Director in Focus: Buddhadeb Dasgupta

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.