Review of Bengali movie "Nirbashito"

We all know Churni Ganguly as a very talented actress but when she chose to wear director's hat for the first time she shows that she equally talented in direction too. She has chosen a truly different subject about the controversial author Taslima Nasrin's banishment for her controversial writing. This movie has already bagged National award even before its theatrical release. This film never mentioned the name of the author but you can make it from the references, that from whose life it has been inspired.

This film is not a conventional biopic about the author, it never focus on her journey from a

poor girl from Bangladesh to an world famous author.Rather it tries to trace her pain her loneliness once she got banished from her own motherland, from her own people, from her own language, from her creative world of writing. The movie starts with the riots in Kolkata by some fundamentalist parties against the controversial author(Churni Ganguly). To make the situation under control Govt has to shift her to Sweden. But she has to left her pet cat Baghini, whom she use to treat like her daughter, with one of her friend Pritam(Saswata Chatterjee). From here starts two different tracks, the author's struggle to cope up with her loneliness at Sweden, her longing for coming back to her own people to her motherland; another track revolves around Pritam's struggle to send the cat Baghini to her mother at Sweden taking approval from local police to state Govt to Sweden Embassy.

The screenplay has been written very well which creates some moments that will live with you even after the movie ends. While it is about the pain of the banished author, it has some funny moments too using some satire on Govt official revolving around the process to send Baghini to abroad. This film never tries to justify what is right or wrong but it protest against ban on anyone's freedom which is one's birth right. It talks about women liberalization , it talks about ones right of freedom of speech and no one have the right to ban that.

As a director Churni ganguly is excellent in her debut film. She has chosen a truly different subject and has handled it quite well giving it a realistic touch. From choosing locations to

choosing actors from different parts of the world everything looks authentic. She knows how to connect with the audiences while telling the story.

Not only as director, Churny Ganguly is in terrific form as the leading actress too. She has portrayed the emotional journey of Taslima Nasrin superbly. The pain, the anger, the frustration , the loneliness looks real on her face. She is an actress who can convey her emotions even without saying a single line. 

Among the others Saswata Chatterjee is very impressive to provide a comic relief. He has played the author's friend Pritam who is struggling to balance his life between his friend and wife. His acting is very natural as usual. Raima Sen has her moments in her short appearance.

The rest of the cast from Tollywood and Sweden, everyone has done a good job. The casting has been done very wisely.

Special mention should be given for Soni , the cat who has played the character of Baghini. Her expressions are really priceless. No wonder you will feel attached with the cat.

The cinematography by Shirsha Ray is wonderful, the locations of Sweden has been captured really well. The editing done by Bodhadity Banerjee is sharp , the story never looks stretched. The background score is very effective. 

Overall it is a film about the pain of an author who has been banished not only from her motherland rather she has been banished from her birth right to express her own feelings. It is about her suffering , her undying hope of returning home one day, which will touch your heart. Watch it for the wonderful effort by the extremely talented lady Churni Ganguly, both as director and as an actor.