Photo Copyrights: Planman Motion Pictures

Prosenjit Chatterjee Retrospective
Venue: India Habitat Centre
Date: 7 September 2015

It is said that Rituparno Ghosh brought back Bengali audience to cinema halls after a sterile period of more than a decade. Most Bengalis would spend hours defending any anti-Rituparno view that you might have. Dosar is a Bangla film that he made in 2006 that has won the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) for the lead role by Prosenjit Chatterjee. Dosar was recently screened as the first film of Prosenjit Chatterjee Retrospective being held at India Habitat Centre during 7 – 29 September.

This is a film about infidelity in its urban form. Prosenjit is a corporate executive who has an affair with a colleague. The colleague dies in an accident on their way back from an escapade. Prosenjit survives and now has to face his wife (Konkona Sen Sharma).

The film is in blank and white, however it lacks the soft visual tones of yesteryear black and white films and the glare hurts the eye. Moreover Rituparno’s visuals are replete with details. All these details are lost due to lack of colour and the viewing experience is quite incomplete. The developments in the story are predictable and the climax premature. Along with the lead pair, other stories of infidelity eat into screen space. Additionally these diversions seem half-baked. The sex scenes are unnecessary and the actors are not convincing in these shots.

We still regret the untimely demise of the extremely talented Rituparno Ghosh in 2013. Dosar is not a bad film but definitely not his masterpiece. We would still go back to Masoom or Arth to watch a film on this topic.

Also this is out and out Konkona’s film. Perhaps the National Award makes it a contender for Prosenjit’s retrospective.