I have always loved Bengali movies although there are not many that I have watched. But, the ones that I have, have all remained my favorites. I love everything Bengali - Kolkata is my favorite city, Bengali sweets are the best I have ever tasted, Bengali sarees and their way of tying it is something I truly admire. And now "Antaheen", adds to the long list of things Bengali I like. Since, I got to know about this movie, I have already watched it ten times over, and each time it feels like a breath of fresh air.
Brilliantly enacted by a set of very talented actors, "Antaheen" captures the imperfection in relationships. Paro and Ronjhun, are deeply in love with each other but find it difficult to be together without company. They stay in the same city, talk on phone everyday but choose to stay separately. There is a very poignant scene in the movie, where Ronjhun asks Paro to find his raincoat from the wardrobe. She comes over when he is not home and we find how comfortable she finds herself there. She cleans up his room, tidies the wardrobe and makes tea for herself enjoying every bit of her existence there. But, when Ronjhun comes in and taps her shoulder, she is suddenly left speechless. Her awkwardness in finding him around in this flat, which moments ago looked like hers, is captured brilliantly. She leaves instantly, leaving us wondering what is it that prevents them from being in each other's presence.
The other pair in the movie, is Abhik, Ronjhun's cousin and Brinda who met on an internet chatting room and though elusive of each other's identities, feel a connect. They spend hours talking but don't want to meet each other to keep the mystery alive. Their conversations are an interesting watch, like the one where Brinda says :
"Outside my window is a red kite with a blue tail. It's caught in the antenna. It's struggling to escape. Feel sorry for it.
To which Abhik answers : "You'll miss it if it does."
It perfectly illustrates how love is not always pleasant. Togetherness is not friction-less. Someone's presence may make you irritable but you still miss them when they are not around.
For Paro, spaces are important for working out a relationship. Like when she tells Abhik : "Sometimes absence is required to feel a person's presence more intensely." At another point in the movie, she gifts a book to Ronjhun with these words penned : "The closer you get, the more you become elusive. The further you go the clearer you become." But she has also subconsciously defined the quantum of this space. When she decides to leave for Mumbai on a job assignment, we find her visibly confused and sad when Ronjhun tells her that she knows what is best for her. So, for her distances in the same city are right but moving to a different city altogether is probably going too far.
The character of Ronjhun is also delicately enacted. All through the movie we find him much at comfort and blissful in his solitude. But there are moments when he needs Paro around. Like, when he asks her to stay back after his birthday celebrations. But, it is only at the end of the movie, that you really come to feel his character. What we see as a strong person prophesying about the richness of solitude, is actually deep inside yearning for Paro's companionship. We see him broken down and pleadingly asking Paro if he could come visit her in Mumbai.
The movie did not end at a happy note for Abhik and Brinda. Brinda dies in a road accident before they could meet in person. Abhi's fate made me wonder of ever he would be able to experience the comfort he felt with Brinda. If you lose someone so special, isn't replacing that person impossible, an endless wait. Antaheen...
For Paro and Ronjhun, antaheen, meant the endless quest in understanding the limits of space that they wanted in the relationship. To what extent you need to express and to what extent fake to keep up the pretense. A little bit of mystery is essential, but if too many thoughts are left unsaid, then Paro and Ronjhun happen.
The movie has a very melodious soundtrack also, so I am ending this post with a few lines :
"Amar bhindeshi tara
eka rateri akashe
Tumi bajale ektara
amar chilekothar pashe"
Brilliantly enacted by a set of very talented actors, "Antaheen" captures the imperfection in relationships. Paro and Ronjhun, are deeply in love with each other but find it difficult to be together without company. They stay in the same city, talk on phone everyday but choose to stay separately. There is a very poignant scene in the movie, where Ronjhun asks Paro to find his raincoat from the wardrobe. She comes over when he is not home and we find how comfortable she finds herself there. She cleans up his room, tidies the wardrobe and makes tea for herself enjoying every bit of her existence there. But, when Ronjhun comes in and taps her shoulder, she is suddenly left speechless. Her awkwardness in finding him around in this flat, which moments ago looked like hers, is captured brilliantly. She leaves instantly, leaving us wondering what is it that prevents them from being in each other's presence.
The other pair in the movie, is Abhik, Ronjhun's cousin and Brinda who met on an internet chatting room and though elusive of each other's identities, feel a connect. They spend hours talking but don't want to meet each other to keep the mystery alive. Their conversations are an interesting watch, like the one where Brinda says :
"Outside my window is a red kite with a blue tail. It's caught in the antenna. It's struggling to escape. Feel sorry for it.
To which Abhik answers : "You'll miss it if it does."
It perfectly illustrates how love is not always pleasant. Togetherness is not friction-less. Someone's presence may make you irritable but you still miss them when they are not around.
For Paro, spaces are important for working out a relationship. Like when she tells Abhik : "Sometimes absence is required to feel a person's presence more intensely." At another point in the movie, she gifts a book to Ronjhun with these words penned : "The closer you get, the more you become elusive. The further you go the clearer you become." But she has also subconsciously defined the quantum of this space. When she decides to leave for Mumbai on a job assignment, we find her visibly confused and sad when Ronjhun tells her that she knows what is best for her. So, for her distances in the same city are right but moving to a different city altogether is probably going too far.
The character of Ronjhun is also delicately enacted. All through the movie we find him much at comfort and blissful in his solitude. But there are moments when he needs Paro around. Like, when he asks her to stay back after his birthday celebrations. But, it is only at the end of the movie, that you really come to feel his character. What we see as a strong person prophesying about the richness of solitude, is actually deep inside yearning for Paro's companionship. We see him broken down and pleadingly asking Paro if he could come visit her in Mumbai.
The movie did not end at a happy note for Abhik and Brinda. Brinda dies in a road accident before they could meet in person. Abhi's fate made me wonder of ever he would be able to experience the comfort he felt with Brinda. If you lose someone so special, isn't replacing that person impossible, an endless wait. Antaheen...
For Paro and Ronjhun, antaheen, meant the endless quest in understanding the limits of space that they wanted in the relationship. To what extent you need to express and to what extent fake to keep up the pretense. A little bit of mystery is essential, but if too many thoughts are left unsaid, then Paro and Ronjhun happen.
The movie has a very melodious soundtrack also, so I am ending this post with a few lines :
"Amar bhindeshi tara
eka rateri akashe
Tumi bajale ektara
amar chilekothar pashe"
Love is life is virtual enjoyment...
ReplyDeleteIn virtual space it gives you happiness and peace but in reality it may become enslaving or hollow ..