Family in India was, or should one say, is still considered sacred. Joint families were the order of the day. But with progress, we had to pay the price and joint families fragmented into nuclear units, where direct grandparents living together were perhaps only remnants of a joint family. But the bond between siblings is still considered sacred as ‘Bhai Phonta’ or ‘Raksha Bandhan’, where a sister prays for her brother’s long life and brother promises to stand by his sister, is still popular and observed almost with religious zeal each year, which is surely heartening.
All this is fine as long as the sister is content with her lot: marriage, husband, children, her subsidiary career (perhaps). But when it comes to property, and the sister’s right to it, all hell breaks loose: does she really have the right? Should she not relinquish her share for the brother/s; after all, she is married and the husband’s responsibility and is expected to have a right to his property. There are many other excuses for not giving the sister a right to her father’s house or property. A wonderful relationship of love and laughter dissolves into one of anger and tears the moment a sister demands her birthright.
In the film Sharthopor, Sadeep Bhattacharjee has etched out a wonderfully poignant script, and Annapurna Basu has done justice to it through her almost seamless presentation of a burning issue involving a relationship of supposedly pure love: that between a brother and a sister. The souring of it, the effect on the family and the questions raised and addressed take one into a world of everyday issues that normally remain under wraps.
Annapurna, with the able assistance of her more than competent cast, has raised questions that haunt almost all families but are often unresolved or avoided. Her film is a representation of the everyday malady that haunts the Indian social fabric today. To some, it may appear to be a feminist story and point of view, but Annapurna, along with her scriptwriter, has managed to delve into the concerns and issues of both men and women. Sharthopor is not a potboiler, but has the charm of a story unfolding in layers, engulfing the audience step by step.
When talking of performances, one must begin with Ranjit Mallick. His monologue in court regarding ignorance and circumvention surrounding the legal rights of women showed him in a different light. The spark that had been ignited in the 1970s in Mrinal Sen’s Interview, more than 50 years ago, is still blazing! As the lawyer G K Laha, his performance is surely the foremost highlight of the film.
Koel Mallick and Koushik Sen, as brother and sister, are extremely believable, and their chemistry of love and hate, of jubilation and disappointment, is worked out with precision. Koel has now developed the power to hold forth as an actress with soul and commitment. Her natural grace and sweetness have helped her etch out an everyday character.
Koushik Sen, as the elder brother, is a study in withheld emotions. The director’s touch in the broken shoe strap sequence and the sister’s subsequent action may seem sentimental but it is so true to life. Hate or love are never stagnant, forever evolving.
Indrajit Chakraverty, as a supportive yet typical husband, has given a performance that is both mature and realistic. Anirban Chakrabarti, as the other lawyer, seems typical with his twisted logic but there is a twist in the tail that brings in a different perspective. Ananya Sen as a friend, Saoli Chattopadhyay as the sister-in-law, and Papiya Sen as the mother-in-law have aided the film to move forward. Biswajit Chakraborty and Mishka Halim’s cameos breathe more life into a film that is about living. Annapurna, daughter of well-known art director Goutam Bose, has invested a lot of time in the decor of the interiors and settings for her characters. Mridul Baidya and Saswati Karmakar, as art directors, have done justice to her vision.
Songs composed by Jeet Gannguli once more proved he is a multidimensional music director, who is equally adept at belting out peppy numbers as well as composing songs that evoke sentiments and deep emotions, passion and bonhomie. His voices, Rupankar, Iman and Lagnajita, and the lyricists Prosen and Ritam’s support is evident.
Sharthopor is Annapurna’s debut film, but the way she has handled the entire team with precision bodes well for a bright future. Last but not least, Surinder Films needs to be congratulated for its support towards creating good cinema.