Don't Choke her.. I mean, though I positively think Rabindranath's story was shitty, I would surely say, the movie is worth a dekko. The story is about a young Bengali widow during the Bengal partition and Independence era. It is way ahead of it's times, and compels you to think profoundly about issues such as sati, remarriage and independence. All woven into each other! Interesting huh??!
Aishwarya plays the main character, called Binodini. Though she is well educated and extremely pretty, she is rejected by the most eligible bachelor (Mahendra) from her town. She goes on to marry an old man, who dies within a year. Mahendra in the meanwhile marries a naive Ashalata, portrayed perfectly by Raima Sen. For some reason, Mahendra's mom finds Binodini and gets her home. When Binodini realises she's in Mahendra's house (who once rejected her) she burns with vengeance and/or desire! This young, smart widow tries every trick she can and lures Mahendra. Binodini and Mahendra have a thing on and finally his wife, Ashalata finds out. Ashalata leaves him and goes to Benares. Binodini then (for no apparent reason) offers herself to his friend! But since he refuses, carries on her affair with Mahendra. They too go to Benares and in a few months.. lo! behold! she meets a very heavily pregnant Ashalata (very dramatic)..She immediately feels guilty and asks Mahendra to return to his wife. Then, Mahendra's friend proposes marriage to her, and she agrees...Finally you would think she's settling down.but no......let me not give away the ending! Even Rabindranath himself thinks that's the worst ending he could have ever given to the story..
Ghosh does an awesome job directing the movie. Some scenes between Aishwarya and Raima are very poignant and disturbing. Aishwarya must've had to work a lot! She actually emotes! Raima is beautiful and a very apt choice for the role. The other actors are just about alright!
So guys, sorry for the big blog...but worth watching...at least once!
2 comments:
Wow, you seem even ahead of Jammy in the latest hindi movie gossip. Where did you watch this movie?
Rituparno Ghosh did a great job with the making of the movie. Liked the way that Tagore had you switch from pity for Ash to digust for her actions and other way round with Raima. Raima was great, better than Ash who at times was quite wooden.
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You seemed to have missed the larger context of the story that Tagore was writing about. It was about the partition of Bengal and the country in general (which happened later!). The issues on the surface were well brought out.
The last few lines of the movie drive this fact home and also the start. At the start of the movie the narrator mentions that Tagore was most unhappy with the ending of this story because it later came true with Curzon partitioning Bengal (1905(?)).
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