Almost two years ago, I watched a short film—Naamkaran. The film, Konkona Sen Sharma's directorial debut, revolved around two sisters trying to make ends meet. I was struck by the twist at the end, and watched it a second time.
Much like Naamkaran, the characters of Konkona's debut feature film, A Death In The Gunj, stay with you even long after you leave the theatre. The characters are as real as all of us. Everyone has a shade of grey, and the portrayal of these characters triggers a feeling of deja vu at many points.
Set in the 1979 McCluskiegunj of Bihar (now in Jharkhand) frequented by Anglo Indians, the film opens with a body in an Ambassador car. The plot then goes back a week before, when a family arrives for vacation to a quaint house—every bit recreated to give you a feel of the post-colonial era—in the Gunj. The house is owned by O.P. Bakshi (Om Puri) and Anupama (Tanuja). Visiting the Bakshis are their son Nandu (Gulshan Devaiah), his wife Bonnie (Tillotama Shome), their daughter Tani (Arya Sharma), cousin Shutu (Vikrant Massey) and Bonnie’s friend Mimi (Kalki Koechlin)— a single woman living life on her own terms. Mimi flirts with the married Vikram, and also with the submissive Shutu, not realising how it would affect him. The part, very convincingly played by Koechlin, is one you would love to hate. Similar revulsion is felt for the very convincing and nuanced performance by Ranvir Shorey in the part of Vikram, a boisterous family friend who leads the pack along with Jim Sarbh as Brian.
As the family begins their holiday adventure in this quiet town, beautifully captured by cinematographer Sirsha Ray and recreated by production designer Siddharth Sirohi, the thing that affects you the most is the constant bullying of Shutu and his need to find comfort in the conversations with Tani. In fact, some of the best parts of the film are when Shutu forges a bond with the young Tani, while she also figures a way to deal with loneliness in the world of just adults.
The climax looms large through the film, mostly because of its title which has apprised you of a death. It has its own effect. It leaves you wondering much after the film (like Naamkaran) of the repercussions of suppressed resentment.
With a delightful plot line that also has a sinistrous element, the screenplay by Konkona Sen Sharma, co-written with Disha Rindani, is based on a short story by her father Mukul Sharma and inspired by real events. The different languages spoken (English, Hindi and Bengali) hardly become a barrier, because they are seamlessly woven into the story. The music, along with the original score by Sagar Desai, adds on to the mood.
Film: A Death in the Gunj
Director: Konkona Sen Sharma
Actors: Tillotama Shome, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, Jim Sarbh, Om Puri, Tanuja, Vikrant Massey
Rating: 4/5
