Bobby's Thoughts: My views on 'READING RITUPARNO' by Dr.Shoma A Chatterji

Right from the foreword of the book READING RITUPARNO,where the author Dr.Shoma A Chatterji, gives us the insight of what a treat this book will be for readers and her honesty and loyalty to all,she mentions,who have helped her to write this book and her life,if I may so!!

She makes it very clear ‘ THIS IS NOT A FEMINIST FILM STUDY,BUT A STUDY OF THE FILMS OF RITUPARNO’.

Apart from SUNGLASS and SATYANNESHI,all of Rituda’s films have been,if I may say,redrawn,re-analysed,re-comprehended and revised,in a manner which none...and I repeat...none... of the books about Ritu da have been able to do,till date!! It is a must keep for all book lovers,all readers of cinema or otherwise.

The author gives us a thought provoking chapter on the ‘voice’ that Ritu da gave to his male and female characters...which was if not always very strong...but definitely pronounced! Here she chain reacts ‘voice’ of legendary characters from other legendary films in Indian cinema to agreat effect too!

We come to know with utter dismay that Ritu da had plans to start work on a ‘Kabuliwala’ remake...’Mahabharata’...’Devi Chowdhurani’...’Chokhj’...’Red Carpet’ ...but alas!

CHAPTER 1...THE 1

An excellent study and thorough research of ‘Feminist Men’ in Indian history is followed by other directors in Indian cinema who have given women their ‘voice’!

Starting with Rituda’s UNISHE APRIL,she peels out layer after layer after layer of the mother-daughter relationship,that we revelled in...in 3 extra-ordinary angles...THE MARXIST READNG...THE FEMINIST READING...THE SOCIOLOGICAL READING. One feels,after reading interpretation of the film,that one is seeing a new film all totally!!

Next comes ASOOKH...a father daughter relationship,which I personally didn’t like as a film on the whole,thought after reading her analysis,one understood the finer points...truely in many ways,it was a sequel to UNISHEY APRIL.

Then comes BARIWALLI...Was just wondering how brilliant and controversy free it would be,if Rakhiji would have been casted as Bonolata!!...

Then comes DAHAN...one of my personal favourites...It is a real life story of Ananya Chatterjee(Jhinuk in the film),journalist,who saved a housewife from rapists! It is such a thought provoking film on the evils of molestation and rape that our society is tarnished with,made all the more provoking with her analysis!

CHAPTER 2...RELATIONSHIPS REDEFINED:

On explaining relationships in Indian cinema,the author throws light on 4 landmark film DEEWAR...JAI SANTOSHI MA...HUM AAPKE HAIN KAUN...JODHA AKBAR...all different in their genres but strongly connected with their tales of relationships and its depth!

Among Rituda’s films on this,first comes UTSAV...another personal favourite...a masterpiece!The detailing,as she points out too...is a highlight in the film and it show’s Rituda’s class and eye for perfection!

Then comes TITLEE... and a deadly combo of Ritu da and Mithun da in the film had me run to the theatres on the first day first show,I remember!?This was Ritu da’s own story and for the 1

Then comes KHELA...released around the same time when KHELA,a superhit daily soap on Zee Bangla,in which,I played an integral part, was on air...quite a co-incidence! I remember Ritu da had met me in a party and exclaimed “Khela t etui khub bhalo korchhish”...I was ecstatic,but I replied back in mock anger “kintu tomar Khela te jayga holo na to!!” He laughed back and said “hobe...kono na kono Khela te hobe”....! I missed out working with him in ABOHOMAAN,as I was in Mumbai at that time for the audition of KHELENGE HUM JEE JAAN SE...though I always felt Ritu da never really got over the shock of meeting the 92kg me, the 1

Next comes SHOB CHORITRO KALPONIK...An excellent eye opener to every humanbeing that how we do take our relations for granted...it is after we have broken or eroded it,we realize we could have done much better to try and build it!! Such wonderful explaination by the author of the synopsis,adding every detail of the script,the scenes,the treatment...you are bound to go back to your dvd shelf and watch it all over again...!

Then comes ABOHOMAAN...I think this is my most favourite Rituda movie...for several reasons... because of not being able to be a part of it by accident...for Momo di’s stunning performance as Deepti(I could not get through Momo di’s phone during the shoot of ABOHOMAAN...she always calls back...but she didn’t...I was perplexed ...later she revealed how distant she had purposely kept herself from everyone that she loved...because she wanted to shed that inherent sweetness of Mamata Shankar and become that saucy ,bitter,rude Deepti...and how!!!She still laments about a standout ,face-off scene between Deepti and Shikha,played by Ananya,which got edited...perhaps to keep the dignity of Deepti’s character intact...!I called her up during the screening, as the show was on,just to let her hear the audience clapping at Deepti’s stance towards her husband’s affair...a verbal slap of the strongest form on Aniket(played by Tito da) came upon.when he asked Deepti to divorce him..and she replies “keno?divorce debo keno?I will live with you,beside you forever,just to remind that ‘I’ was there!!That is going to be your ultimate punishment’.......sublime...getting goose flesh...as I am writing this...Ritu da ...the masterclass in script...in dialogues...in subtle moments...and the author truely brings out the real Rituparno Ghosh through this book! The author also reflects upon the fact that humanbeings are unfaithful in general...most of them forget favours...their roots...their mentors...I can vouch for that...they ‘DO’!

