Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona

Abani Sen (Anjan Dutt) is a legendary Bengali rock singer. He is always drunk,smokes like a chimney,is a compulsive womaniser and behaves rudely with everyone around,including his Man Friday,Elvis (Kanchan Mullick). Elvis does everything from negotiating with his clients to fetching Abani’s drink and looking after his lonely household. Repeated metaphors of the sound of screeching car-brakes and a sudden crash followed by silence suggests the death of Abani’s pregnant wife in a car crash when he was at the wheel,completely drunk.

Ranjana (Parno Mittra) is a fresh,bright-eyed and dusky 20-year-old from a small town who wants to be the next rock star. Taking Abani’s invitation seriously,she lands up one night at his doorstep,unaware about his real intention. But when he tries to molest her as quid pro quo for her music lessons,she fights him back. Abani,who is recovering from a heart attack,suffers from another. Ranjana,who is about to walk out,comes back to nurse him back to health.

Through the history of Dutt’s personal journey in music labelled Anno dharar gaan (music of a different kind) springing from the songs of Kabir Suman’s Jeebonmukhi gaan (Music with a social cause),Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona traces the grey areas of the relationship between this uncouth,arrogant,alcoholic singer and the young girl. The music and the relationship between Abani and Ranjana run along parallel lines to meet along the way and then part as Ranjana becomes a famous female rock singer and Abani gasps for life on his hospital bed.

Neil Dutt’s beautiful music recreates the history of Dutt’s and Suman’s songs of the 1990s and blends this into contemporary melodies that Ranjana now composes and sings. One such song has been picturised beautifully. Initially Ranjana begins to sing alone but slowly,Abani joins and the scene shifts to Stanley Bose’s (Kabir Suman) home when everyone sings the song and celebrates the bonding that music alone can create. Somlata,who lends her voice to Ranjana,will soon be hailed as the best discovery in recent times.

Anjan Dutt has written the script and dialogues,enacted the main role and also directed the film. He admits that his character is 30 per cent based on his life. He chooses a new face to portray Ranjana. He also makes his real-life accompanists Lew Hilt,Amyt Dutta and Nondon Bagchi act as his on-screen accompanists in the film. These risks pay off and raise this movie to an aesthetic and performance level unlike Dutt’s earlier films. Except for the exaggerated footage given to the dying scene in the hospital,this is Dutt’s best performance till date. As a filmmaker,he does ample justice to other characters and fleshes them out well.

Kanchan Mullick,the legendary musicians of Dutt’s group,Ushasie Chakraborty as Dipanwita,a complex woman who is making a documentary on the singer,are all very good. Ranjana is marvellously natural in a role that has many shades to it. Though the movie could have been a bit shorter,overall,it’s a visual treat.

Rating: ****

The four-star rating is for direction,music,acting and the overall look of the film.