The errands of subsistence

Dipankar Sarkar

Most family dramas uphold clichés and use melodramatic overtones. So much so that they  make real life pale in comparison. Then there are films that subtly highlight painful family issues. Assamese film Calendar by debutant Himjyoti Talukdar falls under this category. The heart-warming account narrates the story of a retired school teacher, Hitesh Kakati (Arun Nath) and his wife, Manorama (Malaya Goswami), who live in a small town in Assam. The 90-minute-long narrative examines the simple, intensely moving crisis of the couple that go through familial conflict, besides issues in marriage, responsibilities and sustenance.

The recurring imagery of the scooter that refuses to start at times brings the universality of belonging to objects that were once functional. The mise-en-scène is approached within minimalist framework. Many subtle details in the film such as the announcements made by mobile theatre group, the cure of piles in a television programme, pilfering of bamboos during the night of Magh Bihu, a tipsy rider falling off his bicycle are created off-screen with the sound design. The typical ambience of a small-town household and its surroundings — whether it’s a prayer from namghar (prayer house) or microphone announcements — lay emphasises on the significance of sound that can actually play an important role as characters. The climax of the film reveals that every event marked by Manorama in the calendar with a circle leads to the exploration of a different tale, bringing a devastating effect on her husband. A pivotal scene between Hitesh and Manorama’s physician has been shot as an off-screen narration. Sound designer Debajit Gayan succeeds in creating a soundcentric milieu in the film.

In a light-hearted comic tone, the director brings forth the religious eccentricities of the characters too. For instance, Hitesh Kakati’s voluntary hesitance towards accepting food prepared by his Muslim household Fatima Rimjhim Deka.

The beautifully composed songs, however, do not sync with the emotional pattern of the film. However, the climax of the film makes the viewers conscious that throughout the passage of our existence, memories play a pivotal role. The protagonist spends his life within such happy evocation hoping for the possibilities of locating happiness within the mundane reality.