Filmmaker uses Hitler footage to 'depict present political climate'

KOLKATA: A Bengali political film starring Soumitra Chatterjee is using footage of Hitler to show the rise of fascism in this country. Saibal Mitra’s film titled "Tokhon Kuasa Chhilo" is a modern-day interpretation of Syed Mustafa Siraj’s story by the same name. The film – a commentary on how power corrupts even those who want to change the system - also uses a song penned by Tagore in 1923 during the first year of Benito Mussolini being sworn in as the prime minister of Italy.
In the garb of a love story, the film depicts how people in positions of power intrude into the daily lives of common men and even thrust their decisions on matters related to the heart.“My film shows how people, who try to change a system, finally get affected and have to change themselves. Those who protest a fascist power eventually turn into dictators when they overthrow their rivals and land on the seat of power,” the director said.
"Tokhon Kuasa Chhilo" is based on the life of a village school teacher played by Soumitra Chatterjee. He has two students - played by Saswata Chatterjee and Barun Chakraborty. While Barun becomes a henchman of a political party, a one-time cadre of a Leftist political outfit played by Saswata withdraws to lead a life of an unemployed youth. Barun forcefully offers to marry Soumitra’s grand daughter played by Basabdutta Chatterjee. Soumitra tries to rescue her and seeks help from everyone. When no one rises to the occasion, he asks Saswata to marry her. Conflict between two political parties takes centre stage after that.
Incidentally, this is the first time that a Bengali film is using a footage of Hitler. Mitra has sourced the footage from the Net. On being asked to explain the Hitler connection, the director said, “My film is a commentary on the contemporary political climate in India where anyone in a position of power expects unconditional loyalty. I thought it was best to use footage of Hitler to cinematically express this totalitarian and fascist attitude.”
Footage of Hitler marching and giving speeches have been used as montage shots while Soumitra and Basabdatta Chatterjee lip-sync to Tagore’s “Andhar raate ekla pagol”. “The lyrics suggest that Tagore was perhaps apprehending a dark age in world politics. I wanted this Tagore song to be used to highlight a similar atmosphere in the Indian context,” Mitra said.
According to music director Pt Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, it was through Mitra’s research on Tagore that he came to know that the song was penned when Mussolini was ruling Italy. “Mussolini is considered a central figure in the creation of fascism and was a close ally of Hitler during World War II. I used this song in a scene involving two panic-stricken protagonists who sit inside their house while political parties – all trying to dictate and control the lives of others - create a rampage outside. Legendary singer Kanika Banerjee’s niece Ranjini Mukherjee and visually-impaired singer Swapan Gupta have sung this Tagore song,” Majumdar said.
The director, however, is clear that his film isn’t targeting any particular party per se. “Power is very democratic in its influence on leaders. It corrupts people across party lines. That’s the inherent message of my film,” Mitra signed off.