Kantatar revolves around the journey of Sudha (Sreelekha Mitra), an illegal immigrant who for survival’s sake and in search of an identity, moves from one man to another and from one religion to another.
The sudden threat of cross border terrorism entirely changes the socio-political situation in a remote village close to the frontier, the army rolls into town, and the drastic changes take their toll on inter-personal relationships as they are marred by suspicion, competition and fear. Sudha takes refuge in a temporary weather camp just outside the village. She develops a physical relationship with Binod (Sudip Mukherjee), the weather balloonist, whose job it is to take note of the frequent change of wind direction. But soon Sudha’s identity comes into question and she is seen as a suspect. Her dream of a secure shelter is once again threatened.
This is a beautiful and engaging film, which luxuriates in the story and its location. The visual poetry and unfettered exploration of the ongoing conflict on the borders of India and Bangladesh come together with great impact and insight. There are brilliant touches of both satire and social comment, which go to show that Bappaditya Bandhopadhay has a lot to say about today’s India. CT
