69th National Film Awards: Anjan Bose collects Best Bengali Feature Film Award for Rajdeep Paul-Sarmistha Maiti's ‘Kalkokkho’

It’s a proud day for the entire team of the critically acclaimed film ‘Kalkokkho’ as filmmaker-producer Anjan Bose collected the National Award for Best Bengali Feature Film from President Droupadi Murmu. Last month, director duo Rajdeep Paul and Sarmistha Maiti’s ‘Kalkoksho’ (House of Time), the two-hour film was named the Best Bengali feature film at the 69th National Film Awards.
The storyline of 'Kalkokkho', which translates to 'House of Time', delves into the transformative journey of a doctor. Initially, he is apathetic towards his patients but undergoes a significant change when he is abducted by a middle-aged woman battling paranoia. This woman lives with her aging mother, who suffers from memory loss, and her solitary young daughter. The narrative intensifies when the doctor's attempt to escape lands him in a mystifying time loop, adding an element of magical realism to the tale.

An underlying theme of the film is the overwhelming sense of dread and desperation that was pervasive during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film artfully conveys the paralyzing fear many felt, where even stepping outside seemed like an immediate threat of contracting the virus. This grim period saw a shortage of COVID-19 hospital beds, doctors refraining from in-person consultations, and the haunting absence of the departed, whose bodies were often unseen.

The cast of 'Kalkokkho' includes noted actors such as Sreelekha Mukherji, Janardan Ghosh, Annistha Biswas, Amit Saha, Deep Sarkar, and Ahana Karmakar. The critically acclaimed film had its premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. However, due to stringent quarantine regulations in the wake of the pandemic's second wave international travel for the team was unfeasible at that time.