‘Maati’: Five reasons to watch Paoli Dam and Meghla’s journey in search of their roots

Paoli Dam will once again show her mettle on the big screen as Meghla in Leena Gangopadhyay and Saibal Banerjee's directorial ‘Maati’. The social drama will be a treat to watch as Adil Hussain will reunite with Paoli after a captivating performance in ‘Ahare Mon’. The movie which deals with partition and the gripping dark days associated with it is releasing today. Here we take a look at the five significant reasons to watch ‘Maati’.

‘Maati’ weaves around Meghla (played by Paoli Dam) who returns to her ancestral home in Bangladesh, years after her grandmother’s mysterious death. Her grandmother (played by Aparajita Adhya) decided not to leave Bangladesh after the partition but later she was murdered by one of her trusted men. Meghla finds out the murderer’s descendants are now living in the same house. In Bangladesh, she meets Jamil (Adil Hussain) who explains the stark reality in contrast to Meghla’s so-called illusions about her ancestral home. The story is also about her journey back to the roots and realizations about an undivided Bengal’s history and the ill effects of partition.

Leena Gangopadhyay is best known for writing emotional stories with a strong social message for her TV shows. On her directorial debut, the story behind ‘Maati’ is expected to touch the right chord. The plot of the film itself promises to deliver a deeply emotional drama, especially when you include partition as the main subject. For Bengalees, the history of partition is still pretty much sensitive and its long-lasting effect should make the viewers emotional. The path of unearthing any long-buried truth is difficult and hazardous. ‘Maati’ follows Meghla as she gathers her valour and fights for the past of her ancestral home.

‘Maati’ features some of the big names of the industry such as Paoli Dam, Adil Hussain, Aparajita Adhya, Sabitri Chatterjee and Monami Ghosh. No wonder that Bengali movie buffs will line up to witness solid performances pillared by quality content. We all know the on-screen chemistry between Paoli and Adil. While Aparajita’s last film ‘Haami’ managed to strike gold at the box office, the versatile actress delivered a superb performance in the film. All eyes will be on veteran Sabitri Chatterjee also and Monami has always been a natural actor. It will be interesting to see how they pull off characters with a traditional Bengali essence.

The latest sensation in Tollywood has been the sweet pair of Adil Hussain and Paoli Dam. They shared the screen space in recently released ‘Ahare Mon’ and instantly became a much-loved pair. The duo will once again pair up in ‘Maati’ with a completely different subject. Their chemistry will no doubt be the biggest attraction in the film. Jamil and Meghla’s relationship forms one of the interesting sub-plots beside the gloomy theme of partition. How these two people from different background reach out to each other when facing a crisis makes their characters’ relationship more relatable.

It was somehow nostalgic for Debojyoti Mishra while composing the music for ‘Maati’ as his father came from Faridpur and mother hails from Bikrampur. Bangladesh has always been rich and diverse in music, especially the folk tradition and the way it has treated the traditional music of Bengal is simply captivating. ‘Nisha Lagilo Re’, ‘Nojor Nojor’, ‘Piriti Baindheche Holdi’ – all the songs released so far have hit the right chord. The itinerant singers, musicians and their music and way of life are a significant influence on Bengali culture which you can actually feel in the ‘Maati’ music.