She's already established herself as a moviestar. A talented actress she is but also a gifted director. This time she assumes her seat behind the camera and acts for the screen. Yes, I am talking about the one and only Aparna Sen and her Mrinalini.
The story of 'Iti Mrinalini' may appear familiar as it documents the life of a Bengali actress as she looks back at her career and her youth, while contemplating suicide. The film pays tribute to many stars (who have met a tragic end) from Marilyn Monroe to Smita Patil. Sen also pays tribute to the late Satyajit Rai by highlighting his significance in Mrinalini's life.
Familiar as it may be, Sen adds her own unique touch. The narrative structure is intriguing. The cinematography, lighting, art direction and costumes are stunning. There are several songs which are well utilized.
The content is also rich. Aparna Sen and Ranjan Ghosh have done a terrific job in the writing department. The poetry and dialogues are superb. Sen steers clear of using clichés. 'Iti Mrinalini' is a character driven film and thus the center of the film is the title protagonist. Her insecurity, search for love, loneliness, despair and maturity are excellently depicted.
It's great to see Aparna Sen back on screen again. Both she and Konkona Sen Sharma deliver tour du force performances. I was curious about how the duo would pull off playing the same character as they are very different actresses but both have more than succeeded in their convincing depiction (Aparna Sen with her heartbreaking portrayal of the aged Mrinalini and Konkona Sen as the vibrant younger Mrinalini). In addition, both women look incredibly beautiful. The Sens are very well supported by Rajat Kapoor, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Suzanne Bernet and Kaushik Sen.
On a final note, in my opinion, 'Iti Mrinalini' has one of the finest endings I've witnessed in recent films. It's the kind of conclusion that either one would like or hate but revealing anything would be doing injustice.
The story of 'Iti Mrinalini' may appear familiar as it documents the life of a Bengali actress as she looks back at her career and her youth, while contemplating suicide. The film pays tribute to many stars (who have met a tragic end) from Marilyn Monroe to Smita Patil. Sen also pays tribute to the late Satyajit Rai by highlighting his significance in Mrinalini's life.
Familiar as it may be, Sen adds her own unique touch. The narrative structure is intriguing. The cinematography, lighting, art direction and costumes are stunning. There are several songs which are well utilized.
The content is also rich. Aparna Sen and Ranjan Ghosh have done a terrific job in the writing department. The poetry and dialogues are superb. Sen steers clear of using clichés. 'Iti Mrinalini' is a character driven film and thus the center of the film is the title protagonist. Her insecurity, search for love, loneliness, despair and maturity are excellently depicted.
It's great to see Aparna Sen back on screen again. Both she and Konkona Sen Sharma deliver tour du force performances. I was curious about how the duo would pull off playing the same character as they are very different actresses but both have more than succeeded in their convincing depiction (Aparna Sen with her heartbreaking portrayal of the aged Mrinalini and Konkona Sen as the vibrant younger Mrinalini). In addition, both women look incredibly beautiful. The Sens are very well supported by Rajat Kapoor, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Suzanne Bernet and Kaushik Sen.
On a final note, in my opinion, 'Iti Mrinalini' has one of the finest endings I've witnessed in recent films. It's the kind of conclusion that either one would like or hate but revealing anything would be doing injustice.