Faltu

I recently saw two films, the first an English film titled 7.39 and the second the above named Bangla film FALTU. The English film was centered around an extra-marital theme where a middle aged family man (with a wife, son and daughter) falls for a younger woman while commuting to work in London in a train scheduled at 7.39 in the morning. The younger woman is soon to marry her live-in fiancé. Passion runs high between the middle aged man and the younger woman gets pregnant. Who is the father of this baby? The middle aged man or the fiancé? At some point in the narrative this becomes a pertinent point….

This question finds resonance in the Bengali film FALTU. The film dates back to the 1950s and centers around a group of refugees who comes and settles in a Govt. owned land near Murshidabad in West Bengal. An insane woman(Indrani Halder) comes to the village Ranighat. Needless to say the lecherous man of the village exploit and rape her on several occasions. The mad woman gives birth to a child named FALTU and dies when FALTU is just three years old. The villagers love FALTU and brings him up showering their affection on him. FALTU becomes a bus driver.

When a Govt. survey was being conducted in the village and the data collector asked details about the father of FALTU, no one in the village comes up with an admission of being the old man of FALTU. When investigation starts on this skeletons keep tumbling out of the closet.

FALTU is also in love with a village girl. When a Govt. order is passed to construct a bridge for which the settlers of Ranighat would have to vacate their land and go off elsewhere the village elders convene a meeting and decides to arrange a marriage for FALTU before they leave the village forever.

All these developments lead to a tragic ending with an incestuous relationship to boot. FALTU gets to know his 'real father' but don't think a happy ending awaits you. The cast comprises Soumitro Chaterjee, Nirmal Chakraborty, Biplop Chatterjee, Debesh Debroy and others.

The film is directed by Anjan Das(Shanjbatir Rupkatara) and based on a story by Syed Mustafa Siraj.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

The story of Faltu is set around a district in West Bengal in the early 1950s. Faltu is the story of a 20-year-old orphan called Faltu(Yash Pandit).It is about his search for the man who fathered him.Besides the life of Faltu,the movie revolves around a village and its people with a lot of dramatic events. Faltu is a movie that deals with the lives of the villagers and how everything turns out when a census official questions Faltu's parentage. It was very well known about Faltu's mother(Indrani Halder) but there was no information about who his father was.Faltu was never bothered about his identity until this official's question. The entire story of the film deals with human relations and how the guilt of having done something wrong haunts everyone in the village. They want to make up for their sins, but end up opening a new can of worms and spoiling a marriage. Directed by Anjan Das,the writer of the story was Syed Mustafa Siraj.Yash Pandit and Manjari Fadnis who are in the lead have done a very good job in their role. The movie is really different and should be seen by people who are an ardent fan of Bengali movies.

Faltu certainly is among the best movies that I have seen and one of the most well made pictures. The film describes the condition and situation of a particular district in Bengal where life is quite difficult more so because of the mistakes that people themselves have committed.I particularly liked some of the scenes involving Yash Pandit. The storyline is really awesome and fascinating and leaves you with a long list of questions on human relations and desires.It is about his search for the man who fathered him.Besides the life of Faltu,the movie revolves around a village and its people with a lot of dramatic events. All must watch this movie.

Faltu is a marvelous film by Anjan Das.The man has made number of hit films and for me this one sits on to of the hit list. Faltu is the story of a young boy named Faltu living in a village of West Bengal.A story about his life and his search of his identity and his father.It is a great and emotional movie with too many beautiful moments.Faltu also deals about the life of the villagers.The movie is basically about how the guilt of doing something wrong makes them feel really bad and about how every time a problem is being,a new box of problem pops up. Anjan Das,I have heard ,is a great Bengali film maker and this one I am sure would be one of his best films till date.Everyone in this movie is very real. We should watch these kind of movies at least once in a while. I Would recommend for all who like real life stories.

Faltu is based on Syed Mustafa Siraj's novel Ranirghater Brittanto, has been directed by Anjan Das. This film traces the lives of uprooted people, a mad woman and her offspring, Faltu, who is one a quest for his identity.The entire story deals with human relations and how the guilt of having done something wrong haunts everyone in the village. They want to make up for their sins, but end up opening a new can of worms and spoiling a marriage.The movie deals with the lives of the villagers and how everything turns out when a census official questions Faltu's parentage. It was very well known about Faltu's mother(Indrani Halder) but there was no information about who his father was.Faltu was never bothered about his identity until this official's question. The entire story of the film deals with human relations and how the guilt of having done something wrong haunts everyone in the village.Faltu certainly is among the best movies that I have seen and one of the most well made pictures.