What is ‘Idea’IJ Can it fall into the possession of a personIJ Exploring answer to these questions, Odia film ‘Khyanikaa – The lost Idea’ was released at INOX Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Produced by Swastik Choudhury under the banner of Swastik Arthouse, the film has already registered many acclaims across international film festival circuits.
Enigmatic, just like human emotions, every character in this 2017 made Odia language film written and directed by Amartya Bhattacharya dwells in between realism and the self-created surreal world, confused about the ‘idea’ of self-being.
With a satirical undertone, the film unfolds vivid hues and shades of self-realisation through the characters. living in their world of fantasy a poet and a painter rely on ‘fate’ as the judge to justify their possession over the same idea, in the end, realise that human consciousness is the best judge.
Other characters in the film have their own quest; an old man who wants to capture the sun to bring back his dead son to life, a teacher punctual to his lessons at school every day, without students and postman who tricks the poet to remain in the delusion of being successful overseas.
Rejecting all attempts of its elusive and possessive suitors aspiring to excel in their respective creative world, Idea chooses to accompany an innocent boy without any aspiration to his world of imagination. Though belongs to a non-commercial art film genres, the film has an appeal to all film lovers. Much to writer and director Amartya Bhattacharyya’s credit, this no-studio edited film is shot with a DSlR camera. The musical tracks composed by Kisaloy Roy are a rhythmic experimental blend of classical and folk music in a unique manner that supports the mood of the movie.
With novelty, Amartya’s satirical tinges to illustrate serious yet complex and abstract concepts symbolically remain successful to merge realism and surrealism without creating confusion to the audience. The symbolic portrayal of female characters holds the film together. Produced by Swastik Choudhury under the banner of Swastik Arthouse, the film features Amrita , Susant Misra, Choudhury Bikash Das, Hrushikesh Bhoi and Swastik Choudhury in the lead roles and Anu Choudhury in a special performance.
Among all actors, Dipanwit Dasmohapatra as the postman and Choudhury Bikash Das as the mad father stand out while other actors appear naïve and amateur which is a major setback. Expressions and voice modulation of most of the actors lack compassion to convey or interact with the audience.
Another aspect of this movie is its explanatory nature. In a way it requires immense directorial skills to present complex matters in such a simple way. But the serious audiences in experimental movie genre consider over-explanatory approach as an insult to the audience’s wit and understanding. While the film excels in the elements of concept and characterisation, it seriously fails in portrayal of characters, and in teasing viewer’s imagination/intellect.
On the film’s potential, when it comes to experimental genre, terms like good and bad are subjective and most of the times irrelevant. To its credit, ‘Khyanikaa – The lost Idea’ is a bereave initiative and a well-deserved non-cventional film to bag critical acclaims across the national and international film festival circuits. Premiered at the Hidden Gems Film Festival in Canada, the film received Jury Mention award at the 5th Noida International Film Festival 2018. It was also the only Odia language film at the Indian Panorama at 48th International Film Festival of India 2017.