Indraadip Dasgupta’s latest release Grihapravesh has captured the imagination of viewers with its subtle and sensitive emotional messaging wrapped in a story set in a traditional household. Golpo holo shuru, a song from the film, spotlights its theme of unconventional relationships, while underscoring the film’s delicate treatment of the feelings of love, loyalty and loneliness.
Composed by Dasgupta with its lyrics written by Prasen, Golpo holo shuru is sung in the hauntingly melodious voice of Arijit Singh, accompanied by Shreya Ghosal’s dulcet tones and that of classical prodigy Armaan Rashid Khan. Singh sings in an almost detached tone, his voice stripped to its basics, but intense and full of a poignant and lyrical quality that envelops the listener in its embrace. Featuring vignettes of a story of abandonment and illicit love, Golpo holo shuru’s visuals focus on the evolving relationship between Titli (Subhashree Ganguly), the young, newly-married wife whose husband has left her and Meghdoot (Jeetu Kamal), a paying guest in Titli’s in-laws’ decaying old mansion.
The mansion itself appears as a character in the song, its sprawling emptiness symbolic of the void in the hearts of its occupants. The video, which begins with a scene where an idol of the Goddess Durga is being lovingly brought to life by a sculptor, is also deeply symbolic — indicating the possibility of love, beauty and vitality in a house which is now barren and loveless. Titli’s in-laws, played by Kaushik Ganguly and Sohini Sengupta, are as usual nuanced and measured in their performances as an elderly couple unable to come to terms with the miserable reality of their lives.
Desire and longing are clearly suggested in every gesture and expression of Titli but Subhashree’s portrayal of the lonely, forsaken wife is steady, sustained and unfaltering. Her sensuousness adds to the pain of Titli’s repressed emotions, most clearly seen in the kite and shower scenes in the song. Though allured by the possibility of a romantic relationship, Titli’s hesitation and reserve are clearly reflected in the song, symbolised through her body language and the pale and ordinary saris she wears.
When she surrenders her initial feelings of guilt, she is swept over by a sense of peace and calm, which is evident in the scene where she goes boating on the river with Meghdoot. It is interesting and fitting that Golpo holo shuru depicts the development of a friendship between Titli and Meghdoot, though that is subverted towards the end of the song, with only the fragrance of recollections as a keepsake of their attachment.
Jeetu Kamal, who essays a complicated role in Grihapravesh, comes off brilliantly in the song as well. His identity and his conflicting emotions are hinted at in Golpo holo shuru, which ultimately pays homage to silent, unspoken and unfulfilled love.