Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Antaheen

Pronounced - "Ontoheen" A Bengali film ** I watched yesterday.**p.s the link has spoilers

One I'd recommend you'll all to watch if you can lay your hands on it. National award 2009 winner, starring Rahul Bose, Aparna Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Antaheen starts off on a slow note, and cocoons you into a trance with the background score, the mesmerizing dialogues and the visual poetry. All my senses were heightened while watching this movie as I became one with the script and the unfolding of events.

No emotion is in abundance - the glory of this movie is in the subdued mellowness - one that engulfs us in our life more often than not. No time to love, grieve and really 'live'. A mellowness that you would relate to, of being in love and yet not, of being certain yet not for sure, of conversations in your mind coming alive with musical notes and moonshine and yet being unsaid. There are many love stories intertwined, and yet there arent. Ronjon da and Parro di love each other desperately yet contain it within the realms or their hearts and the depths of their eyes. Its easy to tell how much dependence and vulnerability links thee two characters, and still there's words unsaid, emotions unquantified and feelings undiscussed.

The movie absorbs you further and further till it reaches a melodious orgasmic finale. A sad one, but befitting of the string of reality that ties the movie together.

Modern day romances of song and dance and exaggerated feelings really make for a foolish watch. They're far from our daily lives and hard to relate to. In this scenario a film maker making a film with such superior emotions, such well rounded characters and screenplay that makes each scene look like a work of art, beautiful and lustrous in its depiction. This really is modern day Kolkata with Parro di a workaholic advertising professional having a smoke break and drinking a martini on her husbands birthday. The aerial views and the landscapes depicted are truly phenomenal, it almost makes one feel as though the director is just taking the liberty of showing off this city.

Sharmila Tagore's story is an unexpected one, which later one parallels with the more modern version of Rahul Bose's. how a modern setting can affect the same feelings, and the same emotions is truly worth a thought.

All in all, a must watch, and a wonderful experience to sit through. If you have it in you, try listening more to the Bengali - the dialogues are a treat, and in Bengali, even more sensous.

12 comments:

Scarlett said...

Did you like 'Ferari Mon'? I love love love that song. It's one of my absolute favorites :) I listen to it almost everyday at work. Calms me down...

Serendipity said...

hey, nope. ill get it tonight :)

Scarlett said...

The song is in the movie. You can listen to it here (beautiful video too): http://www.chakpak.com/video/pherari-mon---antaheen-ost-%5Bhq%5D/4197780

Kalyan Karmakar said...

"Even more sensuous in Bengali" and then the complain when Bongs get together and speak in Bangla :)

Serendipity said...

@scarlett - done!

@The knife - ki holo?! aamhi kokhono bolini!! =)

Aniket Thakkar said...

Are there subtitles? Coz me no knows bengali.

Bishon gondogol-holo!

Serendipity said...

Aniket - subtitles jai ho. get a dvd.

Piper .. said...

I didnt know you`re bengali speaking! :) I must watch the movie first. Then I`ll be back with my comments :)

Serendipity said...

LOL I'm not Bengali speaking, i just know aktu aktu :)

Utopia said...

So you know ektu ektu bangla. Hehehe! I was wondering how you could have understood a bong movie. I was under the impression you are a Maharashtrian until I realised this is the era of the sub-titles. Besides all of that Bengali isn't a difficult language to understand at all. :D

Serendipity said...

I am a maharashtrian :) but how did u figure that out? :D

S said...

Sensous bengali...coming from a non bengali :) we take it as a compliment..

and the song is awesome :)