Memories in March

Before watching Chitrangada, I have always felt that no movie of a human being falling in love with another human being can touch me deeper than Brokeback Mountain. Now after watching Memories in March, I have come to the realisation that all these stories should be read together. There is simply no comparison. Nogorkirton, Arekti Premer Golpo..all these should be watched alongside. It tells a complete story.

The very inception of the film gives a feeling of it being ghost- directed by Rituparno Ghosh. But, the germs of it being the first film of a director under Rituparno's tutelage can be made out after one has gone through a considerable portion of the film. Excepting these discussions, what we glean from movie is a so-called aberrant sexuality which, it says, is not to be looked down upon by the fortunate heterosexuals of this world. Arati (Deepti Naval) - the mother, finding it hard to come to terms with and to switch her emotions between her son's sudden death and his homosexuality hitherto unknown to her - at first detests Ornub (Rituparno), but subsequently starts cherishing his company taking him to be her dead son's 'special' someone or her another alive son. Another relation, between Sahana (Raima Sen) and Arati, is also a very pleasant one founded on honesty and respect. Arati, during her short stay at her dead son's house, learns about certain grim truths about this world which, heretofore even her grey hair has not shown her. When she leaves, she leaves with a bagful of warm closeness she has unknowingly amassed within these few days from both Ornub and Sahana and leaves behind with them 'a bit of' herself and her dead son. The background melody and the nominal songs accentuate the situations. To draw the conclusion we can say that 'Memories in March' is a good attempt at narration, though with a profusion of Rituparnovian touches.

I wonder how much of 'Memories in March' was ghost directed by Rituparno Ghosh (who also wrote the screenplay) as it has a very Ghosh feel to it. Not to take anyway from Nag, for if he was behind most of the work, it's superb and perhaps his next films will tell us how much potential he has to stay. 'Memories in March' tells the story of s single mother who arrives to Calcutta to be present attend the wake of her recently deceased son and to collect his belongings. During her visit she is assisted by Shahana and Ornob (two people who were close to her son) who provide her good company. Conservative that she is, when she suddenly learns of a secret about her son, she's shocked and filled with resentment towards Shahana and Ornob. However, her feelings gradually change as she learns more about the relationship her son had with these two people and this is what the core of the film beautifully emphasizes.

At first 'Memories in March' might sound like a depressive movie about grief but the film is much more than that and in the end one doesn't feel depressed but rather a sense of hope and enlightenment.

Subtle, quiet, and tender, yet very lyrical, 'Memories of March' definitely strikes a chord with heartstrings. There's no melodrama or spoonfeeding. Ghosh has written a solid screenplay and to top it off, among the highlights of 'Memories of March' are the three performances by its leads: Rituparno Ghosh who shows potential as an actor, Raima Sen (who looks a little off in the beginning but gradually settles in) and especially Deepti Naval who delivers a transcendent performance that comes across as natural, raw and very human.

As mentioned earlier, this isn't another one of those depressing tearjerker. It's about leaving a piece of yourself behind with your loved ones, like what Sid did and what Aarti does.

A beautiful, sensitive portrayal of the delicateness and depth of emotions that are as a much a part of a homosexual relationship as they can be in a heterosexual relationship, conveyed in the backdrop of grief, loss and reluctant acceptance. The restrained, understated performances by Rituparno Ghosh and Deepti Naval, especially in their joint scenes are mesmerizing. Same for the ones between Deepti Naval and Raima Sen. Although the director is Sanjoy Nag, one can see Rituparno's influence throughout. The music by Debojyoti Mishra - melodious, evocative and sensual, blends seamlessly into the narrative. "Bahu manorathe" is a wonderful composition I could listen to endlessly.

"If I have to go away, can I leave a little bit of me with you?"

I had heard about this movie long before and was pending to be watched by me for a very long time. For some reason or other it kept on pending even though I had recorded it in my DTH box. I watched it when I went through back to back losses of family members recently and was going through a tough time and was glad I did watch it and connected too instantly.

'Memories in March' is a brilliant film by debutante Director Sanjoy Nag where a bereaved mother is shown to come to terms with his son's sexual identity. Without going into much detail into the plot I would rather prefer to narrate some scenes which are worth mentioning.

There is one particular sequence where Deepti Naval (Arati) expresses her wish to visit his son's office and take away some of his stuffs as souvenirs. The scene is shown in great length and detailing with incalculably striking visuals. When his son's boss dubs her actions too melodramatic, distressed she dashes off from the office.

While considering her Divorce from her hubby as the worst day of her life, she has to learn to acknowledge the death of her son in a road accident. Storming off to Kolkata and accompanied by her son's co-worker Sahana Choudhury who escorted her to crematorium for the last rites of her son. After the cremation is over, she is taken to the Guest House where her son used to live. Sahana narrates her how her son had consumed a lot of alcohol and insisted on driving back to Guest House when he had the fatal accident. Upset with above incidents, she blames her co-workers to drive him to death but she had more shocks in Store when she learns that her son has been living in with Arnob, his co-worker and boss in office. She is upset and blames Arnob of seducing her son but slowly she accepts the truth and accepts that it was her son's predilection to be with Arnob. She develops a bond with Arnob over the common loss they had.

There is a scene where she is browsing her son's phone where her son Siddharth had composed a message to her about his relationship with Arnob but never sent it because he was afraid of upsetting her.

"Memories in March" is about the wreckage that people leave behind after their demise. It makes you question on "this is what relationships are" and "this is what they should be." This is a film worth watching for its pragmatic and susceptible portrayal of a relationship that is sadly even today considered outside norm. For many homosexuals who are still forced to hide from what they are, but thankfully change is happening. Films like this should be made more and more so that it forces the society to recognize homosexuals as no different from them. The theme is not a stranger to hindi movie industry but leaving apart barely a few movies like Aligarh or Dear Dad, rest mostly make fun of the same.

One of the most underrated movie which has stellar performances from Dipti Naval as the mother who has lost his son in a mishap and Rituparno Ghosh who plays the partner of his son. Showing a receptive topic to the next level with performances at par with international standard, this is one of the best movies I have seen in recent times. Deepti Naval and Rituparno Ghosh have done a laudable acting capturing the sentiments brilliantly and deserve applause. Deepti Naval is so pervasive, so repressed; it's only her eyes that say the depth of her pain.

There are some of the movies that are a "Must Watch Before you die". Memories in March is one such movie and a must watch movie for everyone who loves good movie.