Titli

Titli -a metaphorical metamorphosis

This very discerning product from kolkata [india] took the festival circuit by storm for its audacious comments on modern day approach to feminism and sexuality in 2002.

The media driven world we live in today is satirically presented here as a young teenager [Konkona Sen] falls for a movie star [Mithun Chakraborty] who is almost 2 decades senior to her in age and also unknown to her is the ex-flame of her mother [Aparna Sen].

The plot is further given a twist as the mother and daughter accidentally meet the man himself and destiny takes its toll as the fascinated daughter realises the truth behind her mother financially compromised marriage to her father.

The truth is the movie wins hands down as it makes no revelations as to if the couple still love each other or they just share a mutual affection for each other, but the resentment and the hostility with the heartbreak suffered by the daughter make the rest of this fascinating tale a treat to watch.

The script is simple yet multi-dimensional and the characters are alive rather then living due to the sheer force of the well-etched performances enacted by the entire cast.

The daughters vulnerability and hatred for her mother slowly dissolving to give way to sympathy for a by gone time when a woman was dependant on her family when it came to matrimonial issues is a truly metaphorical journey, yet the mothers total passion for her daughter and her grief as she looks at her fragile child and her hostile sorrow is very affecting and apprehensive.

But it is the man who is sandwiched between the two women who walks away with the applause in a non author backed role, as he eagerly tries to please the daughter in a sham effort while really trying to get a few moments of happiness with his past love which he lost years ago.

The irony that the girl could have been their daughter if fate had been kinder is never lost upon him and his eyes reflect the sense of loss as he looks at the two women, but his resignation to the present is apparent as well as he makes no pretence of hiding his affection for the daughter and his intense emotional involvement with the mother.

The movie is a triumph for Mithun and Aparna as they rekindle their lost love for a few moments in the backdrop of the tea estates in the foothills of Himalayas, which are magically captured by the master lens man with a haunting background musical score which leaves nothing to desire, as Aparna renders a beautiful love poem on her lovers insistence without a background score, you can feel the pathos of every lost love resound in the valleys of the eternal Himalayas.

The directors is making a relevant commentary on the relativity of time and its immense impact on human existence and he symbolises this with the beautiful fleeting images of Buddhist monks chanting ancient hymns who add a spirituality to this modern day story of lust and love which is a must see for anyone interested in quality cinema from India which does not resort to any melodrama or the song dance routines to add to its credibility.
ghosh also has made choker bali an adaptation of mr.tagores book as well as raincoat ,titli means the first rainbow after the moonsoon rain and is the name of the young lady in the movie.

Writer: Usman Kawja