Shubho Muharat (2003) [Film Review]

Shubho Muharat;or, How valuable is the last autograph?

This week’s review shall be a bit different for we’ll take a look at a Bengali movie that is a free adaptation of one of Agatha Christie’s(!) crime stories, entitled The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side.

Release Info

Directed by: Rituparno Gosh Starring: Rakhee, Sharmila Tagore, Nandita Das

Language: Bengali English Title: The First Shoot  Movie Industry: Tollywood Runtime: 157 min

Plot

The story centres on two movie actresses, Kakoli (Kalyani Mandal) and Padmini (Sharmila Tagore) who establish a really strong and intimate friendship over the course of their careers. Padmini is a retired NRI (Non Indian Resident) who lives in the United States, but she returns to Calcutta to help her husband in preparations for a new film in which Kakoli is to be the leading heroine. During the Mahurat ceremony (held to celebrate the start of making a film) somebody poisons Kakoli’s drink and the actress dies at her home while giving an interview to a young journalist Milli (Nandita Das). In spite of on-going police involvement, Milli’s aunt, Ranga Pishima (Rakhee), becomes greatly interested in the case and starts her own investigation.

The pain in the neck that is adapting Christie’s work

Unlike some people out there, who memorised all the books and saw all the adaptations, I am not a die-hard Agatha Christie fan, but I do prefer her works over the ones of Arthur Conan Doyle (sorry Sherlock...). After reading her books and also checking out such famous series as Poirot or Miss Marple, I came to the conclusion that the key to a proper transposition of Christie’s crime story to the screen lies in appropriate reflection of the whole mood of the story, without necessarily strict reliance on the main plot itself. What I mean is that Christie’s novels are not just “whodunits”, but they are also, in a way, psychological dramas. In contrast to Conan Doyle where we get of course the thrill of unravelling the mystery, in Christie we can experience the game of shadows between the detective and the murderer; the toxic relationship which the two fall into and finally end up revealing themselves in the final confrontation. In the view of such a perspective on Christie’s works, I dare to think that Shubho Muharat is one of the best adaptations, if not indeed, the best one ever. 

Indian Miss Marple

While watching this movie, I remember years ago seeing a TV adaptation of this particular story with Joan McKenzie in the leading role and disliking it. Back then, everything seemed a bit forced and pretentious, starting from the screenplay and finishing on the acting. It’s no wonder that the show went on hiatus for 4 years. With the progress of the series, Miss Marple transformed herself from witty and charming into a bland, dull, and slightly annoying lady. Needless to say, seeing Miss Marple in an “Indian take” is extremely refreshing. Contrary to the literary progenitor, Ranga Pishima is not a spinster, or at least claims not to be for she mentions having grown-up children; moreover, she does not live alone but with her niece who is constantly on the job and, on top of that, she loves watching movies on TV and is a cat lover. Quite a distant image of the sharp-minded amateur detective, isn’t it? Well, in fact, Ranga is not a detective at all. She uses her abilities of exceptional memory, observance, and outstanding deduction in every-day superficial matters like recovering a lost phone number, or catching her niece smoking red-handed. She is a woman who feels good in the seclusion of her own home, barely going out anywhere.

Strangely enough, such a diversity of traits actually works well together. The Indian Miss Marple seems more compassionate, more relatable, and more... ordinary in comparison to her literary original. Thus, it is much more interesting seeing her putting together the pieces of a puzzle, struggling to discover the truth, and finally facing the murderer in probably the most touching and emotionally purifying confrontation ever!

Again, Indian Miss Marple is not a detective, she is like an everyday mother, grandmother, aunt, or neighbour who does not seek the ultimate justice on the wrongdoer, but instead, she employs her exceptional abilities just for the fun of solving the problem and because there is a an opportunity to do so. Therefore, in my book, Ranga Pishima outranks Miss Marple.

Backdrops

In terms of disadvantages, there is very little of them and they do not ruin the reception of the film. However, some might feel put off by several sub-plots interrelated with the main crime, like a hair-dresser experiencing a twisted romance and trying to sabotage the murderer, or Milli being emotionally torn between two men, a police officer and her fellow photographer. Due to all that the movie lasts almost 160 min but it still feels like just a two-hour story.

So what it is in the end? Whodunit or psychological thriller?

I think that the movie is crafted so well that every viewer can perceive it differently. Those unfamiliar with Christie can fully (and naively) enjoy the main murder plot and those who are more perceptive, and can guess who the murderer is, can divert their attention to the Indian context of the story taking place in Calcutta, within the uninviting and demanding world of the movie industry. Personally, I think of this movie as a sort of emotional and sensual story, with a crime just in the background, focusing on such universal issues as parental love, revenge, admiration, and solitude. In addition, the supporting role of Sharmila Tagore cannot go unnoticed. Indian Sophia Loren again shines on screen not only with her beauty, but also with top-notch acting.

Recommendations

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes crime stories, Agatha Christie, or just wants to watch a rather peaceful story without endless explosions of wild action or unexpected plot twists, but with a huge catharsis in the end. All in all, it is a well written and brilliantly acted motion picture. Gotta love Tollywood!

My personal score: 9/10