Culture clash start to new year

Rudranil Ghosh, director Raj Chakraborty and Sayantani Ghosh

?This is heritage, that is the future,? said the sombre looking Padmanabha DasGupta, who has worked out a script from the story written by his wife Lopamudra. ?Both should exist, there is no need to discard either.? By both, he meant the heritage and future, of course.

Padmanabha was putting the telefilm, Nader Chand, in perspective. Director Raj Chakraborty put it more simply; that it dealt with the culture clash between South and North Calcutta. Padmanabha slipped in another aside: ?I myself am from North Calcutta and working in South Calcutta.?

Kharaj Mukherjee, who plays Rudranil Ghosh?s uncle, was going through the motions of giving a dressing down, with a mind-in-turmoil being mumbled out by a brooding Rudranil. Playing a North Calcutta boy, he is shown going to Jadavpur University and duly receiving his culture shock. The simple bush-shirted, bespectacled Rudranil is confronted by Kafka and tight jeans ? represented by the South Calcutta girl, Sayantani Ghosh.

A lot of old songs (the 40s) have been used, and Bangla band music for the ?culture contrast? bit. Clash, clash. Nice way of beginning the new year.

Anil Grover

Scheduled telecast: Tara Bangla; January 2; 7:30 pm