Mrinal Sen, unbound

In one of those curious coincidences, Mrinal Sen8217;s 81st birthday on May 14 came up on the very day that New Delhi witnessed a political...

In one of those curious coincidences, Mrinal Sen8217;s 81st birthday on May 14 came up on the very day that New Delhi witnessed a political earthquake. And Mrinal Sen was quick to perceive this as a birthday gift that has come his way. He was overjoyed at the 8220;downfall8221; of the fundamentalist, BJP-led government at the Centre.

But Mrinal Sen has a fair degree of familiarity with the political process and urges political leaders to move ahead slowly. 8220;It8217;s not only a big event for all of us but also a time to be more cautious about the future. The Left, in particular, would have to be prudent when applying itself to the Congress- led coalition at the Centre.8221; Many more dangers may lie ahead of our times, he cautions.

The filmmaker is unabashed about his Left-wing orientation. In any case, according to him, in a city like Kolkata it is natural that everybody is political. His politics has, in fact, provided a fillip to his creativity. The result was a series of such remarkable films as Baishey Sravan, Interview, Calcutta 71, Chorus, Padatik, Mrigaya, Oka Uori Katha and Aakaler Sandhaney. The themes straddle the entire range of human suffering and experience.

Mrigaya, in particular, shows the director in his battle against the 8220;feudal lords8221; of India, a bunch of parasites thriving on the labour of poor peasants. These films, apart from delineating the anger and unrest in the countryside, highlight the anger and unrest in the filmmaker, himself.

As a creative artist, Sen has always reacted against social injustice, economic exploitation and communal frenzy. For instance, he led a huge march against the Gujarat carnage. What is interesting is that his films do 8220;provoke8221; the audience as he presents himself as 8220;an agent provocateur8221;. Sen is clear that it is not necessary that his audience agrees with him. 8220;My business is to disturb them, my spectators and to start a dialogue between the spectator and myself. And if this doesn8217;t happen, then between the spectator and his fellow-spectator.8221;

He would still like to make a film on contemporary reality. He wants it to be a 8220;maddening, restless, vibrant, buoyant and even flippant8221; bid to 8220;break the frontiers created and closely guarded by the conservatives8221;.

About his own cruel times, he is ruthless. Says he, 8220;I say a clear no to a fragile optimism. I confront, I fight, I survive on tension. And as I survive, I look beyond, and I dream.8221;