A death in the Gunj

A death in the Gunj :  Konkana Sen Sharma does it once again , this time as the debutante director . Her firstborn champions the art of simple story telling. It is eerie, atmospheric and moody- yet in each of its characters one will find a slice of his own life. The opening shot of the film sets the tempo and mood as the narrative moves back to the beginning of the week when the story started unfolding in the idyllic colonial outpost, McCluskiegunj. While on the surface A death in the Gunj looks like a slow paced thriller with an eerie sense of impeding doom, deep within it is a study of human behavior.

The story unfolds as Nandu along with his family and cousin Shutu visits his old parents living in McCluskiegunj to celebrate Christmas and New Year. They are joined by his friend Vikram, the hot headed poster boy of machismo and Brian. Each one of them are unique to each other and yet somewhere underneath they are so similar – opportunist to the core. And therein lies the crux of the film.  The film bares open the complexities related to human behavior and how they react differently to different situation. While Shutu gets bullied and exploited by most, the moment he got an opportunity, he too leaves the little Tani alone, who has been his only constant companion and goes on an escapade with Mimi ( Kalki Koechein) . Sexually trapped Mimi , rejected by Vikram , uses Shutu to gratify her sexual desires . Nandu doesn’t even waste a minute to blame his wife Bonnie when Tani goes missing. The interpersonal dynamics are brilliantly exposed. There are few telling scenes in the film. Watch out for the scene where Tani discovers Shutu’s name is not engraved on the family tree and co relate it with the climax. Then there is a scene where the entire family is having dinner and Shutu is conveniently forgotten. He is repeatedly bullied and sidelined. There is a constant fight going on inside his mind. The turmoil is so palpable. After all we all have been Shutu at some point in our lives.

The brilliance of the film lies in its ensemble cast, its beautiful characterization, its serene cinematography and the earthy back ground score. Each character has been crafted with care and each one of them gives a solid performance and Vikrant Massey leads the pack. His Shutu, will forever haunt you. The fluidity and flexibility with which he plays the character is remarkable. Ranvir Shorey , Tillotama Shome and Kalki are in fine form. Arya Sharma as little Tani is adorable. It was endearing to see Tanuja , back on screen after long and watching Om Puri , probably for one last time on big screen, as he says “ Tulsidas wapas nehin ayaega” is nostalgic .

 “A death In the Gunj” is a finely crafted tapestry that exposes the myriad hues of human psychology. It will be right up there along with “ Udaan” as one of the best Debut films made in India. Its a tribute to Konaka’s ability to bring the finest together and get the best out of them. Go explore the complexities of human behavior and the art of simple story telling!