Indrani Dutta, Sathilekha Sengupta, Monami Ghosh, Somlata stormed Zee Bangla Didi No. 1 Program.

Indrani Dutta, Sathilekha Sengupta, Monami, Somlata stormed Zee Bangla Didi No. 1 Program. On 30th April, 2015, Rachana Banerjee called celebrities in Zee Bangla Didi No. 1 Program. The celebrities included Sathilekha Sengupta, Monami, Somlata and Indrani Dutta. The entire team had come to promote the new Bengali film Belasheshe. Sathilekha Sengupta

had acted opposite Soumitra Chatterjee in the film. They were paired together by Satyajit Ray in the film ghare Baire, way back in 1984. After 31 years they came back together. Soumitra played the role of an old person. He wanted to give divorce to his wife Sathilekha at old age. Their sons and daughters were brought together by the decision. Monami Ghosh, Indrani Dutta acted in the film while Somlata had sung song in the film. Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy directed the film. Shiboprasad Mukherjee came in the show to tell the story of the film Belasheshe. Sathilekha said that her experience of acting in Ray’s film Ghare Baire was grand. She never saw a director of the callibre of Satyajit Ray. She also said academically she never stood second in life. She had passion for theatre that made her actress. Indrani Dutta said that from childhood she learned dancing. She was first a dancer, then an actress. Her family members were good singers. Rachana Banerjee to sing the song “jagorone jay bibhabori”. Indrani Dutta danced in the song. Monami Ghosh also danced on the song of Bhuter bhobishyat. At the end of the show, Monami Ghosh answered maximum number of questions and became Didi No.1. Rachana Banerjee anchored the film very well.

Ghare Baire was a bold project of Satyajit Ray.

Ghare Baire was a bold project of Satyajit Ray.

The film Ghare Baire had been a bold project of the director Satyajit Ray. The literature was classic in nature and the work of Nobel winner Rabindranath Tagore. Ray wanted to make the film in the early 50s, but changed his mind and made it in 1984.

Victor Banerjee played the role of the zamindar Nikhilesh in the film. He married Sathilekha Sengupta, (the wife renowned theatre personality Rudraprasad Sengupta) in the film. Victor Banerjee taught his wife English music and gave all the luxuries of life. She learned music from British singer played by Jennifer Kapoor.

But Soumitra Chatterjee came to their house and disturbed the peace in the family. He was a freedom fighter in the wrong sense. He believed in swadeshi, yet could not live without English cigarettes. He was characterless in the truest sense of the term. His only intention to stay in the house of Victor Banerjee was to come close to his wife during a period when Indian women generally remained indoors.

Victor Banerjee’s villagers were poor muslims, who sold foreign products in the local market called haat, and could not afford to sell Indian products which were costly. Soumitra deliberately bribed few local people to extort the products and burn them. Victor Banerjee on the other hand, made swadeshi factories, where the employees made soap, towel, and other products. He never wanted publicity for his sacrifices.

Manoj Mitra, his teacher and resident in the same village, countered Soumitra for his hypocrisy and failture of his freedom movement. At the end of the film Soumitra was successful to create riot in the village which was previously peaceful. He kissed Sathilekha Sengupta and continued with his extra-marital affair. While Victor Banerjee went on horseback to prevent the riot and got killed in the process, Soumitra escaped from the place and went to Kolkata after taking the money for the journey from Sathilekha Sengupta. Even the career of the scholarly student of the village was also ruined by Soumitra, who joined the movement and left studies.

Rabindranath Tagore was very bold enough to show the lack of commitment of certain section of freedom fighters who made the movement weak. Satyajit Ray was bold enough to show whenever over-independence was given to household women, they abused it. Besides kissing scenes were not very common in Bengali cinema of the early 80s, in that perspective also the depiction of Soumitra’s extra-marital affair was very bold approach of Ray.

Victor Banerjee was brilliant in his individual role. Sathilekha did a fair job. Soumitra Chatterjee showed the adulterous scenes in style. The film should be preserved and restored.