MEGHE DHAKA TARA (2013)

Director: Kamaleswar Mukherjee
Writer: Kamaleswar Mukherjee
Stars: Saswata Chatterjee, Ananya Chatterjee, Rahul Banerjee, Abir Chatterjee
Runtime: 155 minutes
Strength: Acting & cinematography
Weakness: Small target group
Star Showbiz Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: A film about legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak's struggle. A period film, the movie takes a non-linear approach portray stages of Ghatak's life.
Review: Life of Ritwik Ghatak is an enigma. A man with great talent, Ghatak struggled with the hardships of life. He was a confused man who couldn't keep balance between personal and professional life. His alcoholism led him to be committed to a mental asylum. Coincidentally, the title of the movie shares the same name with one of Ghatak's best films. Yet, it is neither a remake nor a biopic. It is sure that a lot of research went into it before the script was written, but there was no attempt to psychoanalyze the man. Abir Chatterjee played the role of a psychiatrist, who just poses questions – the questions that we all who appreciate Ghatak's work ask. Cinematography is poetic – the film is a depiction of the darker side of the man's life and almost entirely done in black and white. Debajoyti's music compliments the scenes perfectly. Surrealistic scenes with spooky dance moves are merely an attempt by Kamaleswar Mukherjee to depict the distress that Ghatak went through during the times of struggle. Ananya Chatterjee played the role of Nilkanto's (Ghatak) wife. She was brilliant in her portrayal of the self-destructive intellectual's wife. Her depressed face draws the viewer's sympathy. Watching the movie, the most obvious question that comes to mind is whether Nilkato desires sympathy or not? Anyone, who isn't familiar with Ghatak's life, may not find the character Nikanto, a pleasant one. Rather, he is a man who we may loathe. Overall, the movie has all the makings to turn out to be a classic one. The only reason the movie doesn't get full marks in my book is because the way it is presented may confuse the viewers who don't know Ritwik Ghatak.
Reviewed