Binodiini - Ekti Natir Upakhyan

It's a must-watch-a visually compelling journey. Bertolt Brecht once remarked, "From the start it has been the theatre's business to entertain people... it needs no other passport than fun." So, go watch and enjoy.

As a regular filmgoer, I seek grandeur, storytelling, and memorable performances. Attending the grand premiere of Binodiini - Ekti Natir Upakhyan at Binodini Theater was an unforgettable experience. Binodini Dasi's life was a bold, trailblazing story of creativity and courage. I remember a scene from Anjan Dutta's National Award winning film "Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbo Na" where he convinced the music company head (Abir Chatterjee) to launch Ranjana's solo Bengali rock album, by drawing a parallel with Binodini Dasi's trailblazing entry into theater and how that changed everything. What Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Rukmini Maitra have achieved is nothing short of audacious creativity, masterfully bringing Binodini Dasi back to life with brilliance.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee is a fantastic storyteller. I recently read "Dream Girl & Beyond", his biography on India's biggest female superstar, Hema Malini ji. His words painted a visual scene-by-scene portrayal of Hemaji's life, such is the power of his storytelling. The film is indubitably Rukmini Maitra's best work till date - she is the soul of the film. Her screen presence, her emotions, the expressions, the grace, the anger, the sorrow - it seems she has literally lived in Binodini Dasi's skin over these years. The sets, the costumes, the research, the lights - everything showed that Ram Kamal Mukherjee is different, he has announced himself in the Bengali film industry. His work in Mumbai and his ability to visualise grandeur is quite evident in the film.

Kaushik Ganguly Sir as "Girish Ghosh" is of course the other powerhouse of the film. What can I say about him - that one scene from Srijit Mukherji's "Chotushkone" where he has literally swallowed every other actor in the film - I am a huge fan, Sir. I must say, Rukmini did a fantastic job matching him scene to scene.

Chandreyee Ghosh as "Golap" delivers a powerful performance, while Firdausi Basu as "Khetramani" captures Binodini's competitive struggles with finesse.

It was good to see Rahul Bose. His portrayal of "Ranga Babu" reminded me of Anjan Dutta's portrayal of "Shubho" in Rituparno Ghosh's "Chitrangada" - a perfect blend of empathy and wisdom. Mir Afsar Ali as "Gurmukh Rai" was in his usual brilliance. I have always felt the actor Mir has always been highly underrated. OM Sahani as "Kumar Bahadur" tries his best to create an impact. The veteran Gautam Halder's dark portrayal of "Dasu Babu" was such a masterpiece.

The music by Sourendro-Soumyojit is captivating. Shreya Ghoshal's "Kanha" is spellbinding, "Aaji Borosharo Raatey" is melliflous, and "Hori Mon Mojaye" is purity. All the songs are beautifully choreographed by Manisha Basu, Souvik Chakraborty and Avyaan Roy, with Rukmini mesmerizing in every frame. Soumik Halder's cinematography is slowly but surely gaining legendary status - simply love his work.

When I was asked my opinion of the film while leaving the premiere, I could only blurt out: I haven't seen Rukmini Maitra look so beautiful on screen ever before...my mind was still entranced..