that they can decree that the idol’s face can be that of Queen Victoria’s. It becomes hilarious and pathetic when to her dismay Mahamaya discovers that she is bleeding and hence has to forget her sleeping plans.
Mahamaya & Jashomati
Ghosh fails to utilize the acting of the 2 actresses to bring out the interplay and interdependence of the 2 women in the patriarchal set up. Rupa Ganguly does a fine job but Soha has to rely mostly on emoting through face. Raima Sen as the pregnant wife of the Potua Brij hardly has any role.
Mahamaya tries to save the character of Soha (Jashomati) over and over again but without effect. The hapless girl commits suicide at the end. It makes one think that in the garb of jealousy the elder woman also had sympathy for the younger wife and wanted her misery to end. She even encourages her to indulge her fancy for Brij(Abhishek Bacchan)
The Technicalities
Cinematography is very good and close ups of face is successful in conveying the messages. The old Bengal feel is also evoked beautifully just like in Chokher Bali, Parineeta etc. But dialogue is lousy and disgusting. It was a matter of embarrassment for many who had turned up with their families.
The rain scene where Soha and Abhishek meet for the first time is clichéd but beautifully shot. Soha Ali Khan looks beautiful and so does Rupa Ganguli, thanks to the jewellery. Soha brings to mind memories of mother Sharmila in Debi. Jackie has done true justice to his character of the zamindar but his dialogue has been dubbed. Like all other Ghosh films the dubbing really does not score and Thank God Abhishek speaks in his own voice and in hindi. The director has kept you guessing about the true relation between Jashomati(Soha) and Brij (AB Junior).
Lasting elements Of Antarmahal
The Zamindar has no respect for the Goddess durga or his wife Jashomati. He tries to violate both. One he ruthlessly ravishes on the bed and the other’s face he tries to alter to Queen Victoria’s. The Potua or sculptor Abhishek Bacchan in a way rebels against him by making Durga’s face identical to Jashomati(Soha). The narrator is a Britisher who discovers that the Queen can be such a trouble in a distant land. The moment the zamindar sees the face of the goddess he runs to slay both his wife and the sculptor because he realizes that his wife was seen closely by Abhishek..or else how did he create the face.
Eyesore
The crude and lewd bed scenes. The dialogue which becomes shameful at times. One another scene was the one, when Abhishek creates the intimate parts of the idol, he thinks about the similar parts of his wife’s(Raima) body. Sometimes the movie seems to be a porn movie..sadly speaking it was created by Rituparno Ghosh.
Last word
Many will not agree with my expressed opinion, but then I have more or less attempted an unbiased stance.
I appreciate Rituporno Ghosh’s creativity in interpreting the novel in a new way but it’s our choice whether we share his opinion or not.
Life in those times were bad for women, it still is but every cloud has a silver lining...Isn’t it?