'Kaalbela' - as a word would mean Timeliness.
Original novel was penned by Samaresh Majumdar.
In the year 2009, award winning director Goutam Ghose made the film.
It stars Parambrata Chatterjee, Paoli Dam, Soumitra Chatterjee and Santu Mukherjee among others.
The film is set against the background of the Naxalite movement.
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| Animesh and Madhabilata (Parambrata and Paoli Dam) |
The principal character Animesh Mitra (played by Parambrata Chatterjee) is a simpleton career-seeking ambitious youth who arrives 'Calcutta' (of 1970s) from a development-starved but peaceful and calm Jalpaiguri in North Bengal. His upbringing is different. As a result, when he arrives Calcutta, he is shy and cautious.
Before his arrival; Animesh is told by his caring middleclass dad - "Kolkata shahar grash korte boshey acchey (The big city is waiting there to swallow you)".
The old man also adds: "Politics is a luxury, that middleclass cannot afford".
Hence even if he tries to keep himself away from politics Animesh is almost 'forced' and 'trapped' to become a Communist under the mentorship of two other senior Ramen and Subash Sen.
But after a year he feels that their union and the political bosses have been deviating from the 'ideals' of building up an egalitarian society.
He is then mesmerised by radical ideas of Subhas Sen and young Animesh rediscovers himself as an individual but more importantly -- as a hardcore Naxalite.
The film and the novel portrays brutal Congress-ruled regime's Police.
Subash Sen and other leaders are killed in fake encounter. In fact, Siddharta Shankar Ray's government in West Bengal then surpassed all records of human right abuses to crush Maoism.
Animesh's roommate in a paying guest type badly maintained private hostel, Tridip is shot dead. Tridip was an alcoholic youngster, a deceived lover and also a poet. But he was drawn into politics without knowing anything about the ideals or political principles of the leftist forces.
This is also something that has 'happened' to many Bengali youngsters of the 1970s and 1980s and perhaps even later.
And the young women including a tribal who are arrested in charge of spreading the ideals of Naxalism, are raped by cops.
Animesh is tortured and made crippled.
He meets a former college union senior - Ramen- who then has become a Marxist Minister. The latter understands the paradox and explains to Animesh behind bars (as the minister comes for an inspection of the prison) -- "you all (Naxals) did not understand what was to be done and what was not".
Though from the same Left and ultra-Left movement stock; in real life and polity too the division between Marxists and real time Naxals remained and that difference also led to many killings.
That was one part of Bengal's tragic story.
In the film; a few dialogues are near classic and memorable. At one point Animesh is greeted by Madhabilata's rich-father with the salutation - "bloody Communist".
The film ends with Animesh returning home from prison. But his and his beloved Madhabilata's life has changed by then. The daughter of the rich father - Madhavi now resides in a small one-room 'shanty' locality with their son.
The imaginative Kaalbela-2 === is a justified idea. West Bengal politics has undergone a series of changes. Hence the lives of the protagonists and their offsprings too are different than what they used to be.
In Kaalbela-2; even Animesh's son Arka can be shown a mid-life character. He could be anyone - a wife-fearing regular office goer Bengali Babu (Bhadralok in a way). He could be a failed father or someone who looks behind and wonders how much life and his state and his Kolkata has changed since his dad had moved to Calcutta to make his career.
Take a few dialogues ... which were prevalent in the 1970s and perhaps can be applied even in 2026 (with modest alteration if necessary).
"Ei desh ta Bharat varsho, Chiner dalal er janya noe (This country is India and it does not belong to Dalals/gobetween of China)".
In 2026 -- sub-plot - a BJP supporter (say Arka's son) can tell : "This country is India and it does not belong to Bangladeshis".
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| Film maker Goutam Ghose |
For romantic viewers - this dialogue: "I have been in a daze since yesterday as if a poisonous snake has bitten me" ---- would easily fit in the inner thoughts of a youngman when he gets up lazily in the morning -- knowing fully well that he is still a loner. This piece has to end with a homage to Samaresh Majumdar.
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| Samaresh Majumdar (10th March 1944 – 8th May 2023) |
The writer Majumdar was best known for his 'Animesh series' of novels, the second of which (Kaalbela) won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984.
He was also known for creating the detective character Arjun, who is the central character of the 2013 film 'Arjun – Kalimpong E Sitaharan'.
The Bengali film 'Buno Haansh' is also based on his novel of the same title.
ends
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