CHAPTER 3: ADAPTATIONS OF CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE:

The author gives us a resourceful background of adaptations in Indian

To start with Ritu da’s literary adaptations it is SHUBHO MAHOROTH..an adaptation of Agatha Cristie’s The Mirror Cracked From Side to Side...a thriller from Ritu da was there to surprise everyone...not a personal favourite though...in a section the author draws in Madhuja Mukherjee’s review of the film,whch reflects my thoughts too...this film has not been rightly given a glorious analysis,but no one can take away the genius from Ritu da and the honesty of the unbiased author!

Then comes RAINCOAT... the adaptation of The Gift of Magi...the author rightly points out ‘Rituparno manipulates both time and space,that takes it to a different level of experience’... an interesting anecdote here that I must add...I was shooting for a daily soap ‘Sonar Bangla’(2004) based on Sirajudaulla’s life...where Parambrata was Siraj... and me

Next comes in the children’s film by Rituda,his first film HIRER ANGTI,adapted fromSree

Then comes the very adult oriented DOSAR...a marvel in black and white...another adaptation of the story by Mr.Mukhopadhyay...a good director knows how to exploit the strong points of an actor and how to make the weak points his/her strong points...and DOSAR is an example!...Haven’t ever liked the Megastar Bumba da so so so much as Kaushik in DOSAR !Spellbound!!The use of Visual metaphor,as the author points out has been always a strength in Ritu da’s films and DOSAR makes no exception!The author gives a sensational thought about the name of the film...which means ‘comapanion’...one starts thinking who is actually whose companion!!

Then comes a very resourceful and interesting read on the adaptations of Sree Tarashankar Bandopadhyay’s literary work on Indian screen...out of which Ritu da chose Protima to adapt as ANTARMAHAL...the daring ANTARMAHAL...a very interesting part when the author asks Ritu da...why didn’t he take Shanti da,a brilliant actor himself,who had dubbed for Mr.Jackie Shroff’s character,which was unconvincing,as he knew nothing about the culture of the Zamindari system in Bengal...and his body language said it all...!The author criticizes the film for taking too many liberties from the literature!

Then comes adaptation of William Shakespeare’s

CHAPTER 4: RE READING TAGORE CHOKHER BAALI,NOUKADUBI AND CHITRANGADA-THE CROWNING WISH

A very very interesting background has been created by the author,about the successful and unsuccessful and pathetic adaptations of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore’s literary works in the history of Indian Cinema...a must read...before she ventures into Ritu da’s adaptation.

First comes CHOKHER BAALI...but before that there is a stunner...Kobiguru’s personal letter to the director Mr.Satu Sen,who adapted Chokher Baali,into a film in 1938,after he saw it!!

Rituda made his CHOKHER BAALI hundred years after it was written and had departed from the original story in a number of aspects....the author points out many anomalies...namely Behari’s characterization and ambiguity in tme frames...it shows the indepth study by the author,a lover of cinema with a keen eye ,a truely educated eye of a critic! An excellently written historic document of widowhood in India

Then comes NOUKADUBI/KASHMAKASH,which according to the author,the most cinema friendly story by Tagore.The hindi version was a disaster because of different actors dubbing for it,who knew nothing about the nuances of Tagore and I support the author 100%! Here again it is not an adaptation but an ‘inspiration’ which makes it detach a lot from the original story! The departures from the original as pointed out by the author,makes you think,what the film was or what it could have been if it was not detached fro the original!Truely it is Rituda’s one of the best ode to Tagore!

Then comes CHITRANGADA...I completely agree with the author when she says ‘A director known for his beautiful sense of imagery and characterization and music does not need to fall back on Tagore,because his individual argument was stronger than the Tagorean allusions’! A daring film...a topic which no Indian film has ever touched...sex reassignment...!

Then comes JEEBON SMRITI...the documentary on Tagore...here again I completely agree with the author when she says ‘Ghosh’s decision to be the anchor of the film and his own entry into the frame along with unit members was an unwarranted decision’

A very interesting observation by the author about the colour codes of Rituda’s 3 Tagore films...

CHOKHER BAALI-mellow tints of ochres,rusts,browns and a lot of red

NOUKADUBI-blue and tints of grey

CHITRANGADA-bright red to grey to rainbow of colours

CHAPTER 5:THE 5

Perhaps this was the most interesting section for me as a reader...because I had seen Rituda ,the actor close on,worked with him,however briefely,but that was enough for me to keep that scene in AREKTI PREMER GOLPO forever ,as my prized treasure! The author asks ‘can anyone write the script of his own life?’... she answers it herself with an ‘yes’!

The author gives a us a peak into the alternative form of relationships in history,Androgyny...etc..and how cinema has dealt with this alternative form of sexuality! Three very interesting references of film that dealt with alternative sexuality are Subah...BomGay...Sancharam...makes one crave to see these films...! The author rightly points out that there is an undercurrent of ‘exchange’ in every relationship...personal or professional...which has been dealt with in this film!

Then comes MEMORIES IN MARCH...Rituda as the actor only...I agree when the author says ‘The film is more about love experienced and shared than about the gay persona’

Then comes CHITRANGADA-THE CROWNING WISH...dealing with the daring theme of sex reassignment ...the author gives us an indepth view of how Rituda trained himself for this very difficult role,not shying away to criticize him too,for being over indulgent in the film...a brilliant line by Rituda as narrated to the author in an interview sums it up all...”I consider myself privileged because of my gender fluidity!I get to decide whether I want to stand in a man’s or a woman’s queue or neither of the two”....

THIS BOOK WILL BE A COMPANION FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE,IN MY HAPPY MOMENTS WITH RITUDA’S FILMS AND WITH THE SAD MOMENTS WHEN I REALIZE THAT RITUDA IS NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT WITH US!...THANK YOU DR SHOMA A.CHATTERJI....

KHELA KHELA DIYE SHURU...KHELA KHELA DIYE SHESH