Bengali films which showed one is never too old to fall in love!

Age, as we like to see, is somewhat a bourgeois construct. It’s nothing but a timid number which stands for the miserable metric of our existence on the planet. It’s not at all a reflection of the life you lead, and the experiences you have lived in your lives. Bengali cinema has a penchant of delivering something unorthodox at times. Age gaps between two opposite genders have been looked down upon and ridiculed many a times. However, defying the age-old tradition, there are few Bengali films which have stood up to represent their beautiful perception of life, in the most provocative ways. Here a list of Bengali films which not just reiterated the agelessness in love but also showed us one is never too old to fall in love!

Anjan Dutt’s self-portrayal of an aging, talented musician with a multi-layered personality turns out to be the USP of ‘Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona’. Parno Mittra looked super cute, has the necessary vulnerability and attitude of the young generation. Together these two symbolizes a relationship that you can’t just describe as simple love. Sometimes Parno’s affection for an aging musician played by Anjan Dutt seems beyond physical love, it’s pure platonic one. The complex nature of their relationship also proved age is not a factor when you fall in love.

In this romantic drama Aditi’s (Rituparna Sengupta) unhappy marriage comes to an end after her husband Pramit cheats her. On the other hand, a scriptwriter Sayan (Samadarshi Dutta) also goes through a break up as his girlfriend Debjani dumps him. Aditi and Sayan one day meet in Darjeeling in an unusual circumstance. Unhappy with her destroyed marriage, Aditi attempts suicide but Sayan saved her. Despite a big difference in age, they somehow find some solace in each other and start a new journey towards happiness. A few fun filled adventures also open up their inner feelings. They finally get to know the true meaning of life. Both feels deeply attracted to each other and romance finally brews in between them.

In ‘Titli’ Rituparno Ghosh pays attention to every details and beautifully captures the essence of a simple so-called happy family with a compelling story. In this film, Mithun Chakraborty is a popular filmstar, whereas Konkona Sen Sharma portrays his die-hard fan. Her admiration for the film icon changes when she meets him in person. This is no doubt an interesting narrative. But what makes this film special is the portrayal of a complex mother-daughter relationship, which is further enhanced when we see that the girl's mother (Aparna Sen) was actually her idol's love interest in his early days. The equation changes quickly when a divine love represented by a relationship between fan and stardom faces the ultimate test.

‘Abohomaan’, directed by Rituparno Ghosh, revolves around a renowned filmmaker Aniket (Dipankar Dey) and his complex relationships. Aniket married Deepti (Mamata Shankar), an actress, after they fall in love while shooting for a film. Deepti had to sacrifice her own career for her husband's and son Apratim (Jisshu Sengupta). The twist comes when Aniket falls for another young actress Shikha (Ananya Chatterjee) who bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife. Deepti starts preparing Shikha for her husband's next film. But Shikha transforms into even more like the actress Deepti used to be. The aging Aniket falls in love with Shikha, a girl as young as his son. His family starts to fall apart while facing the complexity of an unconventional relationship.

Legendary Uttpal Dutt, a middle-aged widower, played the role of a westernized railway officer Bhuvan Shome who discovers there is a life in offer beyond the bureaucracy he follows during his duck hunting trip to Gujarat. Suhasini Mulay was seen as a young tribal woman who helps Dutt to rediscover the simple joys of life. The young tribal woman helps him through a barren wilderness, takes him home and takes care of him. Bhuvan Shome, deeply ashamed for his arrogance, falls for the tribal woman and his transformation makes it a cult classic. The hunting session of Gouri and Bhuvan Shome is a lyrical exploration of that transformation. This Mrinal Sen film’s other notable highlight was the exceptional cinematography by KK Mahajan which captured the wide-open vistas superbly. Mrinal Sen won two National Film Awards for Best Director and Best Film for ‘Bhuvan Shome’.