Bhuvan Shome

This is a Hindi language art film starring Utpal Dutt and Suhasini Mulay.

The film is overrated, let it put it out there right away.

Dragging in large parts and lacking in message. If it wanted to convey how a holiday lightens up a man, it is contradicted at the end. After letting go a junior with just a warning, the junior ticket collector writes to his fiancee that he's been posted to a larger junction meaning more trains and more bribe money earnings.

The camera work is the biggest disaster jarring from scene to scene. The buffalo chase only evokes a forced laughter. Ogling at women on their way to pick water isn't comedy as the scene tries to portray, it's obscene.

The only soothing camera work was the flight of birds, which I'm inclined to believe was a seperate feature plugged in to the film.

The desert expanses would have been great to watch if the film were shot in colour.

Among the performances I feel Utpal Dutt only just had to do his usual part, nothing out of the ordinary, although he received a National award.

Suhasini Mulay's spontaneous portrayal of a bubbly character stood out.

The direction wasn't great even though by a legend - and again - awarded here.

Overall, best avoided...

Bhuvan Shome , a picture directed by master craftsman of the Indian films - Mrinal Sen , is about an orthodox man , who is recluse and loner. The old angry man is neither loves any body or is not loved by anybody.Disappointed with his own lifestyle , he decides to take vacation and lands in a village for duck hunting. Here he meets a beautiful young village belle called Gauri. She brings fun and a spirit of love in his drab life.unconsciously his lifestyle and philosophy of life changes. The location of film is breathtaking.His selection of a small village in a corner of Gujarat (Trapaj -Bhvnagar) is proof of his tireless search for location.Utpal Dutt , a brilliant actor, usually seen as comedian in Hindi films , portrays role of Bhuvanshome ,the old man to perfection.Suhasini Mulay as village girl is beauty and innocence incarnate. The film is all about lessons how life should be lived and discipline order and planning do have place but they are not all that is required to make life interesting.

Bhuvan Shome is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Mrinal Sen,director of the film once said "BHUVAN sHOME IS THE STORY OF TRAGIC REALISATION' However I do not agree with it.In my opinion:

This film is about the most beautiful experiences of man.First of all he is touched by the beauty of NATURE.The open land and wind and.sky and birds,...An altogether different life from his PRISON. Nature sooths his hard rigid persona.

Secondly it is the realization that there is a vast unknown world beyond our own.Bhuwan shome did not know the names of many birds,trees,people.He experiences the joy of knowing his own limitations.

THIRDLY he experiences the touch of "unselfish love".The simple village girl takes pains to do many things for him.She does it because it is her nature.She did not expect anything in return.

Now there is the last touch: The touch of pity and sympathy.Bhuvan is moved because of the captivity of the bird and its desperate efforts for escape.....It is very rare for a person to experience so many touches in one day.Naturally they make deep impression on his soul.He will always remember this day,will always thank the wonderful girl for the gift she has given to him.

Hence the realization of Shome is not a tragic one.On the contrary it is a sublime realization that he can throw his burdens ,though even for one day.So he does a thing which he has not done in his life.He pardons a criminal.He discovers that feeling which a man experiences when he does something for others,unselfishly.He feels relieved.

And the viewer also finds the relief :"When the film discovers something fine ,something good something wonderful about the human animal"

We have seen him as one of the most whimsical funny old man 'Bhavanishankar' in Hrishida's timeless classic comedy 'Golmaal'or 'Naram Garam'. Utpal Dutt was one of the absolutely brilliant and rare breed of actor. I don't remember any other actor who became so graceful at one time and so funny at the other as he grew old in his characters. He was one of the original Indian comedian who didn't require funny dialogues or situations to make you laugh. Humor is the integral part of his natural body language.

The film is Winner of President's Gold Medal and made by India's art house director- Mrinal Sen. It's a limited budget small film with the length of one and half hours. The plot is more seems like reading one of R K Narayan's Malgudi tales.

Bhuvan Shome is typical Bengali Babu who is very principle loving, strict, angry old man serving as a Railway Officer. Due to his arrogant typical characteristics he always regarded in staff as the dangerous man whose sight everyone likes to avoid. He didn't pay heed to his own single son and left him from several years. Now at the ripe age he cultivated a new suitable hobby of hunting birds. He landed up in one of the local Gujarati town for hunting and met a smart local Gujarati village girl with whom he shared a strange relationship as she helped him in his hunting task. How his encounter with the girl transformed him from a whimsical, arrogant old officer into a lovable life loving gentleman is a thing to watch for all Indian cinema lovers.

I don't want to ruin the characteristic charm of Utpal Dutt while praising him much but let me say that I surely include his act here in one of my favorite Indian movie characters list. Watch his mood in the last scene when he committed a single good act of his life and you can't resist smile on your face. The film also has fine act by young and charming Suhasini Mulay.( Remember the modern age mother of Akshay Khanna in 'Dil Chahta Hai') You just love his natural act here.

The only thing you have to bear is few tiring long shots which sometimes bore you. But if you tolerate it, I guarantee you will surely enjoy a quality cinema.

Highly Recommended for all Utpal Dutt fans.

Ratings- 8/10

What worked: It's a sweet, slight of life, light hearted movie. What captured the attention was the narrative, the way the story unfold, the introduction as well as the use of unique frames to tell the story. Mrinal Sen as a director aced along with Utpal Dutt with his fine performance. Suhasini, as a village girl, stole the show and I think it was meant to be because she plays a pivotal role in the movie, bringing the positive transformation in Shome's life. The execution worked because of the fine and not complex storytelling What did not work: I would say the technical aspect is the weaker point of the movie, especially video editing. But we need to consider that the movie was made decades ago, so with that regard it can be overlooked. Final verdict: recommended