Ghore Baire Aaj Film Review
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Ghore Baire Aaj Film Review
In the current global climate wherIn the current global climate where majoritarianism is on the rise, it raises the question of whether the appetite for secularism still exists in India. It is important to consider if it is fair to view Indian society solely through the lens of Western social liberalism. Will the voices of Gauri Lankesh, Govind Pansare, and MM Kalburgi, who fought for rationalism, eventually fade away in our country?
Aparna Sen's Ghawre Bairey Aaj pays tribute to these courageous individuals and explores these pressing questions through the clash between Nikhilesh's idealism and Sandip's realpolitik. However, the film falls short in capturing the emotional intensity of the love triangle between Bimala, Nikhilesh, and Sandip, as depicted in Rabindranath Tagore's novel.
As the film progresses, it leans more towards social commentary rather than purely cinematic storytelling. While it addresses important themes, it may not fully satisfy viewers seeking a deeply emotional and immersive experience.
Similarly to Tagore's Ghare Baire, the modern director adds a contemporary twist to the conflict between Western and Indian philosophies in Ghawre Bairey Aaj. The character of Sandip, once a sympathizer of the Maoist ideology and now a right-wing politician, challenges liberal journalist Nikhilesh's belief in secularism. Sandip questions whether the common people truly understand the concept of secularism and argues that it is more important to align oneself with what is necessary in the present time. Through skillful dialogue, the director portrays Sandip as a manipulative politician, contrasting with Nikhilesh, who represents the liberal, secular voice favored by the urban intelligentsia in a society marked by bigotry.
Simultaneously, the film delves into the theme of love, specifically Brinda's (previously known as Bimala, portrayed by Tuhina Das) journey of love. Brinda, a Dalit orphan from Jharia and the granddaughter of Nikhilesh's nanny, finds a home and acceptance under the care of Nikhilesh's mother, played by Aloknanda Dutt. Her name is changed to Brinda to assimilate her into mainstream society, a poignant reflection of the struggles faced by marginalized communities. Years later, when Sandip humorously questions if they have "Brahmanized the Dalit girl," Nikhilesh remains silent, unable to provide an answer.
Today, Brinda is well-educated, independent and a house-proud woman, who works from their beautiful home at posh Maharani Bagh. In that crisis moment, when her grandmother questions the necessity of her education as she would not get a groom, Nikhilesh, an Oxford-educated editor of a politically liberal magazine, decides to marry her. Their love blooms after marriage and dedicatedly so. Then enters Sandip, a professor and Nikhilesh’s best friend. Charismatic and a brilliant orator, Sandip sweeps Brinda off her feet.
The love story blends with Sandip’s right-wing philosophy and Nikhilesh’s tryst with restoring faith in secular India. Several obvious reference points from recent politics in our country, like disputed land for religious shrine and incidents of mob lynching, give the film a contemporary touch. By the end, however, the intricate love story silently takes the backseat and it becomes a political fistfight.
It is not the first time Sen is dealing with sectarianism in India. In Mr. And Mrs. Iyer too, she questions the necessity of majoritarian bigotry. However, in the film, it is gentle-wrapped in endless magic moments between the two central characters — Meenakshi Iyer and Raja Chowdhury. In Ghawre Bairey Aaj, while the social commentary remains the same, the magic touch is missing. In fact, the commentary too sometimes gets lost in the same ‘armchair socialism’ that the film keeps on criticising through Sandip’s dialogue. For example, Amulya Dutta’s (Rwitobroto Mukherjee) character takes pitifully little time to convert.
With Brinda in a central character, Tuhina’s strong performance is imminent for the film and she does a good job. From being a pampered wife to a coy lover and then a guilty partner — she becomes Brinda quite convincingly. Among all the characters, Sandip is the most straightforward one. With plummeting ethics and inherent ruthlessness, his character is negative, only lightly seasoned with inner conflicts. Jisshu’s performance too seems pretty flat like his character. Meanwhile, Anirban’s performance is well-convincing sans the forced accent that he has resorted to. Isn’t it better to speak plain Indian English than trying a forced accent? Though in smaller roles, Rwitobroto, Sreenanda Shankar and Anjan Dutt give convincing performances.