Good theme

A black-and-white framed portrait of actress Madhubala hangs on one wall of Dilip’s room. It is a nostalgic fondness for the actress and also his emotional crutch for private conversation when he feels lonely. He can converse freely only with this photograph. The photograph is symbolic of Dilip’s acquired autism where he cannot carry on even a normal conversation with Yasin. He practically lives in front of his computer and his webcam and often forgets to eat. The dabba lying forgotten in a corner. He is soft-spoken and shy. But it is a façade for the lack of morals that lies behind the gentle exterior. Yasin throws up a good contrast with his openness,his commitment to his family,his intention to look after them. He is talkative,friendly and naïve,puzzled by Dilip’s unethical way of being a Peeping Tom not knowing the impact of his action on two innocent people.

Rekha is ambitious but is taken aback when she confronts the ugliness of the city with eve-teasing and open hints at the casting couch when she goes for a screen audition. The most shocking scene in the film is when,the morning after complaining to the police about the surveillance camera fitted above her dressing table mirror,Rekha sits on the floor,the door ajar,her hair all awry and her sari draped haphazardly,as if she has been raped. This scene is a powerful statement on how the canvas of rape as we understand it,has enlarged to capture a larger,more dangerous horizon where one can be raped without being touched by her rapist,or even without the rapist having to be present in the same room as his victim. There is no dialogue,no weeping,and no tears because it is her face,her body language and her attitude that does all the talking she cannot. Yasin is another innocent victim,once because he shares the room with this modern-day Peeping Tom; twice because he is Muslim and the bomb blast in the city marks him a terrorist. The film would have stood well enough without the terrorist angle.

Prosenjit,Amitava and Sameera Reddy are outstandingly convincing and special marks go to Prosenjit for essaying a very difficult role. Biswadeb’s music with the strains of a slight variation on a famous Tagore number on the soundtrack is moving. Sunny Joseph’s camera plays around creatively to keep pace with the dark and sombre mood of the film,brightening up a bit when they are on the run. The editing is a bit jarring for the lay viewer but it makes sense for the non-linear structure. The visual metaphor of the four porters carrying an antique sofa set across the streets of Kolkata carries the poetic signature of Dasgupta but it is incomprehensible for the audience.
RATING:
The three-star rating is for the direction,acting and cinematography.