CHAYA-O- CHOBI – A REVIEW

CHAYA-O- CHOBI – A REVIEW

The man who gave us movies like Apur Panchali, Cinemawala, Shobdo, Chotoder Chobi, Bishorjon and a kaleidoscope of movies all along, has added something new on the platter this time that tastes rather bitter-sweet.

Kaushik Ganguly’s preoccupation with human relationships and social anomalies is common knowledge. Some like his treatment and, then again, some don’t. An original thinker, dwelling on new concepts incessantly, writing his own script and directing his own movies, Kaushik Ganguly’s Chaya-O-Chobi, (read ’Shadow and the Picture’) is, I think, inspired by Francois Truffaut’s film "Day for Night"  where an entire film crew come to shoot at a location far from home. What unfolds is the mingling of reel and real life in the lives of some that is both painful and enlightening.

The movie begins with the dedication and enthusiasm in Maya (Churni Ganguly) to make a Bengali film funded by her own grandmother. She has come all the way from the UK with her father (Barun Chanda) to Darjeeling to shoot the movie with her crew and actors. But demonetization takes the fun out of the venture as payments are delayed and the Prima Donna, Rai (Koel Mullick), disappears from the scene with her car and driver, Jeetu (Ritwick Chakroborty).  Work practically comes to a standstill. Her co-star and fiancé, Arindam (Abir Chatterjee), is also at a loose end.

A novel idea of a plot that is quite probable, the story meanders through roles played by scheming group members, mysterious planting of memorabilia in someone’s room, the past that resurfaces in unseen ways in the lives of some and a theft that makes everything turn upside down.

After a long time Abir Chatterjee looked at ease and did a wonderful job. Ritwick Chakraborty is his natural self blending with his character playing Jeetu. Churni Ganguly was certainly remarkable playing a movie-maker who is level-headed  and yet aware of the charade that was being cleverly played around her. Koel Mullick was rather a disappointment with her lack of interest in the character she played or so it seemed. But then when was she ever more than a mannequin that laughed and danced as a ‘mishti, dushtu girl’. No one knew why she wore a blank expression at all times to be taken seriously. There was no agony revealed to us to know what made her wear that look.

The movie is, however, beautifully shot at excellent locations with distant mountains in the backdrop and the sound of crickets at dusk. The shots at the Tuskers’ Cottage in a resort created an interesting ambience for the ones who wanted to steal moments away from society where new bondings are made.

Music by Indradeep Das Gupta did not add any value to the scenes, in my opinion. In fact, trying to look like an out and out commercial film at times with silly songs was a ridiculous idea. It didn’t gel with a Kaushik Ganguly movie.

Producer Nishpal Singh’s presentation, what didn’t impress me about the movie was the tenor and character of the same. It was neither serious, nor commercial. It was not even a mystery. The storytelling lacked intrigue or depth that is usually associated with Kaushik Ganguly’s signature touch. Maybe too many cooks (hands in direction) spoiled the broth. This is not a movie that you can remember once you are out of the movie theatre.

Copyright ©  Dola Dutta Roy

August 2017