Under the Chhavi series of classical movies, a Bengali film, Komal Gandhar, was screened on Sunday at Abhirang Auditorium, Bharat Bhavan. The movie directed and produced by noted Bengali filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak was released in 1961. Starring Abhinash Bannerjee and Supriya Chowdhry, the screening of Komal Gandhar was loved by the viewers.
Having a run time of 134 minutes, the title is taken from a poem by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Komal Gandhar literally means 'a soft note on a sharp scale.' Focusing on the era after partition in 1947, the movie highlights the rivalry between two theatre groups under Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Other than focusing on the rivalry between the two theatre groups, it also focuses on the refugees coping up with the scenario in 1947.
Bhirgu (Abhinash Bannerjee) was the leader of one theatre group and Anusuya (Supriya Chaowdhry) was a member of the rival group. This particular movie focuses majorly on three themes - dilemma of Anusuya, leadership of IPTA and partition of the country. While talking to The Pioneer, in-charge of the Chhavi series of classical cinema, Bharat Bhavan, Narendra Rai said, “Komal Gandhar is a legendary classical movie. Ritwik is one of those filmmakers who worked with an optimistic viewpoint and audiences can find this passion through the movies."
The weekly film screening at Bharat Bhavan is evoking a positive response and people are enjoying the classic movies of different genres. The film showcases the reunion of two lovers (Bhirgu and Anusuya) and is a precedent of other films of Ghatak - Meghe Dhaka Tara released in 1960 and Subernarekha (1962).