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Starring - Rituparna
Sengupta, Rajat Kapoor, Antra Mali, Gerson da Cunha,
Nivedita Saboo, Yudene Zongtenpa
Director - Amol Palekar
And Once Again is a
Bollywood film with its dialogues in Hindi and English.
We see the beautiful locales of Sikkim, experience the
divinity of the Rotating prayer bells, the fluttering
holy flags encircling the majestic monasteries, the
overwhelming peace filled in the valleys, the rhythmic
chanting piercing the silence of the snow peaks….
After this experience, Rishi feels there is surely an
uncanny resemblance between the two - the monk and his Savitri. He wants to
investigate deeper about the matter. This co-incidence not only baffles him
but also sends his life spiralling out of control.
What follows is an unpredictable journey and complex situations where Rishi
revisits his past, confronts the present and questions his future while
tracing the roots of this incredible coincidence.
Several questions crop up. Did his wife Savitri actually die? If she dies,
then how did she end up being a monk?
If the monk is his Savitri then why did she not recognize him?
Director Amol Palekar has created the intricacies between the three characters
very skillfully. Rajat Kapoor’s talent is visible in his angry outbursts, his
reactions to the nightmares, his weaknesses. One really ends up feeling for
this man.
Cast
Rajat Kapoor - Rishikesh Nag
Rituparna Sengupta - Manuvela
Antra Mali - Savitri
Gerson Dacunha
Nivedita Saboo
Yudene Zongtenpa |
All was being devoured by Manuvela (Rituparna Sengupta)
and Rishi (Rajat Kapoor) during their stay in Sikkim,
India.
Manuvela is an architect who is on her official visit. On
her insistence, her husband, Rishikesh Nag who is an IFS
officer joins her. The serenity of the gorgeous hills
keeps both of them oblivious to the events dictated by
their future!
Rishi is trying to cope with the reality since he had lost
his wife and son in a violent attack when he was posted in
Yugoslavia. While he was undergoing therapy in order to
overcome his trauma, Rishi met Manuvela - his
psychiatrist's daughter! She fell in love with him. Their
marriage helped him to get back to life.
While returning from a monastery in Sikkim, Rishi sees a
female monk who resembled his first wife Savitri (Antara
Mali). He gets restless with his doubt: he tries to
identify her - unfortunately, his suspicion gets
confirmed. Subsequently he confides in Manu about this
accidental revelation: she also gets shaken.
While dealing with intricacies of man-woman relationship,
the film subtly talks about repercussions of violence on
human life: its lingering shadow on all of us with its
startling shades! Somehow we manage to draw a line between
our past and present....
AND ONCE AGAIN we face life!
There are sincere performances by Rituparna Sengupta and
Antara Mali who has actually shaved her head for this film
and she manages to pull it off.
It is a slow paced film with an average budget shot on the
strikingly beautiful locations in Sikkim.
- PAW
Credits & Crew:
Banner - Shangrila Kreations, Parth Productions
Director - Amol Palekar
Story / Writer - Sandhya Gokhale
Lyricist - Asif Ali Beg
Music Director - Debajyoti Mishra, Anjan Biswas
Cinematography - Asim Bose
Art - Sandhya Gokhale
Editor - Abhijeet Deshpande
Screenplay, Dialogues - Sandhya Gokhale
Costumes - Sandhya Gokhale
Sound Designer - Anita Kushwaha
Visual Effects - Biju D., Adlabs
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