Noukadubi

A delicious movie, to say the least. In fact, the best thing that has happened to me after my visit to Kolkata this time. It kind of advertised itself in broad daylight, as I saw the poster through the window of the airport Volvo bus. Rituparno Ghosh’s Noukadubi. A tribute to Tagore, on his 150th birthday. First thing I asked dad, was, if it is still running. Such was the compulsion I felt, to watch it. All this days, enthralled by Ganer Opare, as I was, I never even got to know of this attempt of Rituparno, so alienated I am from the general news of Bengali culture.
Luckily for me, it has released only last weekend, in fact the very day I have arrived in Kolkata. And today I got to watch the movie.

I don’t even know where that note book went, the one where I had written a couple of short stories. However, I remember the initial days of orkut-ing, way back in early 2007. At that time, you could read almost everyone’s scraps, there was no way of hiding or preferential display. At that time, I had read how he took his parents for “The Namesake”. What an irony, two people on whom I had big crushes, are discussing about this in orkut, and I am reading it. If you don’t remember, this was the novel where I had read for the first time “following my bliss”. I felt so helpless then, you know. And I feel the same way even today. Let alone the usual pleasures of life…which I don’t even crave for. Why don’t I have this simple pleasure of taking my parents to a movie, giving them some basic entertainment, a sense of living life, apart from the usual boring and monotonous routine?
However, since then, I have had couple of chances, to enjoy this simple happiness. When I took them to the beautiful “Lagey Raho Munna Bhai” and they were not only taken aback by the spontaneity and message of the movie, but also the luxury of the theatre. I had the good fortune of getting them seats in the uppermost row, in the so called gold class equivalent of Fame. Then, of course I shall remember all my life, the thrill of watching Feluda, with the full family for once.

And then, it was today. It was drizzling when we started off. It is almost a 10 minutes walk. We were quite wet when we reached, but the movie hadn’t started yet. To be frank, I never imagined it would be such a leisurely watch. It was almost like watching a normal soap opera. Taking Tagore to the grassroot level, must have been the purpose. I got my answer, as I watched the movie, to the question that had come in my mind, seeing the poster for the first time. Why Noukadubi? Of all the novels Tagore has ever written, surely this is not the one. It has neither philosophy, nor drama. It is indeed, completely make believe. Then why this weird selection? Surely there were better novels of Tagore, waiting to be explored by the deft mind of Rituparno?

Another reason why I hadn’t expected this to be so successful in easing away my evening, was the intense pain I experienced this afternoon. I happened to read Hema and Kaushik once again. It brought back both the love and the pain that I am trying to get used to. It brought back the meaninglessness of my life, once again. Told me loud and clear, that no matter whatever I do, it is not going to work out. It should have taken hardly six months to cure, had it been curable. Now it is more than 3 years. And the wound has only deepened. I was once again drained out, I had no mind for entertainment. And yet, now I feel so fresh. So proud, so elated. So full of you still, revelling in the realization that Kotak Mahindra bank has financed this movie. What an expert I am to find the remotest possible connection between you and me. A movie in my language, that I watched, and a bank for which you are the implementation manager. What an intimate bond, na?

And it automatically comes again to my mind, that same question. Sudhu tumi ki go emni bhabe…rangiye more paliye jabe….tumi sadh kore nath dhora diye…aamar e rang bokkhe niyo…

I love Rituparno’s Rabindra chetona. I tell myself, this is something very rare. Very extinct. Perhaps, there will be no one in the next generation to replace him. I wish I could spend more time in Kolkata. Absorb what I have been missing till date. Perhaps that is now the only way left for me to rediscover life.

It was a very simple story telling session. Almost a soap opera. At times a proper intolerable hindi movie plot. Was it an attempt to take Tagore to the masses? Who knows? But you'll be happy at the end of the show. This much I can guarantee. Music is the life blood, as usual. Acting was ok. Nothing was very difficult in the movie, so accordingly I cannot praise anyone to that extent. Except perhaps, the costume designer. It was a British driven India, but still, oh what grandeur. In some ways Rituparno is becoming quite like Karan Johar. Like KJo would keep at least one scene of Shah Rukh running, in his movies, Rituparno would keep one chorus song with elaborate orchestration. Is he experimenting also about the bramhosangeet influence on rabindra sangeet? Seems so. I want more fresh faces on the Bengali screen. Riya and Raima are beautiful, have been true to their roles, but I believe a proper rabindra nayika should have more potential. Why not take an unconventional, new face? He is sure an able enough director, to bring out acting out of anybody? Why the same old faces then? Faces who are so far apart from the roles they are playing? Who cannot even speak proper Bengali in most cases?

At the end, I am contented. This area has improved hugely. There was nothing when we came. 13 years back. Now, there is a proper shopping mall, with a multiplex. Where I can reach by walk. With my parents. All three of us smiling :)