Bengali Film Review: Dutta Versus Dutta

The film produced by Mr. Anjan Dutta - Dutta Versus Dutta, said to be a biographical depiction of the time period around 1970's kolkata.The film centers around Dutta Mansion and depicts the earlier life of Mr. Anjan Dutta and the family set-up in which he grew up.The film shows his view on life and how things went about in those days.

As I have already said several times in my previous reviews on current trend of contemporary Bengali films. I am very happy and yet sad to see that film producers and directors are concentrating in subjects revolving more and more in north and central kolkata. These people are not realizing that by concentrating the subjects to old kolkata is resulting in subtle loss of a pan Bengal appeal. It is more of a film about north and central kolkata rather than about bengal. It's a film about life,love,hatred,family bonding,  family values of "Bonedi" families of central and north kolkata.

People from old kolkata - north and central kolkata can only identify themselves with the film and will be a better judge than any one else.The film shows 3 generations of people simultaneously - Grandfather (Dipankar Dey), father (Anjan Dutta) and son (representation of Anjan Dutta's Childhood). The starting part of the film bored me, as it opened with subtle notes of adultery  As the film progressed the events that took place and the way the film matured towards the end balanced the film.

The film develops on a plot which comprised of high status families in north and central kolkata, with people with feudal mentalities but dwindling riches due to changing times and their own incapabilities, their desperate attempt to stay abreast with the current times and to associate themselves with the colonial legacies, in terms of fashion,education,music,lifestyle etc like their ancestors.

Dipankar De has been depicted as a successful lawyer with his own law firm, which he passed on to his son (role played by Anjan Dutta) after he retired. Dipankar De left for an ashram to lead the life of a Sanyasi till he breathes his last. Dipankar De is shown as a liberal man with fine taste of western musical instruments and a good voice.

Anjan Dutta has been depicted as a disillusioned lawyer. He is disillusioned by life.He aspired to be a Barrister but ended up as a petty kolkata high court lawyer with very little fame as a lawyer. His failure as a professional had severe consequences on family status and on important aspects of running his family. He carries his father's (role played by Dipankar Dey's) aristocracy and feudal mentality. If that even means running a family from loans taken from loan sharks - "Kabuliwalah". However, he is proud and an egoist. He had to readmit his son to La Martiniere for Boys, after he was unable to pay school fees of his son - St. Paul's,Darjeeling for 2 years.He drinks good wine and has an adulterous relation with a female cousin (role played by Rupa Ganguly) of his wife (role played by Rita Kayal). He is contesting a legal battle over ownership with his own elder brother.

An younger brother of Anjan Dutta is depicted as mad, who later commits suicide. Wife of  Anjan Dutta (role played by Rita Kayal) is depicted in the first half of the film as an adulterous woman, who drinks all day after facing regular negligence from her husband and knowing about her husband's adultery. However, she tries to balance her already messed up life and cling to his son and look after his better future. In the later part of the film she is depicted as a woman with good voice and a good pianist. The love for piano and associating family members with painting and music is still very much present in the remnants of "bonedi" bengali families still existing in kolkata. Dear Reader, you must be wondering what made me make such a conclusion. It is simple. I have been born and brought up in a "bonedi" bengali family of central kolkata.

The most important thing that the film captures is not possibly the life and lifestyle of "Bonedi" families of kolkata. It subtly and very beautifully shows how different people enter our lives at different times and fades away and become forgotten with time. But when they were there they said or did something which changed the life,even if it was for a very brief period. For example- the sudden entry of Grandfather (Dipankar Dey) in the Dutta household after many years changed the view towards life of the people living in the Dutta Mansion. Rita Kayal, the alcoholic daughter-in-law, becomes a music teacher and gives up on her sordid life even for the brief period. The face-to-face brief interaction between the young boy and here distant aunty (role played by Rupa Ganguly) in the dark terrace of Dutta Mansion at night. This is the aspect which made me love this film.