UMA; The Cinema of Joy
Director : Srijit Mukherji
Players : Sara Sengupta,Jisshu Sengupta, Anjan Dutt
Language – Bangla/English (India)
Genre – Drama
June, 2018
My View
Art is never perfect and there are no guidelines to judge it and thus, it is so difficult to judge an art. Srijit Mukherji’s latest venture Uma comes with its share of pros and cons as a piece of cinema, but it doesn’t fail to delight the audience and leave a permanent mark in their soul. Kolkata has been referred as City of Joy owing to its setting for the Lapierre’s novel of the same name. Mukherji’s Uma can be aptly titled as the cinema of joy for having the heart at the right place.
The Craft of the Film
The movie’s plot-line deals with a beautiful relationship between father and daughter but more importantly it is about the cultural heritage and the spirit of Kolkata. This is one of the few movies, where the city becomes the character. There couldn’t have been any other city for this beautiful piece of art.
Thank you, for making a film for the city, of the city and by the city. The main protagonists i.e. Sengupta and daughter are endearing as the reel life father- daughter combo, they follow the traditional acting style and leaves no room for complain. Anjan Dutt steals the show and after Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona, he provides a performance of a life-time. He is eccentric, he is psychic, he is frustrated but he is a true connoisseur of cinema. I’ve missed your acting as the helpless modern man of T.S Eliot. Sir, you are growing old and you are wearing your trousers rolled with grace and enigma. Manoj Mitra in that hospital sequence, delivers a powerful performance and steers the course of the film by channelizing the thought of Mr. Brahmananda aka Anjan Dutt. Ah, Bancharam is old, but he is a pure gold. Rudranil Ghosh, Srabanti Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya excelled in their respective roles. I’ve enjoyed it to the core and the audience at Navina Cinema, Kolkata will abide by my words. Jisshu Sengupta, you are an worldclass actor, I was stupefied by your portrayal as a drug addict in Chitrangada and you have been raising the bar with almost every project. Saara, it is hard to believe that it is your first film, keep going.
I’m no one to judge a film and in once scene Anjan Dutt pokes and taunts the rise of pseudo critics in Facebook, it was so raw and hard-hitting. The screen-play, cinematography, background score and songs were highly enjoyable but the length of the film could have been chopped down, few emotional sequences could have been avoided. The first half after the interval, was bit slow but it builds up the climax at the immersion ground. Srijit Mukherji brings an ensemble cast and also a hullabaloo of special appearances in the end. Chotuskone was cerebral and this one is close to the heart. There was a dialogue in Kukunoor’s Iqbaal ,
Dimaag aur dil jab ek saath kaam karte hai na … toh farak nahi padta hai ki dimaag kaunsa hai aur dil kaunsa hai (Kukunoor, Iqbal)
I could feel it. Chotushkone has been my favourite but Uma is so pure and divine. I watched a bangla movie a in a cinema hall, after three years and this was a joy ride. I have been staying away from Kolkata for almost six years and I miss the greatest festival i.e. Durga Puja almost every year, I will watch this movie every time I miss the Puja. The last scene where Srabanti types in a laptop sums up the spirit of Kolkata and the movie. There are always flaws but as reviewer one should point out the collective greatness of this serenely subtle and immensely joyful cinematic experience, Uma. Watch it on big screen, you will love it, the cinema of Joy.
Ratings- 8.5/10 (personal ratings)
Pros
- Excellent Acting.
- Honest Film making.
- Simple screenplay and narration.
- Beautiful cinematic moments and poster design.
- The smoke coils from Dutt’s cigarette, fuck..loved it.
- Babul Supriyo’s truck ke upar ka dance and Arindam Bhattacharya’s transformation, commendable.
- Rudranil’s refusal to accept the payment, brilliant again.
- The title track was godly.
- Durga Puja ,the city of Kolkata, Pandals and Kolkata Metro were perfectly used in the screenplay.
- Lovely direction, you know your craft, fuck the haters.
Cons
- Dragged a bit and few emotional tear jerking scenes could have been avoided.
- Ektao khisti shunlam na ( ota miss korlam, just kidding)
- The Paye dhora scene,ehhh.
Trailer
Disclaimer – Images from the internet.
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A Close Look
