Happy birthday Srijit: Here’s to more films like ‘Padatik’

In his 14-year-long career, filmmaker Srijit Mukherji has often faced criticism for relying on cinematic gimmicks. Now, in his film on the legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen, he has turned to techniques like freeze frames, flashbacks and breaking the fourth wall - devices many considered ‘gimmicks’ in Sen’s own movies. It is these ‘gimmicks’ that make ‘Padatik’ even more compelling, as Srijit captures Sen through the legend’s own cinematic methods. As Srijit celebrated his birthday on Monday, he is busy promoting his upcoming Durga Puja release ‘Tekka’, a thriller (a genre in which he has certainly made a name for himself). But on his birthday, I can’t help but revisit ‘Padatik’, his tribute film to Mrinal Sen, which was released around Independence Day.

It’s a strange coincidence that Srijit began his directorial journey with ‘Autograph’ in 2010, a tribute to Satyajit Ray and Uttam Kumar’s cult film ‘Nayak’. Now, 14 years later, he directs a film about Sen, where some of the most memorable scenes in the film are the lively conversations between Ray (played by Jeetu Kamal) and Sen (the brilliant Chanchal Chowdhury). Despite their professional differences, there was an undeniable respect between them. This stands in stark contrast to today’s world of Bengali cinema, where directors lavish praise on each other’s work at premieres or on social media, only to criticise it behind closed doors. How exhilarating it is, then, to witness the camaraderie among the three titans of Indian cinema - Ray, Sen and Ritwik Ghatak - who criticised each other’s films yet held an unspoken reverence for each other’s art forms.

A pioneer of the ‘Indian New Wave’ movement, Sen wasn’t just a storyteller but a keen observer of his times, narrating the political and social changes that unfolded around him through his films. Ironically, this tribute movie arrived at a moment when Bangladesh was going through a turbulent time. Shortly after, Kolkata faced its own crisis as protests erupted following the brutal murder and rape of a young doctor at RG Kar Hospital. Should I consider it just a coincidence that a film about Sen, who explored diverse languages and socio-political contexts, was released during such turbulent times? Is it merely coincidental that both Sen and Srijit share deep connections to Bangladesh and Kolkata? While Sen was born in Faridpur, Bangladesh, Srijit is married to Bangladeshi actress and development worker Rafiath Rashid Mithila. For Sen, ‘Calcutta’ was his El Dorado, a muse that lies at the heart of most of his films. Similarly, Srijit has shot the majority of his works in Kolkata. He, too, like Sen, presented the city as a character in some of his films.

‘Padatik’ belongs as much to Sen as it does to Srijit. He narrates Sen’s journey like an explorer, taking the audience on a journey through the life of a man who loved Kolkata, remained committed to his art form and was a chronicler of his time. Films like ‘Padatik’, ‘Nirbaak’ and ‘Jaatiswar’ sets Srijit apart from the lot. While his popular films such as ‘Baishe Srabon’, ‘Vinci Da’, ‘Dwitiyo Purush’ and ‘Dawshom Awbotaar’ will certainly appeal to the majority of the audiences, on this birthday, we hope the director continues to make more films like ‘Padatik’. For those who haven’t yet watched ‘Padatik’, make time before it leaves theatres. Few quality films come from Bengal these days and if you don’t watch them, you can’t complain about the lack of experimentation among Bengali filmmakers.