Antarjali Jatra

It's a beautiful movie. About mankind. About sex instinct of human. The film not only touches the very fundamental parts of human nature but it states the facts about it. A very dark part of hindu dharma, brahmanism, some traditions like satee, children marriage, shudra-savrna. Don't miss it....

The film is based on the events of a village in Bengal, sometime in the 19th century. An old brahmin, Sitaram was waiting for death with his two sons, a priest and a village doctor, at a cremation place near a river bank. An astrologer with a poor brahmin was making calculations for his predictions on Sitaram. The astrologer predicted that Sitaram would not depart alone but would be taking someone along with him. The desperate and poor brahmin sought the astrologer's help to convince Sitaram to marry his daughter, Yashovati. According to him if Yashovati performed sati (a window immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre) than she would bring respect and honour to their family. The sati was considered a divine act. In spite of protests from the village doctor the marriage of a young helpless woman with and old dying man was carried out. Baiju, the cremation ground attendant was completely against the practise of sati. Even though the practise was banned at that time, it was not totally eradicated. Baiju was an untouchable and he tried to reason out with Yashovati to leave Sitaram and escape from the practice. But all this effort could not bear any fruit. Yashovati was reluctant and hesitant on performing the sati but she also believed that it was inevitable. Later she appreciated Baiju's comment and somehow she found in him a friend on this land of the dead and the dying. Soon Sitaram saw Yashovati talking to a lower caste person like Baiju and reprimanded her .She could not take the insult and tried to commit suicide. But later as the high tide came and drowned Sitaram, Yashovati tried to save her husband and in the process she was engulfed by the waves. Baiju tried to save her, but it was too late.

This is one of the best films made in Indian cinema. Exposing the dogmatic Brahmanical system that held the country in its grip before the likes of Raja RamMohan Roy came to the scene. Roy was instrumental in putting a stop to the practices of Sati and other evils. The film is beautifully acted and hauntingly filmed. The unfolding of the drama revolving around the last few moments of a dying old Brahman man (Pramode Ganguly) and the need to find a bride for him is nicely done.

A not to be missed film. Shatrughan Sinha does well in a role we aren't accustomed to seeing him in the past. Vasant Choudhury, Robi Ghosh and Mohan Agashe in cameos excel. The actress, Shampa Ghosh, is terrific.