Parapaar Movie Review

Parapaar has most of these ingredients, separately, but when it comes to the combined whole, the film somehow falls short.

Based on Moti Nandy’s novel, Parapaar is a story of mistrust, betrayal, unrequited desire and ultimately, of love.

What makes a good film? Is it the well-knit story? The actors’ whole-hearted commitment to their characters? A montage of great cinematic moments? Or is it the sum of it all that turns the end result into a magical journey? Parapaar has most of these ingredients, separately, but when it comes to the combined whole, the film somehow falls short.

The story is about one man’s emotional journey towards acceptance and justice. Rudranath Chattopadhyay (Ahmed Rubel) returns home after 14 years in jail only to find that his family — wife Damini (Rituparna) and children — are living a life that's completely unfamiliar to him. He fails to regain the acceptance that he has lost. When his wife sends him to his ancestral home in Balarampur — the place that brought him misfortune — and to Urmila (Paoli), the woman who had changed his life, Rudranath decides to seek answers to some unresolved questions. Whether life allows him to surpass this futility that wraps itself around him is what Sanjoy explores in the film.

But, does he succeed? Well, not exactly. The narrative is non-linear and juggling with time and space, Sanjoy has turned the thread of the plot into a mass of knots. For example, there are two versions of the crucial scene involving Rudra, Urmila and her husband Gopal. We finally get to know which version is true, so what was the point of showing the alternative version?

The characters are well chalked out, but Rituparna’s Damini and Bratya Basu’s Gopal stand out. Rituprna gives an understated performance that touches a chord. In contrast, Gopal is loud, crass and grey. Apart from some OTT moments, one feels a chill looking into his manic eyes. Ahmed Rubel is mostly a disappointment, with his stiff demeanor and lack of expression. So is Paoli. If someone is playing a servant’s daughter from a village, she shouldn't have a sophisticated accent and a polished look.

Rape is thematically crucial in the film but using the Nirbhaya incident and the subsequent nationwide reaction don't gel with the plot. It deals with rape from a completely different perspective. The constant comparison and corelation somehow trivialize the real incident. Overall a nice watch, the film lacks spontaneity, as the director tries to make every frame, every moment visually brilliant. In all of this, the soul goes missing.