It was a pleasure to watch this movie. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean it was a pleasure to watch even a single bit of the Hindu-Muslim riot or witness the tension filled moments as a result of the riot. Infact, quite on the contrary, those moments brought to mind very unpleasant memories. Memories of when I was a child and had witnessed the Hindu-Sikh riots in Delhi.
The movie itself is a very simple movie and revolves around two characters who are thrown together by circumstances. Konkona Sen is a delight to watch. Her depiction of a conservative South Indian girl brought up with certain ideas, biases is beautiful. I especially liked the way she pronounced certain words in just the way some of my South Indian friends do. It was easy to imagine in her any of those friends of mine. I loved the way she used to get lost in Rahul Bose’s stories, trying to imagine another life than the one she had.
Rahul Bose has been very visible in the last few years and hence most people have seen his acting and like him. true to his form he is good here as well.
Aparna Sen has done a good job of portraying a circumstance or situation which is so belieavable. So many of us have travelled by train or taken a long journey by bus and have met people who have fascinated us, haven’t we? She has also managed to bring across the senselessness of communal riots and how it affects people without making it overwhelming and without preaching.
Inspite of everything, the movie did leave me feeling disturbed (the senselessness of the riots)and with lots of questions and what ifs in my mind (what if she hadn’t met the guy, what if something else had developed....and so on). But I think it means that the movie was successful at least with me. It made me think, wonder, speculate. Isn’t that what a good movie is supposed to do?
Watch it for yourself and decide.