Agantuk (1991)

For quite some time now, I have been trying to begin my foray into Satyajit Ray's filmography, but understandably felt too intimidated everytime. So I'm very glad that Agantuk ended up being my first movie by the legendary director, because it has so many elements that I am fond of- people disappearing, seemingly into thin air; long-lost family members; high-level drama; the shaky uncertainty that makes you look at things just a little more closely than usual; and of course, great performances and writing.

Speaking of the performances, my favourite has to be Mamata Prakash as Anila. To overshadow Utpal Dutt in one of his career-best performances could not have been an easy task, but she makes it look effortless. Not that Utpal sir is lacking in any way- being the titular character, it is but natural that most of the attention will be on him, and in his unrivalled manner, he also makes sure that the attention never wanders off. I kept on searching his face for clues about his identity and his reasons for re-appearing in his niece's life after 35 years of disappearance, but all I found was a man perfectly content with the choices he had made, who has exhausted all the "what ifs" and is now at peace being himself, a stranger among strangers. I loved his bond with Satyaki (Bikram Bhattacharya), it was so warm and organic. His easy camaraderie with children also foreshadowed to some extent the climax, and the revelations of his ideology and beliefs. My favourite scene is where Anila is dancing with the tribal women, and Manomohan Mitra (Utpal Dutt) remarks to her husband, Sudhindra Bose (Deepankar De) that till now, he had had doubts whether she really was his niece or not, but now he is fully assured of the truth. What a gently funny moment- Satyajit Ray could have used this moment to deliver a "philosophical" or "profound" line, but he chose to make it human. I guess that's why he's an icon for the ages.

In conclusion, I wish I get the chance to revisit this movie some day. RIP Satyajit Ray and Utpal Dutt, thank you both for blessing our lives in this incomparable way.