The premise launches not only an innovative social problem play but also a father-son conflict of misunderstanding and alienation that results in several crises before its resolution. The rest of the family, however, follow Simon’s pattern: an ineffectual wife and twin, geeky, younger children who parrot each other’s dialogue. Even Mr Sen’s imaginary doppelgänger is attributed heavenly origins, like in Simon, as an employee of God. But Chattopadhyay converts him into a spitting image of his protagonist, so that we feel Mr Sen converses with his conscience. Revolving around Mr Sen as it does, Daha demands a strong performance from the leading man, which Anish Ghosh provides with intensity, portraying a troubled patriarch older than himself (seated in picture). His alter ego (Gora Raha, standing) complements him with a lighter portrayal. Unfortunately, Chattopadhyay has not given the other characters much scope, so Biplab Bandyopadhyay as the son has the very clichéd and relatively easy task of acting an alcoholic.

As director, Ghosh applies a surreal touch to the set, the designers, Saumik-Piyali, having spray-painted the furniture blue and black in graffiti style. Supported by the deliberately dim lighting and atmospheric effects, it creates a creepy gloom from which we get startled whenever the supernatural Gora Raha drifts in through an opening upstage. The desired impact of abnormality would be greater if the drawing-room settee conventionally placed in the centre is shifted to a skewed position on one side.