Tapan Das, Purabi and two child artistes in Kritajnata

Television serials commissioned by Doordarshan often fail to make an impact and appeal to the masses. Most of the reputed producers or directors working in this medium fail to come up with a quality product and live up to expectations.

Doordarshan authorities, too, have no parameters to gauge the aesthetic quality of such productions, either technically or in the pattern of making.

Amid the heap of such mediocre productions, a few have come up with a little bit of freshness in totality and some sort of conviction and involvement in approach. National award-winning filmmaker Ranjit Das’s Kritajnata — a two-episode serial on Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia’s acclaimed short story by the same name — can be included in this short list.

Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia, a master storyteller in the arena of Indian literature, always tells about some ordinary things in the social or family life of modern man in an unusual and unique manner.

The short story Kritajnata is also no exception. A middle-aged man living with his lovely, caring wife and two children suddenly comes to know about the fatal disease of cancer that he has been suffering from. He gains sympathy and help from his office colleagues, friends and others. But for him, the world has come to an end.

“Quite soon I will be far away from any family. My wife, always caring and kind-hearted, my children, so obedient and mild by nature, will have to live on without me,” he thinks.

As the days pass on, he finds his wife and children more caring and affectionate towards him. This kind of act suddenly makes him realise that these are the real assets he has earned throughout his life. And this realisation brings a deep sense of gratitude in his mind toward his wife and children.

There is hardly any denying the fact that the storyline bears a rare simplicity and subtlety. And Ranjit Das, who came to the limelight after his documentary All Alone if Need be on the life of veteran statesman Sarat Chandra Sinha, has done justice to such immediate qualities of the story line.

Besides his overall command over the treatment of the content, building up of some intimate moments related to the husband-wife bond, a middle-aged man recalling his childhood in the village, his imagination of the family affairs after his demise are some examples of Das’s care and concern about the subtle nuances of the story line.

On the acting front, talented Tapan Das leads the show and is properly complemented by Purabi Sarma. Senior actor Pranjal Sarma plays another important role here. All the Assamese actors are seen at ease while delivering dialogues in Hindi in this serial. It may be mentioned here that the Doordarshan commissioned the serial in the category of audio-visual production of Sahitya Akademi award-winning literary works.

Rong Sarmah