10 contemporary films exploring relationships in crisis

The relationship-in-crisis sub-genre is a tricky one, especially when making a film that explores the complexities of human psyche. In recent years, Tollywood has kept on focusing on the problems modern couples face. Films like ‘Ahaa Re’, ‘Praktan’ or ‘X=Prem’ have explore the crisis in relationships giving a completely different perception. Telling the story of a struggling relationship in an original way, that’s the trend now. Let’s take a look at these recent Bengali films that shed lights on the contemporary issues in relationships.

In this Nandita-Shiboprosad directorial, Biswanath Mazumdar (Soumitra Chatterjee) shocks his son and daughter-in-law (Shankar and Indrani), three daughters (Rituparna, Aparajita and Monami) and their husbands (Sujoy, Kharaj and Anindya) by announcing to his decision to divorce his wife, Aarti, (Swatilekha Sengupta) after 49 years of marriage. What follows is an emotional re-discovery of the institution of marriage. The sounds and images created by a septuagenarian couple’s tryst with the myopia that plagues modern-day marriages will surely linger on after watching this relationship drama.

'Bijoya' is the sequel to Kaushik Ganguly's National award-winning film 'Bishorjon'. Padma is now married to Ganesh Mondal. An emergency situation brings Padma and Ganesh Mondal to Kolkata where she meets Nasir Ali once again. What will she do now? How does her husband, Ganesh Mondal deal with this?

The Srijit Mukherji film revolves around a much-in-love couple — Khilaat (Anindya Sengupta), a software engineer, and Joyee (Shruti Das) — who find themselves in a weird situation after a car accident erases Khilaat’s memory of the past 10 years. After he regains consciousness, Khilaat feels uncomfortable as he can’t remember how and when he fell in love with Joyee. Joyee tries her best to bring his memory back by recounting stories of their college life, their first meeting and so on. But much to her disappointment, nothing works. Caught in some sort of an emotional crisis, the desperate couple seeks help from a doctor, who apparently can transplant memories. And so begins the hunt to find the memory of love…

Ranjan Ghosh directed Ahaa Re has ticked all the right boxes given an unconventional premise. A rich Bangladeshi Muslim (Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo), a middle-class Indian Hindu, and the medium of food, the fusion of Epaar Bangla and Opaar Bangla, to set the course of their love story. There are some noteworthy performances to savour as well. Rituparna Sengupta has delivered with considerable restraint right through. As the old patriarch bristling at being addressed as meshomoshai, who is keen to learn magic even at this ripe old age, Paran Bandyopadhyay is exceptional.

The Nandita Roy-Shiboprosad Mukherjee directed film is a simple tale of a married and a separated couple. It's also a journey within a journey that simplifies the complexities of most modern day relationships and the beauty lies in the clear-headed approach and the ideal climax. Each of the protagonists present a different aspect of married life, of ego, emotions and perspectives and each drive their points home.

The film, directed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta, reminds us how actions can speak louder than words. It also shows how drama and detailing can keep the audience glued to seats even if none of the actors mouth a single word. It’s the realness that strikes a chord. Both the characters, played by Ritwick and Basabdutta, go about life in such a mundane, unhurried kind of way that the film seems to be a documentary about a day in the life of a lower middle-class working couple, with the recession as the backdrop. The director also traces the couple’s life in minute detail, sketching out their work and personal routines using a sequence of strokes to create the complete picture.

Finally Bhalobasha depicts three stories that narrate the relationships between people of different age and gender, which is considered as a social taboo in our society. The movie very aesthetically shows how people in such relations go through the test of time by mentally juggling the concept of sin and their need of physical longing that finally transcends into true love. signature tune of an Anjan Dutt film – urbanites dealing with existential crisis, people coping with broken families and relationships can be seen in this film as well.

Matters of the heart are difficult to understand. And love happens to be a complicated subject. The film takes off asking a pertinent question – “Is our heart just an organ that pumps blood or is it a storehouse of emotions as described by great writers and poets?” There are many ways to express love. While some fall in love passionately, fiercely and hopelessly, some are sensitive, understanding and affectionate. Given a choice, who will you choose to be with? That’s the question director Shieladitya Moulik tries to answer in his film.

Sayan (Samadarshi), a TV script-writer, goes to Darjeeling to tend to his ailing grandmother (Lolita Chatterjee) after his longtime girlfriend Debjani (Bidita Bag) dumps him. Fate brings him close to Aditi (Rituparna), a mother and a housewife, whose husband Pramit (Joy Sengupta) leaves for another woman, Monalisa (Ekavali Khanna). The film is an intimate tryst with the twists of fate that reveal the intricacies of human relationships, the ups and downs of life and the human journey of self-discovery.

What happens to a couple before marriage and how they eventually change post marriage is what this laugh riot tries to focus on. This Mainak Bhaumik directed romantic-comedy is surely relatable. Story wise there’s nothing new. It’s a typical story of a couple who after their love marriage get the reality check, they realize how the romantic equations keep changing when they become husband and wife as the responsibilities of a married life throws a whole new challenge. Instead of an over exposed subject, the film never looks boring due to the refreshing screenplay (particularly in the first half), the funny witty dialogues and the wonderful performances by the lead actors Ritwick Chakraborty and Sohini Sarkar.