[Simple Popup Images unable to find image size for Kathantara at either 'http://orissacinema.com/gallery/kathantara/kathantara1.jpg' or '/home/bobaalco/public_html/orissacinema/blog/gallery/kathantara/kathantara1.jpg' ]
The recent Best Film Award winner Kathantara is a brilliant work by alternative film director Himansu Khatua whose debut feature film ‘Shunya Swaroopa’ had previously won the National Award in the category of Best Oriya Film in the 44th National Film Festival, India.
[Please click here to view the Gallery of pictures from the film Kathantara.]
The synopsis:
Kathantara, a feature film is in Oriya, is an attempt to throw light on the trials and tribulations of 1999 Super Cyclone survivors with particular emphasis on Kalpana, a young widow. Kalpana’s destiny is followed from different perspective and a tale of human predicament is built around her.
The films narrative unfolds with the anniversary function of 1999 Super Cyclone that devastated coastal Orissa. This was one of the severest cyclones of the last century. It had caused absolute havoc, leaving thousands dead and many more thousands homeless and destitute. The worst affected was the Bengali refugee settlement. Aids and relief came pouring in. So also came NGOs, media persons, politicians, and vested-interst groups. With so much external influence the local value system got affected, corruption and amoral practices became rampant.
Dipankar, a TV Journalist from Bangladesh, is engaged in documenting the cyclone anniversary and the status of the post-cyclone survivors. With the help of an NGO group he covers the programme, and hears a great deal about Kalpana – the much publicised cyclone widow. Dipankar takes a keen interest on her and wants to do a special feature.
The genesis of Kalpana’s ordeal is rooted in history. Like others in that locality her father a forced migrant from East Bengal during the partition, struggled all his life to establish his identity, even though he was a citizen of his adopted homeland.
Kalpana born and brought up in India, was leading a harmonious life with her fisherman husband. As they were dreaming to add more colours into their life, the infamous super cyclone of October 1999 strikes. It leaves all her family member dead. Kalpana miraculously survives. And with the support of her childhood friend Akshaya she limps back to a life now full of emptiness. The links with her past being snapped off, Kalpana feels alienated in her own native place. A sense of dispossession engulfs her.
Kalpana tired with her own struggle and very much bitter at the meaningless publicity made out of her, firmly refuses Dipankar for an interview. Disappointed, he returns to his own country without the story he wanted to do on Kalpana.
Kalpana lives an isolated life with an uncertain future. She does small job with the support of local NGO and fights to safeguard her dignity from the lusts of society. Kalpana’s life is limited to ceaseless follow up with the Govt. officials for the death compensation package.
Sharing with Kalpana’s lonely struggle is her compassionate sister-in-law, Rupa. She is yet another cyclone survivor but she is more balanced and pragmatic. After losing her husband and children in the cyclone, Rupa dares to remarry a good-for-nothing fellow. His sole interest is her money that she has received as death compensation of her family members. She, inspite of herself struggling with an unhappy marriage insists Kalpana should find someone suitable and settle down.
Dipankara makes a repeat visit without his camera unit and he just wants to meet Kalpana. He is fascinated with her innocence, beauty and determination. He shares with her lot of things about himself, about his people and the life out there in Dhaka. He also learns about Kalpana and wants to put an end to her suffering.
It becomes difficult on Kalpana’s part to reconcile in settling down with a person she hardly knows. Yet again, she is fed up with this place with bleak prospect. The frustration of the never ending follow-up for compensation money, the anguish of being treated as women of loose virtue by village youths, and the illicit advances by Rupa’s husband makes Kalpana insecured. Rupa, also believes how difficult it is for a single woman, especially a young and good looking widow to cope up with her present situation. She insists upon Kalpana to settle down with Dipankar in Bangladesh – the land of her forefathers.
A brief stay in Kolkata prior to crossing the border becomes a revealing moment in Kalpana’s life. She realises she will be a misfit in the far off urban setting of Dhaka and would suffer further alienation. The memories of her homeland, of her childhood, of all that she had and all that she lost will haunt her for the rest of her life. She longs to return back to her village.
