Abyakto ( অব্যক্ত ) Movie Analysis
In one particular scene in 'Abyakto', the young Indra rests his head and his father strokes his hair as they listen to some classical music. Years later, he admits to his mother that though he could not understand the music at that age, it surely felt great to empathize with his father's happiness.
Arjunn Dutta's debut smells of Aparajito sans subtleties. The film looks like a spiritual extension to the same, yet the director masterfully meanders through the simple narrative, however maintaining the straightforward flow. For his first film, he has his heart at the right place. He chooses a seemingly uncomplicated subject, one that has been plaguing many Bengali households of late, upping it with a remarkable twist at the end.
Arpita Chatterjee (née Pal) plays the estranged mother, in what is possibly her career best performance. An upbeat heritage house, Chatterjee with a penchant for Rabindra Sangeet, sure it reminds one of Rituparno Ghosh's 'Utsav' with fewer characters and without the titular festival, heightening the sense of loneliness that looms large when a son leaves to settle in another city.
Among the film's limited cast, the only one who interferes with Chatterjee's moments under the sun is Adil Hussain, who despite being a thespian extraordinaire, shines more in the Bengali films he does.
The only occasional impediment in an otherwise commendable debut is a few unnecessary conversation in English and a couple of repetitive dialogues. For a film which clocks at 87 minutes, they mar the otherwise brilliant editing and cinematography.
Bengali cinema in recent times hinges majorly on two formulae. The one, endorsed by a director duo, follows a melodramatic approach, a mere translation of tv serials on to the bigger screen, with works by Bengal's greatest literary figure sprinkled here and there. The other, championed by the self-proclaimed class topper, dwells on a few coups, hurriedly made in to a collage, with filmmaking and storytelling in general taking a comfortable backseat.
Director- Arjunn Dutta
At such a scenario, this is a decent watch and the director certainly deserves a pat on the back for his magnificent restraint. Add to that the usage of music, helmed by Soumya Rit, heavily relying on oriental instrumentation. Very rarely one comes across music which leads a film, allowing the previous dialogues to soak in.
Abyakto is an important film in these times. It speaks of the unvanquished spirit of unrequited love, of love that can't go beyond societal acceptance, of all that remains unsaid.
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