Movie Review: The concept of checking into Varanasi's Mukti Bhawan for a month to await death because it might lead to salvation, is novel, to say the least. More so, when one is told that such a trend isn't a figment of Pinaki Chaudhuri's imagination when the director of " Aarohan" uses it as a springboard to narrate a tale of clash of values between two generations. The end result is a film about whether age-old belief systems and principles need to be re-examined and, if necessary, in the world of flux.
Simply put, "Aarohan" is the tale of a 75-year-old Soumitra Chatterjee, who firmly believes in the predictions made in his horoscope so much so that he insists on checking in at Mukti Bhawan to die. The reason for taking such a step seems as bizarre as the decision itself - his horoscope mentions that he might face a threat to his life when he reaches 75 and doesn't have any subsequent records of his life beyond that age! Both his wife (Sandhya Ray) and US-returned grandson ( Samadarshi Dutta) are mere spectators in this whole drama of seeking salvation in Varanasi. However, things take a different turn when Samadarshi has a one-night stand with a village belle ( Rituparna Sengupta), whose mother-in-law is another inmate of Mukti Bhawan.
"Aarohan"'s story is original, the concept is intriguing and performances of the lead actors are commendable. It's good to see films being written and made in Tollywood where Soumitra Chatterjee has a scope to show what a storehouse of talent he still is. "Aarohan" should give enough impetus to other directors to think of characters for this thespian beyond what Tollywood regularly offers him. It's a pleasant surprise to have him paired with Sandhya Ray again. The young Samadarshi deserves special mention. Be it in terms of perfecting the diction and body language of an US-returned trigger-happy youngster or holding his ground in front of veteran actors - Samadarshi has put up a decent act. Rituparna has completely revamped her image to give a powerful performance. It requires a mature actor to express the pangs of a woman labelled as barren because the family can't admit that her husband is gay and subsequently, to get into a one-night stand only to prove otherwise. Her rustic looks and equally, earthy diction (read Dehati), have given Rituparna enough scope to come up with a convincing performance.
With so much going in the film's favour, it's not unfair to expect a better production quality and a tighter script that doesn't meander in parts. More so, since today's viewers are used to well-mounted films that are set in the Other India that lies beyond the gloss of highrises. Varanasi lends itself to being a character in the film. If only "Aarohan"'s cinematography was more engagingly than shabby... If only the songs, scored by Suparna Kanti Ghosh, who is still remembered for composing "Coffee House er shei adda da", of various genres didn't punctuate the easy flow of narrative at some points... If only the lovemaking scene and the one of Rituparna breaking into a jig in the field were picturised less melodramatically...
But if one were to discount of all these, "Aarohan" would still be worth a watch. The quirky humour and satire on decaying value system leaves space for an afterthought. That can trigger a debate in the mind long after once the title credits roll out.
