RUNANUBANDHA - The He Without Him (2018)
1h 49min | Bangla | Director: Amartya Bhattacharyya | Producer: Swastik Choudhury
Runanubandha is a term used in spirituality which refers to the body's memory, which comprises of genetic memory and memory of intimate physical connect. It is this memory which is said to bind a parent and a child, a husband and a wife or any other intimate relationships. The film unfolds the mystic journey of a daughter in pursuit of her father. It is an experimental blend of a realistic story with a mythological anecdote - drawing parallel with the mythological tale of Lord Brahma, the universal father and creator, who was attracted to his own daughter Shatarupa (also known as Saraswati). Multiple shades of a father-daughter relationship have been brought out through an unconventional cinematic treatment.
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Reviews & Coverages
Runanubandha is a visually striking, evocative cinematic work. It adopts creative codes that ignite the imagination and inveigle us into spaces where nothing is what it seems on the surface. The film digs deep into the heart of a woman's search for her missing poet-father and takes the audience along on a challenging voyage of the mind. Runanubandha yields handsome rewards for the patient, aware, receptive viewer.
Saibal Chatterjee
Visual and visceral, each cog of the gestalt Bhattacharyya presents inveigles us to places we have not been before, worlds we have not seen before. Even refamiliarises us with the known, the quotidian. Be patient, the ride is long, but rewarding. The imagery, stunning.
Tanushree Ghosh
It is fascinating how the director - Bhattacharyya seemingly breaks the fourth wall with his characters and wants the spiritual journey of the film to transcend traditional storytelling.
Corey Bulloch
Marked by abstract lyricism, this film explores mythology and the city of Kolkata through an innovative cinematic vocabulary
Shoma A Chatterji
Indian rock-icon, poet, national award-winning singer-songwriter
Stunning in terms of directorial vision, storytelling and aesthetic craftsmanship
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(Translated from his official social media handle)
Rupam Islam
FRENCH MAGAZINE
Here, Calcutta is a full-fledged character of the film as its images, alleys and noises have a real place on the screen. With this film, Amartya also seems to be taking a strong look at the influence of religion on human beings.
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(Translated from French using Google translator)
Asmae Benmansour
MOSCOW AUDIENCE
I have never been a fan of Indian cinema and Bollywood in particular. It would seem that you can’t even dream about a worthy movie in India ... And then this miracle of Amartya Bhattacharyya appears! The film is fascinating.
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(Translated from Russian using Google translator)
Alexander Chernitsa
Audio and Videos
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