book cover
Film lovers will remember her as the playful young girl peeking under the bed in search of her pet squirrel, who chose the perfect moment to pop out and interrupt the marital conversation. She finds Chorki within moments and escapes, leaving the already nervous family, who has made a lucrative plan for the prospective groom, in a state of confusion.
Aparna Das Gupta in “Samaapti”, the third chapter of Tripitaka, directed by Satyajit Ray teenage girl In 1961 Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Archives
This is one of many comic moments termination (Conclusion), part of Satyajit Ray’s triptych of Tagore short stories – teenage girl (Three daughters). Aparna Sen was only 14 when she played the role of Mrinmoyee in the short film, which centered on the comedy of the institution of marriage in a familiar social setting. The year was 1961.
From playing heroine roles in popular Bengali films to acting alongside stalwarts like Ray and Mrinal Sen, Aparna is one of the stalwarts of Bengali cinema. In between, there has been theatre, serious (with Utpal Dutt, no less) and mainstream, activism and a nearly two-decade stint as an editor. SanandA leading women’s magazine. The next major change was to write short stories. One based on his school principal wrote himself into a screenplay. Nurtured over two years, it was a labor of love that had to be made into a film.
jennifer kendall in a scene 36 Chowringhee Lane
Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
36 Chowringhee Lane Nativity, set itself in a central Calcutta neighborhood to hint at the protagonist’s Anglo-Indian roots, but brilliantly added a fictional street to its title. The film was released in 1981, and Chowringhee Lane was so profoundly imagined that it has established itself in the multi-cultural landscape of the city. A brilliant debut, 36 Chowringhee Lane will remain one of the most enduring portrayals of the man in Indian cinema, his isolated and dry existence universally imbued with honesty and empathy.
Aparna has directed 16 feature films so far, including historical films. Paroma, Yugant, Paromitar one day, Mr and Mrs Iyer, 15 Park Avenue, goynar baksho, Ghawre Baire today And, recently, Rapist. She has been able to broaden her outlook on life with each trip, placing her women in the uncharted territory of relationships and politics, allowing them agency and voice. He has received three national awards in addition to the NETPAC Jury Award at the Locarno Film Festival.
By nature, Aparna ensures that her films leave her mark, as she believes that her directorial offerings and not her screen idol status defines her legacy.
Even at the age of 80, Aparna’s glow remains intact. “I don’t realize my age and people say I don’t look my age. So, I’m not really bothered,” she says in filmmaker Suman Ghosh’s memorial book. Aparna’s world (Simon & Schuster India), which records her conversations with her, daughter Konkona Sensharma, husband Kalyan Roy, film friends Anjan Dutt, Gautam Ghosh and Shabana Azmi and writer/cultural commentator Samik Bandopadhyay.
book cover of Aparna Sen: A life in cinema
Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Another timely book, Aparna Sen: A life in cinema Devpriya Sanyal’s (Roopa) delves deep into his filmography, especially with regard to his female characters. These are women who may be emotionally vulnerable in the beginning but almost always claim agency for themselves by the end of their on-screen journey. Read together, these books offer a solid analysis of filmmaker Aparna Sen, placing her in the framework of contemporary Indian directors. They shed light on the person he is: funny, sometimes outrageous, and offer intimate details of his formative years in Calcutta and Santiniketan.
Aparna grew up surrounded by books, music, poetry and films, courtesy of her parents Chidanand and Supriya Dasgupta. His home was a repository of art where poets, writers and cultural figures frequently visited. It was natural for him to imbibe the spirit of aesthetics closely associated with the Bengal of that time. His father and Ray were friends, and together they founded the Calcutta Film Society, becoming pioneers of the film society movement in India. There were regular film screenings at the house (works by Ingmar Bergman, Sergei Eisenstein and others).
The first Bengali film he was “allowed” to watch was Ray’s Pather PanchaliDasgupta senior was very clear that his children did not need to be exposed to the formulaic offerings of commercial cinema so early in life. Nevertheless, she spent almost 20 years in the same environment as an actress.
Aparna is a keen photographer and very good at it (helped by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s books at home), which explains her innate understanding of light and camera angles. “Now, we have to take him seriously,” Ray commented as he showed him his black and whites. However, sadly his photographs will never be exhibited as he has lost most of the negatives (“I’m not much of an archivist”).
Director during the shooting of Mr and Mrs Iyer
Photo Courtesy: Parth Sanyal
To whom did she go with the complete script of 36 Chowringhee Lane? Hey, absolutely. He liked it. He said, it’s all a matter of the heart, and placed it in front of Shashi Kapoor. But, how did Aparna read her script to the Kapoor family in Bombay? When did he agree to produce the film? Why did they double Aparna’s directorial fees?
Suman Ghosh’s book is a delightful revelation. Starting with the lighter shades of loneliness of Ms. Violet Stoneham, Aparna’s worldview is reflected in her vast range of stories and characters. Meenakshi Iyer realizes her humanity again when she faces a rioting mob during a bus journey (Mr and Mrs Iyer2002), housewife Paroma (1985) is able to take responsibility for herself, choosing to return after a tragic affair, as Devapriya explains, “to continue searching for her own identity”; Deepak and Anashua feel that their marriage is falling apart (the era1995), his negative resonance finds metaphorical resonance in the way environmental carelessness destroys planet Earth – the Gulf War, and the oil spill were Aparna’s inspiration; A mother-in-law bonds with her daughter-in-law (parometer a day2000), their friendship helps each other handle relationships in a patriarchal family. As for Meethi, troubled by her mental health condition, she eventually takes charge and disappears (15 Park Avenue2005), a stunning on-screen resolution that enthralled theater audiences long after the final credits had rolled.
a scene from the movie rapist
“It’s my worldview that you should soak up life like a sponge,” Aparna believes, “Then, every experience becomes resource material for you, which maybe you can use someday.” She’s living by that principle, unaware of where it might take her. Consider Ghawre Baire Aaj (2019). For this modernist retelling of Tagore’s home and world, Aparna draws from contemporary reality to arm the female protagonist Bimala in a way she never imagined, to reflect the filmmaker’s vehement rejection of the politics of hate prevalent across the world today.
Where does Aparna really stand among Indian filmmakers? As for Shabana Azmi, she is one of the best people we have. “She grew up in a very cordial environment… and it’s painful for her to have to redefine that as an Indian,” she says. Anjan Dutt believes the youth will consider her films as important documents as her cinematic predecessors. Critic Samik Bandopadhyay emphasizes that above all, Aparna is one of the few filmmakers who remains apolitical. “…Aparna has taken courage. And that’s where her politics lies…in daring to do what other people are doing.”