One life is not enough to fulfill some promises. And it is one of the themes of Nani’s latest film Shyam Singha Roy. The film begins with Vasu (Nani), an aspiring filmmaker, quitting a well-paying software job to pursue his passion for filmmaking. In order to receive funding for his film, first, he has to showcase his talent to his potential producer by making a short film.
And Vasu’s short film is yet to start as he hasn’t found the right actor to fill the shoes of his female protagonist. As if on cue, he gives a chance to Keerthy (Kriti Shetty), who is not an actor. She is currently hanging out with her friends in a coffee shop. But, Vasu sees his heroine in him and starts persuading her. He is the man who takes no for the answer. He even follows her. And before it turns scary and a prosecutable crime, Keerthi agrees to star in his film. More like he gently blackmailed her into the deal.
During the production, Keerti is harassed in public. And yes, Vasu fights with the goons. And during the fight, he gets hurt on the back of his head and he suddenly becomes left-handed. It seems that this was a pivotal moment in the story as the blow to the head seems to have brought back memories of his past life. But, we find out later. He has been living the memories of his past life for some time now. This is the first time we get a glimpse of another man who lives in Vasu’s head.
And conveniently, Keerthy is pursuing her master’s degree in psychology, which means she has access to a smart-looking psychology professor who knows hypotheses. It’s hard to understand how the characters who suffer from this multiple personality disorder in our movies always have a relationship with a psychology student? Remember Ambi and her girl crush Nandini in Ananya? You see my point. Why is Kirti not prominent in English literature? Or some other topic? Why does it always have to be psychology? She could have been a non-psychology student and still took Vasu to a psychologist.
Like Ambi, Vasu is also hypnotized and with her, we enter the chapters in his mind that hold the story of Shyam Singha Roy. The film travels to Bengal in the late 1960s when the practice of untouchability and caste segregation was at its peak. Not that it has disappeared now, but at least social reformers like Shyam would have hoped by 2021 that people would still not cling to their caste pride. Sadly, most of us still do.
A still from Shyam Singha Roy.
Shyam is a staunch communist and believes that a pen is more powerful than a rifle when it comes to spreading one’s ideology. When he is about to catch his train to Howrah, he sees Maithiri (a wonderful Sai Pallavi), a devadasi. Another form of slavery and exploitation we see in the film.
The main antagonist in the film is not a man but inequality in society, which is the breeding ground for all social and human crises. For example, honor killings happen because some people think they are more special and sacred than others. At the root of this social evil is inequality. Even women, who are said to be closer to divinity, are sexually abused because some men think they are second only to God. And hence Shyam’s antagonist is not the mega-paapists or the people of the village who believe in the caste system. But, the ideology that creates inequality. And as they say, ideas are bulletproof. And bad thoughts can be fought only by educating people and with a sense of self-respect.
To the credit of director-writer Rahul Sankrityan, the film’s protagonist lives and fights with a pen instead of resorting to violence. The period part of the film is a sight for sore eyes. The retro look of Nani and Sai Pallavi is the center of attraction. The classical dance performance of Pallavi draped in a red sari is a sight to behold. His presence on screen takes a scene to another level. Period set pieces are minimal but effective. And the shots of the night under moonlight are soothing.
I was surprised at how the film handled the issue of honor killings. Usually when we hear those words in movies, by default we assume a woman as its victim. But, we rarely associate a person with being a victim of this evil. And also noteworthy is Rahul’s bold move of liberal use of Bengali dialogues in the film. When the characters speak Bengali, Telugu subtitles do appear. But, if you can’t read Telugu, there are enough clues on the screen for you to keep up with the story.
,