‘Pupa’: Interesting and lesser-known facts about the film you shouldn’t miss

‘Pupa’ as unique the title of the film is, the plot is completely different from the typical commercial films we see. The family drama explores the theme of ‘Euthanasia’. For those who don’t know what ‘Euthanasia’ is; it’s basically the passive practice of intentionally ending one’s life to relieve pain and suffering. Touted to be one of the most debated Bengali films in recent times, the Indrashis Acharya directorial is releasing this Friday.

Here is a look at some of the interesting facts about the film which make it a must watch.

The film tells the story of Subhro who returns (Rahul Banerjee) India when his mother dies. When he is getting ready to head back to the US, his father (Pradip Mukherjee) suffers a cerebral attack. Subhro’s uncle (Kamaleshwar Mukherjee) advises him to leave behind the emotion and go back to the US. His fiancé, who is starting her integrated Ph.D. in the US, is now left with no other choice but to leave him and go ahead. Sudiptaa Chakraborty plays Subhro’s sister in the film. In this turmoil, a shocking incident leads to the climax of the story.

Indrasis Acharya had to fight for a long time to get his film released as the Central Board of Film Certification initially didn’t give certification to ‘Pupa’ because of its controversial subject. However, on March 9, a 5-member Supreme Court constitution bench headed by chief justice Dipak Mishra ruled that passive euthanasia is permissible in our country. Finally, the CBFC Mumbai office gave a U/A certificate (parental guidance for children aged 12 or below), and suggested to attach a disclaimer, mentioning that it doesn’t speak for mercy killing. It also recommended blurring the manufacturer’s label on a vial and syringe shown in’Pupa’.

Only two commercially unreleased Bengali films were screened in different competitive categories in the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival last year – ‘Pupa’ and Saibal Mitra's 2016 film 'Chitrakar'. 'Pupa' was screened in the competition section of Indian language's films in the 2017 film fest. It grabbed quite a lot of attention due to the storyline which revolves around four lives sailing peacefully and but suddenly were on the crossroads due to an unexpected turn of events as a tough decision needs to be taken. Meanwhile, 'Chitrakar', featuring Dhritiman Chatterjee and Arpita Chatterjee in the lead roles, would be screened in the Asian Select (Netpack award) section.

Rahul will be seen as a devoted son who stays in the US and unfortunately misses his mother’s death. Now he feels bound to his near-death comatose father who has passed all the deadlines given by doctors as there is no sign of recovery. Recently Rahul explained how he got interested in this film and why he thinks it’s a special role he has been offered, “I had no connection with Indrasish Da personally. We met at the screening of his last movie ‘Bilu Rakkhosh’ in Bijaygarh. You won’t believe it literally shook me to the core. Frankly speaking, I haven’t received many offers of such challenging roles so far. For me, the character I am playing is really a special one.”

‘Pupa’ is a social drama based on the subject of 'euthanasia' or 'right to die'. On March 7, 2018, the Supreme Court legalized passive euthanasia by the withdrawal of life support to patients in a permanent vegetative state. The decision was taken as a part of the verdict in a case involving Aruna Shanbaug, who was in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) until her death in 2015. Director Indrashis Acharya believes due to the touching subject, ‘Pupa’ will set a new trend in Bengali cinema. "I think through this film, we have been able to set a trend for realistic films. I want more people to watch the film so that more filmmakers can be inspired to make these kinds of film and take our cinema to an international level.”