Anuranan (2006)

I love this movie so much

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Loved it. The simplicity of the story and natural act by Rahul is fabulous. Though may not be welcome by the whole audience but certainly a must watch for the most aesthetic class of people. The character of Rahul is quite close to my heart and possibly for most of the People of Indian Origin staying abroad.It was originally the star- cast that prompted me to view the movie and I have never been disappointed by Rajat and Rahul. Must say they are just great actors. The movie talks about the beauty of relations which are not yet accepted in the society but they can certainly be the most beautiful experience one can feel. The movie made me understand the meaning of "Resonance" in it's actual aesthetic and philosophical sense. People who like Indian movies from actor's class of Irfan Khan, Rajat Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Vinay Pathak etc. must watch this movie. It would certainly be one of the best 2 hours spent.

Through the relationship between four characters, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's 'Anuranan', explores the sensitivity of relationships and how friendly encounters between individuals resonate more with frequency. Beautifully photographed from the raw English countryside (very rarely has it looked good in cinema) to the enchanting mountains of Manali, the spellbinding images that juxtapose with poetry echo in mind long after the film's end. The poems and lyrical dialogues are beautifully written but the story has its flaws. I found the ending to be drastic and rushed. In addition, I thought some of the relationships could have been further developed. The characters are recognizable and in the end 'Anuranan' achieves what it set out to because it focuses on the emotions of the characters and the buildup of resonance. The beautiful Rituparna Sengupta is spellbinding. Rahul Bose delivers another one of his best performances. I doubt Raima Sen has ever looked better and she acts wonderfully. Rajat Kapoor is brilliant as Preeti's sensex obsessed husband.In movies like 'Anuranan', story comes secondary. It is the focus on interactions through dialogue, poetry and metaphor set against the beautiful landscape that is outstanding here and this is why it works. 'Anuranan' resonates.

I started to see ANURANAN almost as an afterthought on a Saturday night because I had nothing else to do and it was the first DVD that came to hand. It turned out to be a marvellous and moving experience, beautifully crafted and deeply explored. Although I don't speak a word of Bengali, it seemed more natural to watch it in that language with English subtitles rather than the poor Hindi dubbing.What made the movie specially interesting is that all four main characters are explored both collectively and individually, mostly though expressions and body language. The interchange between the two women, though limited to a few scenes, is the crux of the entire story and one gets the idea that they are somehow emotionally dependent on each other. Their rather ambiguous and mysterious dialogue leaves some questions unanswered.....perhaps the director deliberately intended it to be so. Rahul's contemplation of his own dreams and desires are also superbly depicted, particularly when he is on his own in the Himalayas.The ending did come as a shock and while it was completely unexpected, I resisted the knee-jerk reaction to denounce it. On contemplation, I felt that it was so designed not simply to show Preeti's emotional frailty but once again the strange bond that existed between the two women through their men. Rahul's final recording seems to suggest that he had finally understood where his wife Nandita came from due to his relationship with Preeti. That emotional link was why Nandita was finally only able to grieve when she met Preeti at the hospital.The editing needs special mention for being so crisp and never allowing any scene to drag, something that can easily happen in this kind of film. The musical score is delicate and harmonious, superbly complementing the storyline. But it is the awe-inspiring and unbelievably imaginative camera-work that is really the icing on an already beautiful cake, not just in the Himalayan scenes, but throughout the film.

'Nandita tells me that flowers bloom in spring. But it is when the flowers bloom, there is spring'. 'Developing closeness is relationship is beautiful when it happens through an unpredictable path'. 'Words are transient, silence is eternal'.It is one-liners such as these and the several, absolutely beautiful, moments between various characters that will stay with you. This is a movie that explores the beauty of relationships. It is a movie that explores the sensitivity or lack of it in people. It is a movie that explores the process of striking a chord between individuals and the chord becomes tighter with time when the frequencies match or lets say resonate!The storyline doesn't do justice to the primary ethos of the movie. The end is somewhat abrupt and unexpected. Some initial setting up of characters is probably unnecessary. Some relationships could be even better explored. But all said and done, the film does a remarkable job at its core strength - in depicting resonance between people.The film has very carefully kept the moral and ethical issues out due to which one is able to focus on the pure emotion. And the film is full of it. Not the emotion in the run-of-the-mill Bollywood film. Instead, an emotion that is honest, pure, touching, possibly one that will stay for sometime.The actors have suited their roles well. Especially, Raima Sen has been very expressive in her different moods and moments. Strongly recommended for those who like movies about human relationships.