Kaisi Ye Paheli – Murder Shadowed in Cleverness
Ananyabrata Chakraborty’s crowdfunded thriller, Kaisi Ye Paheli, is an award-winning mystery set in Kalimpong. It replaces grand drama with gritty realism, focusing on the strained mother-son relationship central to the investigation of a local murder.
Reviews Manjulaa Shirodkar
Ananyabrata Chakraborty’s debut feature film Kaisi Ye Paheli is a murder mystery funded by 85 crowdfunders who believed in its script and which is now paying off their belief by making waves on the international film festival circuit. It has already been screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival and deservedly won for Chakraborty the Best Director Award at the Yellowstone International Film Festival in Mumbai held November last.
Starring Sadhana Singh and Sukant Goel along with Rajit Kapur, Kaisi Ye Paheli revolves around the estranged relationship between a widowed mother and her son who unwittingly get caught up in a murder mystery, which unfolds as serenely and gently as the hills of Kalimpong it is set against. Shot in Sikkim though, the film explores not just the complex relations between Ma (as Sadhana Singh’s character is simply called) and her rebellious son ASI Uttam (portrayed remarkably well by Goel) but also the laidback manner in which the investigation is conducted.
Unlike mainstream thrillers mounted on a grand scale which zoom past their audience Kaisi Ye Paheli thrives on contrast, is low on drama, built on realism and taut as a guitar string. It is an edge-of-the-seat film taking its engrossed viewer along on the guessing game of Whodunnit. But as a character says at one point, ‘More than the Whodunnit it’s the Whydunnit that is more likely to solve the mystery.’
Following the murder of a young girl Ishita Chetri in her PG hostel, the cops zero in on four probable suspects including Ishita’s mother Sanjukta, her best friend Jhini and her former and current boyfriends. As the case progresses, Uttam’s mother is invited by Tamang Sir (Uttam’s senior played endearingly by Chittaranjan Giri) to join the probe as a consultant. Unusual though this request seems, it is revealed that Tamang’s purpose is to resolve issues, and he hopes that jointly working on the case will break the ice between the mother and son.
Tamang has some of the most interesting and subtle funny one-liners in the film. He, along with Ma, appear to be the director’s muse when it comes to paying tributes to filmmakers Chakraborty is inspired by. Count among them Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Satyajit Ray with references to renowned characters like Ram Prasad, Laxman Prasad and Feluda from their works. Not to mention Bengali novels and Agatha Christie’s much-loved Murder on the Orient Express and Deewar’s famous dialogue with a twist – Mere paas beta hai! The references to these iconic works serve as timely reminders that Indie cinema is not just entertaining but here to stay. The fact that it is also getting acknowledged by the audience and OTT platforms is cherry on the cake.
Sadhana Singh as Ma stands out for her quiet persistence in reaching out to her son, her independent way of thinking, approach to the relationship(s) with everyone around – be it the cops, the suspects and Detective Bondo whom she meets on an equal footing. Her dialogue with her deceased husband also does not come across as strange yet to it feels stifling and claustrophobic. For his part, debutant Sukant Goel is a rebel – not without a cause but unable to put his finger on just why he is so upset with his mother. On kinder days, he recognizes that it is just as difficult to be with her as it is to be without. He doesn’t want to conform or fit into the shoes of his father like his mentor Tamang and mother expect him to. His rebellion shows up in the little, daily acts of being rude, inattentive or insensitive to his mother’s need for companionship and conversation.
Even though the script has clues strewn all over Kaisi Ye Paheli, its truth lies somewhere in between. As a good thriller should be, the black and white melts into the greys, leaving you as clueless as the cops and the super-detective Bondo. Each one, be it Tamang, Uttam, Bondo or Ma – comes up with his/her theory on what motives could have dictated the murder and then a second one – one that none see coming. As Ma explains that her way to solving the murder would be to have “Open Eyes, Open Ears.”
Cinematographer Leena Patoli keeps Kaisi Ye Paheli’s frames deep, understated and underexposed. The warm tones border on the darker side with shadows more powerful and communicative than the dialogues. So much lies beyond the light source. Speaking of dialogue, they seem to precede the characters, sometimes being spoken off-frames leaving the viewer confused for split seconds, before the reality and voice behind the dialogue is revealed. Editing by Prakhar Khare takes the film to another level. The dialogue intercepts what is to be revealed in the following scene… and there doesn’t seem to be a completed conversation between two characters – a pattern that leads the film’s plot forward. In other words, unspoken dialogues are interlaced with non-speaking actors in the frame leaving the audience speculating about who just voiced their thoughts to and to whom. The technique lends as much to the intrigue, as the plot itself. Adding to the edit and camera work is the background sound design which builds quietly and sans interruption and grows on the audience.
Despite its impeccable credentials, the film does have its fault-lines – in continuity and such like but nothing that you can’t overlook to see the bigger picture. Kaisi Ye Paheli is a must watch for those who love cinema and those who want to use it as textbook material. Either way, you won’t come away disappointed. Just like crowdfunders on this film who placed their faith in it before Kaisi Ye Paheli became a reality. Go watch it.
What's Your Reaction?
