Sushmita Pandit : Belaseshe, the title of
the film itself captures the essence of the story. In today’s world, where
family values and marriage is becoming somewhat mechanical, Belaseshe deals with a subject that
forms the crux of the problems in modern society. The film does so by
introducing a lot of comic elements, required for dealing a grim subject like
divorce.
Belaseshe, directed by
Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy begins by showing Bishwanath Majumdar, an
affluent veteran publisher’s love for books on one side and his wife, Arati’s
dedication in performing household chores on the other. Soumitra Chatterjee and
SwatilekhaSenguptaplay the parts with elan. The two and half hour film not only
focuses on these two characters but also deals with the subplots involving their
children. The children go through a process of self-discovery when their father,
on the verge of celebrating the golden jubilee of their anniversary, decides to
divorce their mother. What happens next follows the rest of the film. With an
ensemble cast that includes, RituparnaSengupta, Shankar Chakraborty, Monami
Ghosh, Aparajita Auddy, Indrani Dutta, Sohini Sengupta, Sohag Sen, Anindya
Chatterjee, Barun Chanda and Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee, Belaseshe promises to
provide wholesome family entertainment wrapped over a thoughtful message.What
makes a marriage work is one poignant question the film deals with. Is it one’s
habit of the other person, love or physical proximity between two people? All
these questions are asked within the film by the characters but what makes the
movie a great watch is the way the characters have been shaped by the director
duo. Most of the comic moments are introduced by Kharaj Mukhopadhyay, who plays
the role of Jyotirmoy, Soumitra’s son-in-law. The scene in which he asks his
father-in-law, the reason for his divorce in a park, is a glory to watch.
The film has
mostly been shot indoors, however, the hustle and bustle of North Kolkata has
been beautifully contrasted with tranquil Shantiniketan. Credit should be given
to the camera work and editing for retaining the crispness and simplicity of
the script.
What makes the
film even more interesting is that it allows us to easily relate to the
sentiments of both Bishwanath and Arati Majumdar. When Arati wants everyone
from her family to travel with them to Shantiniketan, so that she can enjoy her
time with her family, we are immediately reminded of our grandmothers and their
idiosyncrasies. The film makes us laugh and shed a tear at the same time, reminding
us, once again, the importance of family ties. Apart from the brilliant acting,
supported by a tight script, what makes the film stronger is the music. Anupam
Roy and Anindya Chattopadhyay’s music aptly supplements the variable emotions
of the characters. We do hope to see more such heart-touching films from Shiboprasad
and Nandita in the future.
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