5 days ago
Padatik offers contrasting portraits of Mrinal Sen’s life and cinema
Padatik is a movie about the famous Indian filmmaker Mrinal Sen.
Srijit Mukherji directed it and tried to show both Sen’s work and his personality.
The film shows Sen’s early struggles, poverty and determination to make movies.
It also shows his relationship with his wife, Geeta, who supported him.
The story jumps between different times instead of moving from childhood to old age in order.
Much of the movie is in black and white, and it recreates real photographs.
It also uses parts of several films made by Sen.
One article says this style captures Sen’s bold spirit, while another says the movie does not tell his entire story clearly.
The film spends significant time on Sen’s relationship and arguments with fellow filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
Srijit Mukherji’s Padatik explores Mrinal Sen’s life, artistic convictions and contribution to Indian parallel cinema.
Chanchal Chowdhury plays the older Sen, while Korak Samantha portrays him as a young man and Monami Ghosh plays Geeta Sen.
The 126-minute film was released in theatres in 2024 and is now streaming on Zee5, also identified as Bangla Zee5.
Filmed mostly in black and white, Padatik recreates photographs and includes clips from Sen’s films, including Interview, Kharij and the original Padatik.
One review praises the performances and visual recreation but calls the portrait incomplete, citing the film’s non-linear structure and extended focus on Satyajit Ray.
- Who
- Director Srijit Mukherji made the film about Mrinal Sen, played by Chanchal Chowdhury and Korak Samantha at different ages; Monami Ghosh plays Geeta Sen.
- What
- Padatik is a 126-minute biographical film about Sen’s life, career, artistic evolution, relationships and cinematic legacy.
- Where
- The film is available on Zee5, referred to by one article as Bangla Zee5, and focuses on Sen’s life and Bengali cinema.
- When
- The film was released in theatres in 2024 and is now streaming digitally.
- Why
- Mukherji made the film to explore Sen’s extraordinary life, creative journey, artistic independence and influence on Indian cinema.
Film’s artistic and emotional strengths
Review’s criticisms and limitations
Approach to Sen’s life
Film’s artistic and emotional strengths
The film presents Sen as an intimate, ideologically committed and fiercely independent filmmaker, while also exploring the person behind his celebrated work.
Review’s criticisms and limitations
The review describes it as less a complete biopic than a personal interpretation, producing an incomplete and sometimes superficial portrait.
Storytelling structure
Film’s artistic and emotional strengths
The film’s movement across different periods reflects Sen’s distinctive storytelling interests and presents his life as a cinematic journey rather than a simple chronology.
Review’s criticisms and limitations
The non-linear mosaic eventually loses focus and becomes a grab-bag of highlights, according to the review.
Focus on Satyajit Ray
Film’s artistic and emotional strengths
The tense conversations with Ray show Sen’s willingness to challenge others, defend his views and express self-doubt; the film also uses this relationship to examine the cinematic world around him.
Review’s criticisms and limitations
The Ray-Sen rivalry occupies too much of the film and leaves insufficient room to explore the full range of Sen’s cinema, including his work in languages beyond Bengali.
Key facts
- Director
- Srijit Mukherji
- Subject
- Mrinal Sen
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Cast
- Chanchal Chowdhury as the older Sen, Korak Samantha as the young Sen, and Monami Ghosh as Geeta Sen
- Visual style
- Filmed mostly in black and white by cinematographer Indranath Marick
- Release and streaming
- Released in theatres in 2024; now streaming on Zee5, also described as Bangla Zee5
- Featured Sen films
- Padatik, Interview, Baishe Shravan, Akaler Sandhaney, Kharij and Ek Din Pratidin
Quotes
Srijit Mukherji
Director of Padatik
“We believe this powerful story will resonate deeply with audiences, particularly those who have a strong connection with Bengal’s rich cinematic heritage. With its digital premiere, we look forward to making this remarkable story accessible to viewers across the platform and further strengthening our commitment to bringing meaningful and culturally relevant Bengali stories to audiences”
telegraphindia.com
“I wanted to tell his story because he had one of the most cinematic lives of a filmmaker. His life was much more cinematic than any of his contemporaries... which is why I thought that it would make for fascinating cinema”
telegraphindia.com
Mrinal Sen, as portrayed in Padatik
The fictionalized Mrinal Sen character in Srijit Mukherji’s film
“What you say is more important than the medium,”
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Sources
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