Baishey Shravana

Baisey Shravan is the third film directed by Mrinal Sen.It is a hauntingly tragic love story based on a relationship between an ugly middle-aged man and his sixteen year old beautiful wife. The film is set somewhere around the 1943 famine of Bangladesh, revolving around a newly-wedded couple. The film was shot in Mankar, a village 50 kms from Calcutta.

Gyanesh Mukherjee, as the husband, is a small time seller of essential goods who ekes out a living by selling these goods in a train. He has a loving mother who cares for him. Gyanesh gets married to a beautiful girl (Madhabi Mukherjee). Gyanesh is happy with his marriage, and in their moments of togetherness narrates to his wife stories of the great heritage of his predecessors.

Not before long tragedy strikes. One day he takes his wife to the Mela, and while they are enjoying there, a whirlwind encircles everything, wreaking havoc on the village. When Gyanesh returns home, he is in for a shock. His mother's hut has been uprooted in the storm, and she has died as a consequence. His mother's death deeply affects Gyanesh. He loses all interest in work, and begins neglecting his job. His employer grows dissatisfied with him. Although he starts working again, he no longer is able to do the same amount of business as before.

Moreover business competition has grown with the entry of new young blood. While the young people can move from one compartment to another in speeding train, the aged Gyanesh while trying to emulate them, on one such occasion, falls from the train and fractures his leg. Now reduced to a handicapped person, his character undergoes a transformation. He develops a feeling that he is being neglected and that he is worthless because he is incapable of doing any work and unable to support the family.

Famine was making Gyanesh a very selfish person. His outbursts towards his wife increased and the invectives from her husband make Madhabi's life miserable.

The film ends on a tragic note. Gyanesh returns home one day, and finds no one answering his call or opening the door for him. After quite a few attempts, he breaks open the door and encounters the suicide committed by the wife.

Baisey Shravan has influenced a generation of good Indian Filmmakers. It is reportedly one of the favorite films of filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta & Gobind Nihalani.

The film was made during "golden era" of modern bengali cinema when directors were experimenting with "realism" from western films using scenarios from typical bengali lives at that time. The film was based upon a life of a suburban ordinary salesman which has all its elements of ups and downs and the sufferings in daily life that occurred during second world war. The script was itself a classic in the sense that it cinematicallty reflects all elements of natural emotions and Shri Sen was successful to translate that script into an excellent film. The editing was equally good which keep the pace and normal flow of the storyline. Shri Gyanesh Mukherjee's performance as the salesman was brilliant. Equally good was Shrimati Madhabi Mukherjee as the salesman's wife with all her natural acting with a touch of brilliance. The photography and art direction provided necessary elements to make the film more realistic. This film is a true Bengali film classic.