The changing face of Bengali movies

Last Sunday there was this movie on a Bengali TV channel – it was all about women and how they can really put up a big fight to assert themselves. The name of the movie was ‘Swadey alhadey’ (Swada means taste, Ahlad means happiness). It was yet another example of the gradually changing attitude of Bengalis towards cinema. Gone are the days of Bengali cinemas that dwelt on poverty, on sorrow and on disappointments in life.
The storyline is nothing great – the setting is in a house in North Kolkata that evokes nostalgia. The housewife is constantly hounded by her husband and ma-in-law and makes friend with the girl next door who goes about in short pants even on the roads of this conservative society. When a couple of men try to get fresh with her, she gives it back to them in their own coin and they run away. And, the domestic help joins in the thrashing.

Our docile housewife watches from her balcony and is impressed. She becomes friends with the girl and the two of them plan to go about making some money on their own. The domestic help joins and the three of them decide to go in for catering.
The housewife steals out of her house when her ma-in-law is sleeping after lunch. And, the three women begin their catering business that grows by leaps and bounds.
As expected, our housewife gets caught by her ma-in-law and it all turns nasty – the housewife packs her bag and moves out to stay with her friend. Their business prospers and they open outlets in posh localities and get coverage on TV. But, true to Bengali tradition, there has to be the sentimental touch and that is provided by the illness of the father-in-law. The treatment means money and that raises its ugly head. The only solution appears to be to sell off the house and that is when our docile housewife reenters the scene to resolve the issue.
It was a new type of Bengali movie and bodes well for new producers, directors and actors who want to experiment and have the guts and the ability to take on sensitive issues to reveal the underbelly of society. (to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Lessons on economy in our everyday lives

Economy is not only for economists but it is a subject that everyone, from the school kid to the housewife, has to learn and practice. Economy is what drives the world and, at the ground level, our lives. We have to cut the coat according to the cloth.
Economy has many faces. To the general public, economy means buying the comparatively cheaper and better quality of product. When in the vegetable market, we glance through the products on display, zero in on what we want and check out the going rates. Those who carry out this activity regularly can gauge the quality of the item just by looking at it. Nowadays, fake items have flooded the markets. Different types of colors are used on the vegetables, fruits and even fish to impart a fresh look to the items.

Therefore, economy would not mean buying that which is the cheapest but, quality must also be woven into the specification. That is why many of the works carried out by the government does not live up to the mark – the tar on the roads do not stay intact for long because attention was given to lowest cost ignoring the aspect of quality.
As far as the housewife is concerned, she is, undoubtedly, the best manager and economist who knows the best inventory management. It is she who has to ensure that both ends of the canvas meet where desired and leaves nothing to chance.
She gets the money to run the household and has to plan on how best to utilize her resources – what she needs to buy immediately and, what she can postpone. She may be tempted to order her groceries online or rung up her grocer and ask him to send across her requirements – but, she would not get a chance to see what she is buying till it is delivered at her doorstep. And, many housewives do not like that.
Moreover, she has to also plan for future known arising like birthday of a friend’s or neighbor’s or relative’s son or daughter and, it is her method of handling the finances to meet all needs that make for a happy family.
Of course, the man of the house has his responsibilities – he brings in the money and his wife ensures that the machine of the family is always kept well-oiled and functions smoothly. (to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimedacommons.org)
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