She also reconciles to the fact that Dipankar, inspite of all his concern and support, is just another ambitious Journalist whose priority is his career. He sees everything from the point of view of news and story. Right now she is a hot subject for Dipankar, he can get lot of publicity if he marries her ! But he can never really comprehend her trauma-filled mindscape. It’s then that she decides not to let herself be ‘displaced’ by choice. She walks out from the prospect of marrying Dipankar and settling down in a clustrophobic alien city. But before she departs, she records her life-story and leaves it for Dipankar to complete his special feature.
Ironically, the scene in her village is different-now. The improper eviction process for the immigrants from Bangladesh is in full swing. People are being served deportation notices to leave the country within 30 days. There is a large scale resentment, unrest and protest-rally by the affected people to assert their rights and belongingness to the adopted homeland.
Kalpana unaware of the happenings returns to her home and to her own people. Despite all the adversities, stigma and grim prospect she could breathe freely in the land which forever belongs to her. But as soon as she lands up in her village she is also served with the deportation notice.
Kalpana now determined to stay back, takes a surprise bold step to reclaim her rights to live in the land of her birth.
And that’s the beginning of Another Story….
Major Credits of ‘Kathantara’:
Story, Screenplay, Dialogue, Direction: Himansu Khatua
Producer: Iti Samanta
Cinematography: Sameer Mahajan
Editing: Rabi Pattnaik
Audiography: Manas Choudhury, Gitimugdha Sahani
Music: Swarup Nayak
Art Direction: Amiya Moharana
For the Records:
1. Original Title: Kathantara
2. Title in English: Another Story
3. Genre: feature film on social issue
4. Country: India
5. Language: Oriya & Bengali
6. Format: 35mm.
7. Duration: 116 mins.
8. Subtitle: English subtitled
9. Colour: Yes.
10. Censored at / on: At Cuttack, Orissa. On 29-12-2005
12. Producer : Iti Samanta
Address : Duplex-20, Sailashree Vihar,
Bhubanesawr-751 021, Orissa, India.
E-mail: itirani@rediffmail.com
13. Diector : Himansu Khatua.
14. Distributor: Kadambinee Media Pvt. Ltd., Duplex-20,
Sailashree Vihar, Bhubanesawr-751 021, Orissa, India.
15. Lead Cast:
Anu chaudhry (Kalpana)
Bhaswati Basu (Rupa)
Rasesh Mohanty (Akshaya)
Bedaprasad Dash (Deepankar)
Choudhury Bikash Das (Bikash)
Mihir Swain (Late husband of Kalpana)
Mamuni Mishra
George Tiadi
Surya Mohanty
Ananta Mohapatra
Choudhury Jayaprakash Das
Bidyutprava Devi
Chakradhara Jena
Banamali Pandia
Priya Mishra
Hadu
Soni
Amiya
Narana
Child Artist:
Guddu
Subhradip
Debasish
Sukanya
16. Contact Address with E-mail i.d.
Address: Kadambinee Media Pvt. Ltd.,
Duplex-20,
Sailashree Vihar, Bhubanesawr-751 021, Orissa, India.
E-mail : kadambinee_odisha@rediffmail.com
17. Selected for 12th Kolkata Film Festival & 5th Asian Film Festival, Mumbai
18. Any other information:
By the Director :
I was so moved by the massive tragedy that I rushed to Erasama within two days of the event. I was carrying a DV camera to document the struggle of the residents of the regions. Ever since, I visited the region several times over three years. The stories I heard from the victims are so profoundly diverse and emotionally overwhelming that I decided to create characters who would be composite embodiments of their unique experiences.
The film was shot in Erasama the location of the Super Cyclone with the cooperation of the love and affection showed by the local inhabitants.
We love to cherish the bygone days of Orissa Cinema. But we equally look forward to relish everything thats happening right now in our film community. What are the new Oriya film and television releases? Who is going to emerge winner at our box offices? When will Rajja and Dussahara be declared Oriya Film Festivals? Who did you notice on your latest visit to Keshari Talkies? Find out all about it right here. At Orissa Cinema!