Aborto Bengali Movie
The characters of Satyajit Ray films come alive in debutant director Arindam Sil's film Aborto. Almost a week before the release Friday, Sil released the posters of the film. Not one or two but five different posters. The mass familiar with Ray films did not take much time to understand the underlying linkage. Aborto is definitely not 'Simabadda' or 'Arayner Din Ratri' or even 'Charulata', remake yet it somehow breathes all the films and nurtures most of its significant characters.
Shyamal Sen (Tota Roychowdhury) and Runu Sanyal (Saswata Chatterjee) are caught between corporate rivalries. They are the general managers of a finance company, and in order to climb up the corporate ladder they are trying every possible means. And in the midst of everything there is war and everything else gets connected and the story ascends from here. Charu (Jaya Ahsan) is the lovely wife of shayamal Sen and is struck within the corporate web, as her husband is busy trying his luck and has an extramarital affair with Duli (Resshmi Ghosh). While Charu will of course remind you of Charulata of Ray, Duli will remind you of course of the Santhal Duli of Aryaner Din Ratri time and time again, you are bound to sit back an ponder over the Ray connect, which Arindam Sil admits on his tribute to the Avant Garde filmmaker.
Another most significant part in the storyline is of course the story of the Playboy Hari Bose (Abir Chatterjee). He is a cricketer by profession and is a well know womanizer. He somehow plays a pivotal role in Aborto and his story, once runs parallel to the original corporate story, but ultimately mingles with it and somehow alters the dimension of the same.
Hari is about to become the brand ambassador of the company (finance) in which Shyamal and Runu work. Shyamal's illicit sexual interest outside marriage and of course Hari's becoming a brand ambassador and the two events that Runu enhances to climb the ladder and leave behind Shyamal on the same. The plot is set quite meticulously by Sil and his attempt to pay a tribute to the great filmmaker Ray proves fruitful, until the climax. The story somehow losses the depth when Runu begins blackmailing Shyamal on his flaws.
The music of Aborto is quite praiseworthy and helps in keeping the storyline alive. The background score forms the backbone of Aborto and Bickram Gosh yet again does wonders with his beats in Aborto.
Acting is also worth a notice and Arindam Sil has truly won praises with his cast. From Abir to Saswata to casting Jaya Ahsan the debutant director has established his capabilities. Tota as Shaymal was fabulous and once again creates a mark as a film actor. The audience who has last seen him on screen almost six years back accepts his comeback and Tota Roychowdhury never fails to disappoint his fans. The film's narrative and treatment is also likable and does leave a mark. Caught between the storyline, the film once travels back into the past once to the present. The director has etched out the difference quite well and the cinematography is quite strong.
Apart from the main significant characters, the others small yet relevant characters are really important and will definitely remind you of Ray's characters even though smaller in magnitude.
To summarize Aborto is that breath of fresh air, that Bengali cinema gets only after a rare interval. A must watch for everyone, not only for the Ray connect but also for the brilliant actors.
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