Rituparno Ghosh’s works are not just films, they are experiences that make you aware, make you dive deep and face questions that unsettle you, but also give you peace. They are emotional, personal and intimate. They are relatable and also make you feel vulnerable. Films that are the therapy you did not know you needed. And more often that not, the language of these emotions is poetry, and music. On this throwback Thursday, here are a few songs and poems from Ghosh’s films that evoke nostalgia, emotion and introspection...
‘Piya Tora Kaisa Abhiman’ from ‘Raincoat’
Piya tora kaisa abhiman puts to words the hurt of heartbreak. The love ballad in Shubha Mudgal’s enchanting voice and Gulzar’s lyrics, as well as the Hariharan version, transports the listener to a world where love is the refuge and also the epitaph.
‘Raha Dekhe’ from ‘Raincoat’
“For a while” is a phrase whose length can't be measured. At least by the person who's waiting” wrote Haruki Murakami in South of the Border, West of the Sun. That is Raha dekhe for listeners and lovers.
‘For Your Eyes Only’ from ‘Abohoman’
Remember Jisshu Sengupta’s singer-with-a-guitar look that you loved? And Ananya Chakraborty’s spontaneous wink? This peppy number is the right amount of flirty, and ideal to slip into the DM if you are crushing hard on someone and it is time to drop a hint.
‘Dawat’ from ‘Memories in March’
We all have loved and lost at some point in our lives. The loss is a scar we get used to, but stays as a reminder. Dawat with the “Caution, Last Piece” scene, where Deepti Naval finds a reminder of her dead son is very personal, and unsettles all the buried emotions of love, longing and loss.
‘E Parobase Rabe Ke’ from ‘Shob Charitro Kalponik’
Another Rabindrasangeet, sung by Rezwana Choudhury Bonnya, E parobase voices the agony of rootlessness and displacement, and floats an unsettling question — where and what is home?
‘Aaj Aar Amader Ghum Asbe Na’ from ‘Abohoman’
Written by poet Joy Goswami, the poem paints images of life in its many shades. The background score adds to the experience and we highly recommend reading this gem for introspection that only an art form can bring.
‘Priyobala Na Nanda’r Maa’ from ‘Abohoman’
Another Joy Goswami poem that presents the struggles of existence and relationships. This moving piece makes one ponder our various identities, which stem from the relationships we are involved in. We end up questioning who we are and what identity is.
‘Tomar Thont Amar Thont Chulo’ from ‘Dosar’
To love, to finding refuge in love and to the dichotomy in love — a poem by Sujata Gangopadhyay in a Rituparno Ghosh tale of relationships.
