Saswata and Ananya in Meghe Dhaka Tara

This is not a review of Meghe Dhaka Tara but a small write-up on only one aspect of the film which needs a very special mention: acting. There are many aspects of the film which warrant a detailed analysis and appreciation, and hence it is indeed a form of injustice to the other departments of the film. At the risk of that, I intend to focus just on the acting since this film showcases the best acting I have seen in a Bengali film for quite sometime.

The entire ensemble cast was very good but special mention needs to be made of the outstanding performances from Saswata Chatterjee as Neelkantha and Ananya Chatterjee as his wife Durga.

To be absolutely honest, when the film began I was feeling a bit alienated by Apuda’s (Saswata) look. Given the publicity of the film, one associated Neelkantha with Ritwik Ghatak and that was the jarring element. Face structure-wise, Ghatak had a longish face while Saswata’s is rectangular. On top of that, Saswata’s body structure was, well, hardly emaciated. Hence this alienation.

Now here comes the genius of Apuda. As the film progressed, I slowly began to forget these initial reservations. By sheer acting brilliance, he pulled us into the character of Ghatak and made me realise once again that the core element of acting comes from the soul. The subtle nuances and the conviction of his performance just blew me off. And the nuances varied depending on whether it was a mid-shot, close-up or an extreme close-up. The mannerisms of Ghatak were used by him so organically and he infused the character with such life and power that one must just bow in awe.

The greatest aspect of his performance is that one never sympathises with his plunge into ‘madness’ but actually lives through it. Only great actors can pull off such a complicated character with elan. In recent years, Apuda has given many memorable performances but this one will surely stamp him as one of the greatest that the Bengali screen has ever seen.

Abir’s (Chatterjee) character as the doctor was also superbly enacted by him with total control. In fact, he should get more credit than is due since his acting was a perfect counterpoint to Apuda’s. Subhasishda (Mukherjee) as Bijan Bhattacharya was enacted with such power that it re-emphasised the powerhouse acting talent of Herbert fame.

And, of course, there is Ananya. Having had the privilege of working with her, I am fully aware of the extreme dedication and sincerity she puts into her preparation for any role. She literally lives the character during the period of the shoot. In Meghe Dhaka Tara, she is an epitome of living life with dignity amidst extreme adversity in the form of Durga. Her measured gait, the way she wears and uses her sari, her use of her eye-glasses and finally her dialogue delivery was a masterclass in acting.

People remember famous dialogues, some special character or maybe some spectacular action sequence from famous films. I can confidently claim that people will remember the way she “looks” at her husband in the film, for a long time to come. That look cannot be practised. It comes intrinsically from within. At different points in the film, if one observes her “look”, one can see how she is living the character and how subtly it changes depending on the circumstance. At certain moments it felt like she had really lived for ages the burden of such a maverick husband. Also, the way she tells Neelkantha when she decides to leave him infuses so much of feeling — that helplessness, love and disgust combined together is just marvellous.

It was an exhilarating experience to watch the chemistry of two such great actors. Kudos to Kamaleswarda (Mukherjee) for bringing together such a powerful acting ensemble.