Anuranan...A Resonance

Yesterday, I saw a beautiful sample of Bengali cinema, although I was ill-fated enough to have to watch the Hindi version (no offense but I much prefer the Bengali language, it's so much more soothing to the ear). Anyway, as the name suggests, the movie is all about resonance or in layman's terms the matching of frequencies (or is it wavelengths I forget which). But that doesn't really matter because the term is used strictly in the non-technical sense, ie, resonance of minds. The fact that warm and close relationships can be formed on the basis of meeting of minds and yet remain platonic is something that the film explores beatifully, through it's central characters, Rahul (Rahul Bose) and Preeti (Raima Sen). Though married to different people, they come together based on their mutual love for literature and appreciation of the finer aspects of life. There is a stark contrast between their respective marriages; while Rahul and his wife are completely and utterly devoted to each other, Preeti is stuck in a house with a husband who remains forever immersed in the stock markets with no hint of companionship. It is for this reason that Preeti is very much of a cynic while Rahul brings with himself all the qualities of a vibrant life which she admires immensely. He shows her life through new eyes and dispels her notion that life always betrays us. But just when she is inspired to visit the site of his project in the Himalayas, to see for herself the beauty of nature as he had described it, tragedy strikes, leaving Rahul dead from a heart attack and their friendship is misconstrued as an illicit affair and Preeti is left to bear the brunt of it. What follows is a tragic fall from grace, with her husband abandoning her, her mother ashamed of her and society shunning her until she can bear it no more and resorts to suicide. She is saved however and asks to meet Rahul's wife Noni who in the meanwhile has been floundering in painful waters trying to cope with her husband's death. In the poignant final scene of the movie, sitting by Preeti's bed in the hospital, Noni consoles Preeti and gives her hope to live again while finally accepting the truth of her husband's death and breaking down herself.

On a more critical note, I think it is one of the best performances of Rahul Bose, who is a refreshing breath of fresh air throughout the length of the movie without being the least bit arrogant which I find in most of his other roles. Raima sen with her quiet and dignified manner does a brilliant job of conveying emotions with her silences. Also the scenery in the movie is truly amazing, from London and the English countrside where it begins to the hustle and bustle of Calcutta and the sheer beauty of the Himalayas, this is a must watch for more reasons than one.