"J" aatishwar Bengali Movie Review #BlogchatterA2Z

Today, on the 10th day of the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge, I have chosen a beautiful film in Bengali cinema: "J" aatishwar, directed by Srijit Mukherji.

Synopsis

Mahamaya is a passionate advocate for Bengali culture. Rohit Mehta, a Gujarati student at her university, expresses his love for her. In response, she sets a challenge: he must write and compose a complete song for her in Bengali. Rohit takes this as a challenge and begins studying Bengali with the help of his friend Bodhi. He also relocates to Portugal to pursue Portuguese studies, where he learns about a poet named Hensman Anthony. As he delves deeper, he discovers that a significant portion of Anthony's life was spent in Bengal.

To learn more about Anthony, Rohit travels to Chandannagar and meets Kushal Hajra, a librarian who claims to be the reincarnation of Anthony, famously known as Anthony Firingee. Anthony arrived in Bengal in the early 19th century to explore various forms of music and poetry in Sanskrit and Bengali. Over time, he became highly skilled in these languages and formed his own band of Kobiyals, a group of poets who would challenge each other with spontaneous musical poetry. He became a celebrated Kobiyal, winning the hearts of thousands in Bengal.

Rohit takes Kushal to see a psychiatrist who suggests past life regression therapy to help him reconnect with his former life, where he seeks his lost love, Mini, from the 18th century. However, the psychiatrist cautions that this process could lead to a total loss of his present memories. He shares stories about Soudamini, Anthony's wife, and how he met and lost her, prompting him to leave India and settle in Portugal.

Inspired by Kushal's experiences, Rohit decides to participate in Bandemonium, a major band festival that crosses borders. With assistance from renowned singer Suman Chattopadhyay, he creates a song for the festival. During the performance, Maya, who now works as a radio jockey, is impressed by his singing. When they meet, Kushal, who is also present, is struck to see that Maya bears a striking resemblance to Soudamini, his wife from his past life. He quietly leaves the event without informing Rohit.

Review and Significance

"Jaatishwar" refers to a person who remembers memories from their past lives. In the film, Kushal, who recalls his past life as Anthony Firingee, struggles to manage his constant hallucinations and his ongoing search for his beloved Mini. The film presents intriguing discussions about past life regression and the possible causes of hallucinations. The vibrant KobiGaan sequences featuring Anthony and other Kobiyals are beautifully shot and accompanied by memorable music.

Prasenjit Chattopadhyay delivers a phenomenal performance as Kushal/Anthony. His portrayal of Kushal's insecurity, juxtaposed with the confident and well-read Anthony, is so convincing that it feels like 2 different actors playing the roles.

This film is one of Srijit Mukherji's best works, featuring an engaging concept, convincing performances, and vivid storytelling, with fabulous music serving as the cherry on top. It is genuinely a memorable film that captivates the audience.

Release, Cast, Characters

Jaatishwar was released in 2014.

Cast

Prasenjit Chattopadhyay as Kushal/Anthony

Jisshu Sengupta as Rohit Mehta

Swastika Mukherji as Mahamaya/Soudamini

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