A beautiful elegy to the memories of a bygone era: Shonar Khacha REVIEW

His short films have been screened at several film festivals across the globe and won multiple awards, making filmmaker Prataya Saha a name to reckon with in the short films circuit. After winning accolades for his last short — Mein, Mehmood — Prataya is back with his latest short film — Shonar Khacha, or The Golden Cage.

At first, you might wonder — who are the people caged inside this shonar khacha? What is their life like? What is the reason they are unable to fly away, simply watching as the rest of the world leaves them behind? And then, the story begins.

This is his first Bengali short film, and stands apart from his previous shorts on many parameters. You realize soon that the caged lives are merely catalysts. The protagonist here is, in fact, this slowly dying house that was once a beautiful, bustling property of an affluent family. The house lies dilapidated as the last few members of the family deal with the melancholy that is their life today.

It’s a lament for the lack of empathy for forgotten structures…a silent scream to have more conversations around conservation, to preserve for the future whatever fragments of our past remain. It poses a question — how much do you value not just your heritage, but the history and memories attached to this heritage? Is there any hope?

The film is backed by powerful performances by Anshulika Kapoor, Deboprasad Halder, and debutant Sounak Sen Barat, who shines through with his brilliant acting chops. Cinematographer Subha Dey beautifully captures the memories of a bygone era that have transformed into a life of mere existence. The haunting tunes by Sanjeev T remain with you even after the film is over.

Prataya hits the nail yet again with crisp, strong storytelling that puts the spotlight on an otherwise forgotten issue. He proves once again that less is more. The suicide angle seems a slight force fit, but then, what’s a ‘Prataya Saha’ movie without a dash of intense emotions!