The Ancient (Puratawn)
Initial Thoughts
This is the first Bengali film that I’ve ever watched and what a great film to start my deep dive into Bengali cinema with. I attended the Gala Premiere of The Ancient at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival which had the cast, crew, and their families in attendance. The audience had people from diverse age groups. From Devdas to Padosan, there have been many Hindi films which are either adaptations from Bengali literature or remakes in Hindi, including Chupke Chupke starring Sharmila Tagore herself. As the name suggests, this film is about the 80th birthday celebrations of a progressive but ailing woman who is slightly stubborn and mildly impatient while she suffers from a neurodegenerative condition. Most of the filming has been done in a dilapidated Jute mill in Titagarh, West Bengal, which serves as the ancestral home of Rituparna Sengupta’s character Ritika, the daughter, opposite Indraneil Sengupta who plays Rajeev, the son-in-law.
Some Facts
We talk about age-appropriate roles in cinema today and Sharmila Tagore has clearly set an example. When she learnt that the makers wanted to build the narrative around her 75th birthday celebrations, she insisted that her age be appropriately shown on screen as an 80-year-old person. While this 5-year age gap might not have made much of a difference to the younger audience, I am sure it would be of significance to the senior audience. This is Tagore’s second project after Gulmohar which was her acting comeback after a long hiatus. This movie marks the veteran actor’s return to Bengali cinema after a decade. She was keen to do a film in her mother tongue provided the script was good. Written and directed by Suman Ghosh, it has also been produced by Rituparna Sengupta who took real-life inspiration for a scene in the movie from her own mother-in-law. Puratawn’s World Premiere was on the Opening Night of the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival where it bagged the Best Feature Film along with the Best Female Actor award for Sharmila Tagore. However, she could not attend in person. This means it was the first time that the Padma Bhushan recipient saw the film, along with her family and the rest of us. Ravi Kiran Ayyagari, the Director of Photography, was applauded in the premiere for his style of capturing the ageing skin.
What went Right
The tone of the film has been maintained throughout as Nostalgic and manages to set a Reflective mood. In addition to that, elements such as an old almirah and green painted walls are used to evoke nostalgia. In fact, the mother turning the pages of a Black & White photo album with her elderly hands, reminded me so much of my own grandmother. The storytelling is simple, yet the narration feels warm and home-like. Ritika’s dialogues are written with a hint of sarcasm that makes the character realistic and can make you chuckle a couple of times. The story unfolds as Ritika invites her estranged husband, Rajeev, to her mother’s birthday celebrations. She reminds him that his relationship with his mother-in-law was supposed to be independent of the relationship between the couple. The movie goes into flashback where we learn that Rajeev is a wildlife photographer who was married before he fell in love with Ritika, a corporate employee. Their budding romance has been beautifully captured in picturesque locations like the Living Root Bridge and the clear green waters of Dawki. The location aligns with the narrative of the film. As they hike through the caves together, the film gives an important insight into Rajeev’s character. The trauma from his previous marriage and its impact on his current relationship with Ritika is a sub-plot that has been well explored. The audience will be able to understand Rajeev’s character in entirety by the end of the film. Rajeev agrees to travel with her to West Bengal to celebrate the birthday. Ritika’s mother is unaware of the recent developments between the two. She worries about her daughter’s health and urges Rajeev to take care of his wife while she treats him well and wishes to make his stay special. Rajeev waits for Ritika to break the news to her mother. As Ritika spends more time at home, she notices that her mother suffers from memory loss. The mother goes from forgetting simple things like where she carefully hid her valuable jewelry, to not remembering bigger milestones like her daughter growing up. Amidst all this, Ritika is unable to find a suitable moment to discuss her personal life with her mother. Sharmila Tagore wonderfully portrays the sweet innocence of someone who is helpless in her worsening condition. While Rituparna plays a worried daughter who springs into action by booking an appointment with the doctor immediately, Indraneil plays a nonchalant son-in-law who has a different take on things. Rajeev finds creative ways to feed his mother-in-law when she makes seemingly unrealistic demands. Rajeev’s efforts are a reciprocation of the times when she too used her creativity to feed him fusion food. Ritika seeks his advice on the upcoming birthday celebrations to which he suggests that if their mother is dwelling in the past, they could simply let her be. They explore the storeroom together to find some old tangible items that bring back memories of the forgotten past.
What was Missing
Sharmila ji mentioned during the premiere that she liked the non-biological relationship between the mother and her caretaker. This is the sub-plot that was not explored much. In a world where one cannot even trust one’s biological relationships, what is the full story behind the caretaker’s loyalty towards the protagonist and where does her attachment stem from. The caretaker has accepted her role and dutifully carries out the tasks assigned to her. She has observed that the mother has become forgetful but does not take any action apart from not letting this become a hindrance in their routinely lives. Sometimes, she is asked to go to the scary storeroom and sometimes she gets blamed for the misplaced jewelry. She complains when things go out of hand, but it does not break her resolve to show up every day and do what is expected of her. While the mother is very unfiltered in her words towards the caretaker, she also cares for the girl and knits a sweater to keep her warm. A little bit of background on the major events that led to this unbreakable bond between the two characters was the missing link. The protagonist’s volatile relationship with her brother-in-law is another sub-plot that has not been explored in detail while it could have possibly contributed to the narrative and explained how it shaped the daughter’s character. While there are numerous memories of the mother fading away, she fondly remembers her husband and carries the burden of guilt towards her late brother-in-law. She sees the patriarch of the family in Rajeev now, who manages to find her when she goes missing. She tries to provide him with a justification for her actions in the past that led to an unfortunate outcome for the family. The scene still manages to convince that our actions in the past might leave a mark on our future.
Final Thoughts
The Ancient explores the golden years of life, creatively and sensitively. It is centered around Sharmila Tagore who shines gloriously throughout the film and is a treat to watch. As the preparations of her 80th birthday celebrations unfurl on screen, the story highlights what becomes the most important as we age. There are many movies that we connect to, either because we have gone through a similar experience in the past or because we aspire to become someone similar in our immediate future. How many such films can give us a perspective on the autumn years of life? This is a must watch for anyone who is looking for answers to questions like what we appreciate the most when we age because ultimately, that is what matters. While we carry fond memories of times spent with our loved ones to the future, we also carry the burden of the past. It is in the tangible things, a harmonium here and a stack of receipts there that can bring back our memories from time to time. It is the house in which we have shared significant moments with our loved ones that makes us feel rooted to the life we have lived. Rituparna Sengupta is a natural when it comes to her role as Ritika, the daughter, and there is no one other than Indraneil Sengupta who could have fit better into the role of Rajeev as the pensive and brooding son-in-law. Special mention for Brishti Roy who managed to capture the attention of the audience with her talent, while sharing screen space with the seasoned actors. Looking forward to the film being available on OTT platforms to watch with the whole family!