36 Chowringhee Lane

After Mr & Mrs Iyer, this was my second movie by Aparna Sen. And as the other reviewer noted, I see her work as being influenced by Satyajit Ray - depth of human emotions captured by powerful camera work and extremely sensitive direction.

Film also reminded me of SWAYAM, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, acted by Waheeda Rahman. A similar old mother and deserted by her children. In the end, in both the films, the mother emerges lonely. While Swayam shows Waheeda as a more independent and powerful character, Jennifer Kendal in 36 Chowringhee Lane is portrayed as more sensitive, delicate and brimming with human emotions. Even Satyajit Ray's Aparajito emerges to be much more independent and powerful compared to Jennifer here.

All the comparisons apart, Aparna Sen gets the full marks for one of the most sensitive and sentimental films of India. Climax will make you cry for Jennifer and will remind you of your own parents.

36 Chowringhee Lane is a very sensitive account of a lonely old Anglo Indian lady (Violet) living in Calcutta. In the time of this film, India has been independent from the British Raj for about 30 years. A new Indian identity is emerging. Calcutta has a cosmopolitan young culture, well versed with the west. However, in this culture Violet has no place, she is an outsider.

We need to look at the 'Anglo Indian' class before we can completely understand the tenderness of this film. 'Anglo Indian' was a class created by the ruling British. They were Christian and well educated. The colonial masters needed this class as much as the Anglo Indian class needed them. They were given jobs in the Civil Service, Army, Customs, Railway (as in the case of Violet's father), and other plum government jobs.

When India became independent, this privilege was withdrawn. These jobs were thrown open to the wider populace ( as one character moans -'even the natives are getting educated now').

Most of the Anglo Indians left India and settled in USA, UK and Australia.

Violet lived in these changing times. Her family are dead, and she tends to their graves with care. Her only surviving relative is an infirm brother....and she had lost her betrothed to the War.

Yet she struggles on in life with fortitude, and without bitterness. She loves the country she was born in and treats everyone with kindness.

As her age creeps up on her, she realises that the new times have no place for her. Her naivety and her emotional weakness is exposed, and she is left pondering her future in a large and a ruthless city.

This film serves as an excellent epilogue to the end of the Empire in India.It shows the individual suffering that the ordinary people went through.

Especially the Anglo Indians, after their privileged status was withdrawn by history and some were left to fend for themselves.

What a powerful film about the end of colonial India and the loneliness and marginalization of the old Anglo-Indians after the Raj ended. I believe this was Jennifer Kapoor's last performance and she is transcendent. The scenes of old Calcutta are perfectly shot, the performance are wonderful, and the story is so layered, with even small moments imploding in emotional revelation. Everyone should know Aparna Sen's name. This and Mr. And Mrs Iyer are among the best films made in any country. So beautiful, so poignant. This movie breaks my heart in such a sweet and painful way every time I watch it.

Almost 10-15 years ago, I watched the movie first time and intermittently. I got a very disgusting feeling seeing the misuse of someone's trust. This year, I watched it second time and completely. I must say I found it hilarious seeing many scenes. First scene - I was really fearing that the youthful Indian couple might throw away the old English woman from her own house. Second scene - I felt sick seeing male character picking cat that way to get easier youthful sex. Honestly, the Indian male character of the Indian couple seemed extremely filthy to me. I liked what Miss Stoneham said in the end -- do not mock me and other lines. Loneliness of old (people) is not an issue in Indian culture due to (obviously) the great family relationships, but am grateful that Western nations did at least something to take care of the old people (even the ones that don't have families.) Obviously, unlike West, India has not seen war widows or war distraught families. That is good about India - India likes peace not war.

Guess it's one of my kind of movies in a changing world guess few things must evolve retaining their original likes. 39 yrs since movie award winner from a good director good cast.