Films and Reality

A lot has happened this month. First things first. With Kalpanirjhar - the short fiction film festival happening at the Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata, I got to see some very well made shorts. Then followed the Kolkata Film Festival and since I got a Press card, I was able to see some great movies.

You know, had I written about these fests a few days earlier I would have been more elaborate... but now all these wonderful experiences just seem to melt into the shadows. I am still in a state of shock. I do not know how to react to what has happened in Mumbai. It now seems that living is a bonus. Through those 60 hours, as I watched the horror unfold on TV, it was as if watching a reality show, only this time there was death, and it was very real. The tragedy hitting families seems to be my tragedy, for am I not the next potential target?

Tomar Jonyo

The Bengali movie, Tomar Jonyo released on the 14th of November. This is a special movie because it has been directed by Nilu (Nilanjan Banerjee), my brother-in-law and has been edited by Sharmistha Jha, my sister. Both are graduates from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, second batch. Produced by Zee Movies, it stars two newcomers. I admit I was a little apprehensive about enjoying a Bengali love story, especially with the kind generally doled out these days, but the movie turned out to be a sweet love story with tragic twists and turns and the right dose of humour, good music and, of course, a happy ending. A very promising debut, no doubt!