With his third film, Indian director Aditya Vikram Sengupta creates an interesting portrait of life in post-communist Kolkata
Directed by: Aditya Vikram Sengupta
Year: 2021
Country: India, France, Norway
Length: 131 minutes
When Ela loses her daughter, she has to decide on how to design her future. Her current house is in shambles and she’s only been staying with her husband to take care of their daughter together. When applying for a home loan for the bank, she gets rejected, due to all her earnings being in cash. Ela meets with her boss, a sketchy businessman who wants to offer her his wealth in return for her love. She also stumbles upon a former lover who offers her the love and care she desires. Ela must decide whether it is love, wealth, or nostalgia that she seeks.
At times, especially in the first half, the film seems to stumble, when switching its -temporary- character of focus. At times, right in the middle of emotional scenes, Sengupta cuts to a scene featuring a new character or one who’s significance to the story only becomes apparent late-on. To the viewer, this might be quite frustrating for a while, as the emotional core of the film is mostly just provided by Ela’s story. Luckily, as the film progresses, more and more connections are made between each character and their arcs. In the end everything comes together.
With Once Upon a Time in Calcutta, writer-director Aditya Vikram Sengupta makes some clear observances about the state of current Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and the way its citizens’ lives have changed after the fall of communism. The mindset has changed. The old, something that many citizens still long for and don’t want to let go, is crumbling and making place for a new era. An era in which modernization clashes with nostalgia.
While its detailed screenplay is at the center of Once Upon a Time in Calcutta, the effort that went into the cinematography in this film should also be noted. Turkish cinematographer Gökhan Tiryaki (known for lensing the films of director Nuri Bilge Ceylan)’s camera movements are smooth as butter at all times, even gliding through the scenery in driving sequences. All settings are perfectly lit, highlighting the environment and its place in the story, while also making for a very pleasing film on a visual level.
Once Upon a Time in Calcutta premiered at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival in the Orrizonti selection.
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