It was again the best and the worst of times! I was just out of my teens and eager to explore and savour the beautiful and mysterious world. But I also felt awful because my happy-go-lucky childhood and adolescence were over. It was a daily list of tasks in college, career, or responsibility at home. One fine morning, my English teacher handed me a set of books that ripped apart my fascinating tryst with Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel and all those who fed me with gripping sensations. At that age, I couldn’t comprehend many of these books by Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. I realised, however, that some people were actually bothered to figure out what life means. “To decide whether life is worth living is to answer the fundamental question of philosophy,” Albert Camus wrote in 1942 in The Myth of Sisyphus — “Everything else is child’s play.” For some people, life throws this test as part of a package of raw brutality. Everyone around throws stones at that person, and he is left bruised and bleeding. It was then that I had this image of a middle-aged angry man in some sleazy bar smoking cigarettes and shutting himself off from the world. After that, it took 30 years to create Balmiki Sengupta, to create Shesh Pata.
Despite his desire to be a renowned and respectable author, Balmiki (Prosenjit Chatterjee) couldn’t do much except write stories and scripts for Bangla movies. Now 58 years old, ailing, and tired, Balmiki lives alone in a spacious apartment surrounded by antique furniture, clearly for very low rent. The story unfolds around him as he refuses to submit the writing about his murdered wife, and fails to return the advance to the publisher. The angsty and temperamental Balmiki defies conventional morality to achieve his own freedom. Society retaliated brutally and degradingly against Balmiki. The ultimate question is — can a life devoid of human dignity still be meaningful?
Atanu Ghosh
All through my life, I have seen many people involved in artistic expression such as writers, artists, or film-makers battling to survive in an unsympathetic world. Whenever they feel empty and lost in that world, they either create their own sphere and close themselves in, or they look for reasons to live. People like Balmiki are generally motivated by a vehement rejection of the conventions they were brought up with. In society, marriage and committed relationships have traditionally been viewed as central to life, raising children, earning a living, accumulating wealth, and observing gender roles. In contrast, these people tend to live according to their own philosophy of bohemianism. However, that does not necessarily imply decadence, promiscuity, or alcoholism, but complex undefined relationships are often prevalent such as Balmiki’s connection with a small boy of 10/11 years who carries food for him from a local shop or a woman named Chandana (Brishti Roy).
To recover the advance paid to Balmiki, or the manuscript, the publisher hires a recovery agent. The assigned young man is Sounak Hazra (Vikram Chatterjee), a sincere and caring individual. When he too cannot get much out of the strongly defiant Balmiki, Sounak engages a middle-aged Medha (Gargee Roy Chowdhury) to serve as Balmiki’s writer.
Sensitive and sophisticated, Medha represents the upper middle class, carrying the baggage of that society in dealing with issues concerning her preferences, sense of morality, or independence. Presently, she is suffering from depression fighting the demons of her bitter past and trying to negotiate with the present. She has been advised by her doctor to set a goal and work toward achieving it — which is the common way to get out of a rut. Medha has already reached emotional withdrawal or detachment from her woes. But she cannot escape irritation and anger. By connecting with Balmiki and completing the writing assignment, can she focus on things that make her happy, such as literature or singing? Can she pursue areas of her life neglected otherwise?
In Shesh Pata, I could explore unconventional character studies and create a rich thematic design. Interactions between Balmiki and Medha not only provide an outlet for exploring the emotions churning within him, but also offer engaging exchanges between contrasting characters. Continuing with Sounak’s story, he lives in a dilapidated house in a middle-class family with financial constraints.
At times, Sounak struggles miserably in his professional life to cope with values and concerns instilled in him by his father. Due to his profound impact on Sounak, his father Sudhir (Phalguni Chatterjee) is a pivotal pillar of Shesh Pata. Additionally, Sounak’s life is greatly influenced by the long-term relationship he has with Deepa, a determined young woman hailing from a desperately struggling family, who works as a painter for a pottery company. While Sounak is vulnerable when coping with pressing issues, Deepa (Rayati Bhattacharya) is confident, honest, and determined. The journey of Sounak and Medha portrays the struggle for love and commitment to survive in today’s society.
Shesh Pata is primarily a drama about interruptions in life. The interruption in this case is Sounak’s peculiar assignment to recover the manuscript or advance amount from Balmiki. In that crisis, several lives are intertwined. Accepting that human existence is fragile, the message still comes that life has a chance of sudden surprises, twists and turns. Regardless of how hopeless it may seem at first glance, a streak of light can suddenly appear out of nowhere, making it all ‘meaningful’.
Just now, I remember yet another unforgettable book my teacher recommended — Viktor Frankl’s Yes to Life — In Spite of Everything. This title sums it all up so brilliantly!
