Examiner par msunando

Based on the extensive research material compiled into the book "The Princely Impostor" written by Partha Chatterjee, Ek Je Chhilo Raja is a gripping narrative of facts of the intriguing Bhawal Sanyasi case. It dispels the myths that most of us from my generation have grown up with. The king wasn't godly, he was human - he had more vices than virtues and had contracted a disease that Uttam Kumar would have shuddered to portray on screen and die hard fans would probably have torched the cinemas if depicted. There is no affair between the queen and the doctor, but a gravely sinister plot operating at the background. The return of the Bhawal Sanyasi is shrouded in mystery too - how all the bodily marks recorded over 2 decades ago all matched to prove that he indeed is the heir apparent, and yet his inability to communicate in his native Bengali dialect raised concerns about his identity.

The facts aside, credit must be given to Jisshu for portraying the Raja and the Sanyasi with vehement credibility. It takes courage to be seen on screen as a Naga hermit with just a loin cloth. Even the act of the Raja is immensely believable. Jaya Ahsan as the younger sister plays her role to utter perfection and balance. Anirban Bhattacharya and Rudranil Ghosh add menace to the proceedings. Anjan Dutt and Aparna Sen play out the courtroom battle with precision and gravitas, only that their personal equation, relationship and the agenda of feminism and liberation were neither required nor appreciated as the whole subplot is extraneous to the main narrative.

Kudos Srijit Mukherjee for bringing Bengal to terms with reality and making Ek Je Chhilo Raja stand on its own two feet, breaking away from its inevitable comparison with the cult classic Sanyasi Raja. Salute your courage.