The art cinema movement was set in motion with Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955). It was based on the story written by the Bengali author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay and was a testament to his deep engagement in Bengali literature which was inspired by Bengal’s deep-rooted reality. Ray’s international recognition, first at Cannes in 1956, and his presence on the international film scene worked to embed among common Bengalis the fascination for Bengali cinema.
In the film “The Banshees of Inisherin” where two friends standing at two different spots but equidistant from a specific center are re-evaluating the essence of ‘friendship’ via the lens of their individualities that are shaped by external factors. In the lovely cinematic universe of Inisherin (a remote island off the coast of Ireland), Padraic, played by Collin Ferrel and Colm played Brendan Gleeson, are friends on this secluded island against the backdrop of the Irish civil war. We know that war changes life and traps people in the vicious circle of mortality; however, being many miles away from the center of war, the island is not particularly affected, at least not with the visuals of torn human bodies and sabotaged property. But one fine day, Colm decides to take charge of his life and wants to leave a legacy for generations to remember him. Padraic on the other hand lives his life from one moment to the other and believes in the power of kindness.
The film ‘Monica O My Darling’ executes the same idea and places the theme music amidst the anarchy that settles in the whole plot. This is the scene where Rajkumar Rao (Johnny) is following the instructions to murder the common blackmailer, Huma Qureshi (Monica Machado). He boards a train, as discussed with his co-plotters, to aid in the dispersal of the corpse. In this relay race while we are constantly listening to the notes of “Monica O My Darling” in high and low pitches, Rao encounters a broken car on his way to the destination, and to add to the glory of the murderer/plotter, the woman inside the car was also listening to the same song, “Monica O My Darling”. The music that began as an ode to old Hindi cinema was being played conspicuously; and in this particular scene, the background music makes an organic shift becoming a part of the characters on screen. Just like how we listen to music via the radio or the internet, but we never know the song that plays itself with the unexpected rhythms of our lives – that too, just organically!
by Anushree Ghosh Directed & Written: Jeo Baby Starring: Nimisha Sajayan : Suraj Venjaramoodu The close shots of cutting, chopping, cooking, and cleaning throughout the film, are not merely shots but a day spent in the life of a woman. The Malayalam movie, The Great Indian Kitchen…
Chilling scenes, mind-blowing music (all from the fictional radio station K-Billy) and a Mexican stand-off resulting in one of the most iconic climaxes to any movie in the history of celluloid, Reservoir Dogs will continue to be a watershed moment in the history of independent film-making.