Planchette
Planchette
Directed by Sumitro Banerjee | Review by Nabadipa Talukder
Life and death might look trivial to most of us. A retrospective along these lines would most probably make us ponder over almost forgotten events of the past and leave us with a cathartic release, most of the time. Yet some of us would never know what lies beyond death. The mysteries of what lies beyond has often left us anguished, but what we have learned most importantly is that these events are conjured up through an amalgamation of our consciousness. They are bold, unclear and that is what makes it so uncanny and mysterious.
A Planchette which is French for “little prank” is often used to summon spirits. Those who perform the rituals of fostering communication with spirits use “the Planchette” as a form of a medium. The spirits are then subjected to confrontation and questioning by the members of the group who believe they will get the answers to their questions about their longings, their fate or sometimes to have a little fun. This film deals with how the rendezvous of a family and their engagement with the planchette, which takes an eventful turn with unforgettable incidents that leave an everlasting impression on most of the members of this family. The story revolves around the key cast including Basabdutta playing the role of “Lilydi”, and Priam portraying “Bhoothnath”, where we see how even after death some connections don’t forfeit. The story's emphasis is on the distinct role of one’s unfulfilled desires that they are associated with. The questions of the past and the future hover around along the whole stretch of the film. But one cannot be sure of what comes next. The story of Lily and Priam is one that comprises of a leap of faith that Priam took to help Lily achieve salvation.
We can never be sure of how fate turns the table for us when we least expect it. We live our lives in anticipation as to how to achieve the plots of and conquer the sole standing unfathomable death. The story has all the uncanny elements that one should expect in a mystery film. It is paced when and the music and sound effects complement each and every part of the film. Nonetheless, the story could have been far more stretched and detailed in its storytelling. The story is laced with emotional releases and forms of satire are also seen through and through. All in all, the main message of this film is that ulterior motive of one’s life is to leave a legacy and try to exit all means of attachment. It concerns every point in our lives that we try to bend to form roads of our desirable shapes and sizes. But no one escapes fate’s hands and faces the wrath of that which has been wrongly done. Be it paranormal or in real life, we all owe ourselves the questions of existence but not to harm any other sentiments. We live in through our memories and that is enough.
Dr. Nabadipa Talukder is a doctor by profession with a passion for creative writing and has been into digital content writing for almost 5 years now. She practiced as a dental professional for two years in Kolkata before she quit her job in order to pursue a career in writing. Nabadipa was exposed to the freedom to write for various fronts which opened up her mind and introduced her to the world of screenplay and script writing. She wishes to travel and understand various cultures and wishes to write their stories.
