Abaar Aranye, a cross-over production

Gautam Ghosh's latest work Abaar Aranye (In the Forests Again) featuring Sharmila Tagore, Saumitra Chatterjee and Hindi star Tabu, formed part of the Indian Panorama section of the festival and was eagerly awaited by viewers for more than one reason.

First, the film was well received at the Venice International Festival in September this year. Secondly, this is the first time Tabu acted in a Bengali film and dubbed the Bengali dialogue herself. And finally, the most importantly, it is, as Gautam Ghosh himself says, the director's tribute to maestro Satyajit Ray.

Abar Aranye is a sequel to Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri made in the sixties. But more than that, the sequel represents a journey in time for Gautam Ghosh who had first thought of the making it while shooting a documentary on Manik-da (as Ray was known in film circles).

Many of the characters who appeared in Ray's film return to Abar Aranye like Sharmila, Saumitra and Shamit Bhanja. But times have changed. The young people of Aranyer Din Ratri return in Ghosh's film with their spouses and children.

Resuming from where Ray's film ended, Ghosh wanted to explore the passage of time, the trials and tribulations and the experience of an entirely different generation. The characters have changed but the forest has not.

"Life has changed so much for us. Yet, the tribal life in the forest has remained untouched. This shows the presence of various layers in life. While one layer moves on, the other remains stuck in time," says Ghosh.

The film marked Sharmila Tagore's return to Bengali film after a long time. Who can forget her impressive roles in Ray's earlier films like Apur Sansar and Devi? It also sees Tabu making her debut in Bengali film.

Tabu's acting in Abar Aranye is perhaps a step forward from appearance in cross-over Hindi films like award-winning Chandni Bar directed by Madhur Bhandarkar and Astitva.

Tabu says she was excited as much about her role in Abar Aranye as about the fact that it is going to be a sequel to Ray's film. "The character of Amrita she plays in Ghosh's film is a free spirit and has strong beliefs about life much like me," adds the actress.

(To be continued)