Sesher Galpo Film Review
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Sesher Galpo Film Review
One of the striking aspects that immediately catches attention as the opening credits roll is the period the director and scriptwriter have chosen if Amit Ray and Labanya Dutta from Tagore's "Shesher Kabita" were to meet after decades. Given the references to present-day social scenarios such as Facebook, multi-storey buildings, and smartphones, it becomes apparent that the film is set in 2019. Consequently, it logically and fictionally establishes that the youngsters from 1929 (the publication year of "Shesher Kabita") are no longer alive. The significance of the opening credits lies in the fact that the title states, "Inspired from Tagore's Shesher Kabita," with the tagline emphasizing "The unsaid part of the poem."
The story takes an improbable leap not only in terms of years but also in terms of faith. Now, Amit (Soumitra Chatterjee) and Labanya (Mamata Shankar) not only meet at an old-age home but also witness the resurgence of youthful love between Kuhu (Durga Santra), the daughter of Soumitra's friend, and Akash (Aarna Mukhopadhyay), the nephew of Labanya's deceased brother. Through this narrative device, the director attempts to explore whether all great love stories are destined to face unfortunate fates. However, it becomes apparent that not all modern-day love connections are as frivolous as depicted in the film.
Amit and Labanya, on the contrary, are more real in keeping the sincerity of the relationship intact even after decades. Iconic actors like Soumitra Chatterjee and Mamata Shankar make things easier for the director, along with good support from Kharaj Mukherjee, Krishnakishor Mukhopadhyay, Pallavi Chatterjee and others.
There are naturally a lot of references from Tagore’s works. The older Amit appears less know-it-all than Tagore’s creation. Maybe, that is pivotal to making the character grow also in terms of greater wisdom. But Labanya is the same simple and grounded person.
Sadly, there is lack of uniformity in the film. However, the highlight of the film is a beautiful rendition of Eki Labanye Purno Prano to which Mamata Shankar dances.
The love story between the youngsters hardly takes off and there is no doubt that Akash and Kuhu are overshadowed by Amit and Labanya. The director and scriptwriter could have either fleshed out the characters better or left the story at Amit and Labanya meeting again.