Surjo Prithibir Chardike Ghore Movie Review

Surjo Prithibir Chardike Ghore makes for engaging viewing. With pitch-perfect casting, a strong script and tight direction, it comes as a pleasant surprise. It is not nearly a perfect film, but an honest effort to present one man’s unique conviction.

It is based on the life of the very real KC Paul (called TC Pal in the film), who has been tirelessly and single-mindedly debunking scientific notions by painting graffiti and distributing pamphlets on his geocentric theory since 1979. His part of the film is an ode to self-belief and a quest for truth. But, his story isn’t the only track of the film. Director Arijit Biswas also presents two other narratives along with it. Though one could argue this dilutes the core story, the manner of their presentation makes for wholesome and satisfactory viewing.

The film takes off as Pal (played with sincerity and conviction by theatre actor and director Meghnad Bhattacharya) meets Chirantan Chatterjee (a very impressive Chiranjeet Chakraborty). Chirantan is a jaded superstar, haunted by his own abandoning of leftist principles to embrace a world of money and fame. On hearing Pal’s story, he decides to make a film on him and gives the job of researching to his old friend, Sanjib (played to perfection by Anjan Dutt). Sanjib describes himself as a ‘radical and forward-thinking man’ and lives with his estranged wife and her lover.

These are the three central characters of the film. In many ways, they are not unlike each other, despite coming from different walks of life. The director does a commendable job of juggling these three narratives. However, it would have been more pertinent if he chose to make Pal the central figure rather than spending a lot of screen time on the others. There is enough character to TC Pal to tell a solo tale. But, the director divides his time between the three, as if swayed by the star power and screen presence of Anjan Dutt and Chiranjeet.

But, as it turns out, this is no bad thing as stories of these characters are so engaging. It would just be better if they were left for a different film. The cinematography by Sirsha Ray is on point as is the art direction by Sudip Bhattacharya. Kudos to the team that so meticulously set up Pal’s shack on a footpath, plastered with his geocentric drawings and pamphlets. The sound design, by Prabuddha Banerjee, is natural and easy on the ears.

While the first half impresses immediately, the second half does have some problems. It wanders too far from Pal. Instead of showing his plight and battle for legitimacy, it concentrates too much on the others. The director misses a trick by focusing less on Meghnad’s acting abilities. He owns every single frame he is in and manages to portray Pal’s lack of frustration with elan. No matter what is thrown at him, he always has a smile on his lips. There are also subplots like a missing nephew, a factory strike and the fall of communism in Bengal that do not add much to the film and could have been left out on the editing table.

But, these are minor quibbles. Overall, it is an impressive debut by the director, who picks an unconventional topic and makes it his own. It goes to show how potent original, if inspired, content can be.