Basu Paribar - You are invited to attend the celebration of the 50th marriage anniversary of Pranabendu (Soumitra Chatterjee) and Manjari (Aparna Sen) Basu, at their old, ancestral, palatial abode. The family will be there - their two children (played by Rituparna and Jisshu), the former's nephews Tonu (Kaushik Sen) and Tublu (Shashwata Chatterjee), and significant other few. A feast is planned in the evening and the family is bound to reminisce upon the past fifty years of the couple, lovingly and with respect.
But the palace has a few deep, dark secrets that are best buried in the past. There are certain individuals in the gathering who have an inkling of a seething rage that's shackled somewhere within the sprawling premises, releasing which may disturb the equilibrium and rattle the peaceful existence of the royal lineage. The fragile pride of the royal blood will not be strong enough to hide the uncomfortable tale of an unrequited love story that's best kept secret. Several other revelations are made during the course of the film that crack open wounds that may never heal again, though.
Basu Paribar could we have been a classic akin to D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, but falls short of being bold and outspoken, perhaps in an attempt to steer clear of controversy and to allow the royal pride to remain intact. There are a few mature performances, Aparna Sen's being outstanding, followed by that of Shashwata and Soumitra Chatterjee. It's an ensemble cast, but Sreenanda Shankar still makes her presence felt on her debut among the stalwarts.
But the palace has a few deep, dark secrets that are best buried in the past. There are certain individuals in the gathering who have an inkling of a seething rage that's shackled somewhere within the sprawling premises, releasing which may disturb the equilibrium and rattle the peaceful existence of the royal lineage. The fragile pride of the royal blood will not be strong enough to hide the uncomfortable tale of an unrequited love story that's best kept secret. Several other revelations are made during the course of the film that crack open wounds that may never heal again, though.
Basu Paribar could we have been a classic akin to D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, but falls short of being bold and outspoken, perhaps in an attempt to steer clear of controversy and to allow the royal pride to remain intact. There are a few mature performances, Aparna Sen's being outstanding, followed by that of Shashwata and Soumitra Chatterjee. It's an ensemble cast, but Sreenanda Shankar still makes her presence felt on her debut among the stalwarts.
