Archive : 13th AIFF 2007

Director in Focus: Buddhadeb Dasgupta

The Other Face of Indian Cinema
Western viewers can be forgiven for expecting a sample of the exotic from any Indian filmmaker; after all, in this part of the world, Indian cinema is synonymous with saris, bangles and sitars. But Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s films are a far cry from the glittering Bollywood musical melodramas. An esteemed poet and writer with a profound understanding of the visual arts, Dasgupta film’s with a poet’s insight creating vistas of exquisite beauty and evocative compositions.

Although he is often compared to the great Bengali director Satyajit Ray, Dasgupta remains a largely idiosyncratic director. His films usually revolve around pressing social issues, but make no mistake; Dasgupta doesn’t do cinéma vérité or polemics. He opts instead to approach his subject matter with lyricism, magic realism, subtle humor and a rare sense of film economy.

In essence, every Dasgupta film is a mystical, allegorical exploration of human nature itself. The journey ?a common leitmotif in his work- takes place both on a physical and a metaphorical level. His characters are often tormented by escapist dreams or unattainable pursuits; some find the way to salvation, others are crushed under the weight of their own desires. However, Dasgupta remains an essentially optimistic director, as he always allows a thin ray of hope to shine even when violence and tragedy seem to prevail.

The Tiger Man - Bagh Bahadur
Ghunuram’s humdrum life has only one highlight: dancing the traditional tiger dance at the annual village fair. But when a band of traveling performers arrive threatening to steal the show, Ghunuram ...
Shelter of the Wings - Charachar
Lakha is a man trapped in a quandary: coming from a family of bird catchers, he captures birds selling them off to the local dealer, but at the same time questions the morality of his profession and ...
The Wrestlers - Uttara
The wild Bengali landscape becomes the stage for a tragic love triangle. Nemai and Balaram are old friends, working together in the local railway. They spend their free time practicing their greatest ...
A Tale of a Naughty Girl - Mondo Meyer Upakhyan
It is July 1969, man walks on the moon for the first time and a prostitute’s daughter somewhere in rural India makes a radical decision that will change her life for ever. Refusing to obey her mother’s ...
Chased by Dreams - Swapner Din
A government employee who travels the Indian countryside falls in love with the leading lady of the educational films he’s showing and dreams of meeting her one day. His driver dreams of getting a fake ...
Memories in the Mist - Kalpurush
Tired of his prosaic family life Sumanta seeks solace in memory: suddenly burying the hatchet with his father, with whom he has been estranged for years, becomes of paramount importance. His wish comes ...
The Voyeurs - Ami, Yasin Arr Amar Modhubala
When a pretty dancer moves next door, her computer geek neighbors decide to install a CCTV system in her apartment to watch her activities. What starts as a slightly dodgy joke ends up in tragedy. ...