Strangers in the Rain was my second attempt to make a film with a handycam and a group of enthusiastic friends!
Synopis :
Three friends with varying sexual orientations decide to live together. The story unfolds as they pass through the adversities of living through unconventional relationships, in a society too closeted with its straight-jacketed perception of morality.
Story, Script and Direction: Tirthankar Guha Thakurta
Director of Cinematography: Richa Mohan
Assistant Directors: Rupesh Chaudhuri, Richa Mohan, Anupam HazraMusic: Jack Rabbit
About The film
The Film is an experimental effort by a group of amateur filmmakers. Shot on a handycam, on a shoestring budget, it was a pleasant exercise of story telling. Three friends with varying sexual orientations decide to live together. The story unfolds as they pass through the adversities of living through unconventional relationships in a society too closeted with its straight-jacketed perception of morality. They have a child who grows up in their loving care, until a weird sequence of events forces one of them to leave home. The story is narrated as the child, now grown-up, speaks to a journalist friend about the lives of his three parents.
About the filmmakers :
This is the second directorial venture of Tirthankar Guha Thakurta, based on a story, and script written by him. His debut film ‘Piku Bhalo Achhey’ (Piku is fine) which he made with his friends as a second year medical student, received critical acclaim in various film festival around the world (2nd ICMSC, Bangalore; 10th Kolkata International Film Festival [Short Film section]; Alliance Françoise, Chennai; SGFF 2005, Kolkata; etc) and at various workshops and conferences (Bangkok, Brighton, Bombay, etc).
Richa Mohan, who is the Director of Cinematography of this film has graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, in Mass Communication & Videography and has actively been a part of various short films and ad film projects. Her Degree Film, “Hey Dev!” was selected and screened at various film festivals including the Kolkata Short Film Festival. Being a part of a leading advertising agency ad films conceptualized by her for various brands were aired nationally. She has also been a part of TV shows like Amazing Race, AXN.
The music has been composed by ‘Jack Rabbit’. The music group is lead by Utsav Guha Thakurta and Aritra Dutta Gupta. The title track has been sung by Debajib Das. The lyrics have been composed by Tirthankar Guha Thakurta.
Screenings:
The film was screened at a conference on homosexuality at the Birla Planeteriun Auditorium, Kolkata in 2007, and as the inaugural film at the Siddhatha Gautam Film Fesatival '07, as part of the Rainbow Pride Week in Kolkata. It has also been screened at a conference at the department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College.
Media Reviews:
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=238543
http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/12299.html
For any enquiry about the film "Strangers in the Rain" kindly contact the director at: tirthankar82@yahoo.co.in
Film review by Rahul Deb:
The film is based upon a relationship that the society is yet to accept. The plot revolves around three characters, whose interwoven relationships challenge the conservative straight-jacketed concept of the traditional relations. The director and scriptwriter Tirthankar Guha Thakurta had a brilliant take on the changing social scenario and the tagged concepts of sexual orientations. This is perhaps one of the first films in India, which bases itself on bisexual relationships, and it is rendered a different dimension. One of the characters, Rahul justifies himself by questioning if a straight man can love two women at the same time, why can't a bisexual man love a man and a woman at the same time! I suppose that is true since relations can not be restricted into concepts or genres or any such qualified boundaries, primarily because they are unpredictable - and which perhaps makes them even more beautiful!
The story outlines like so: Rahul and Jojo are together for quite a long time. Rahul is bisexual and Jojo finds himself upset at Rahul liking Piu, a friend of his. Jojo had always assumed Rahul was gay. Here the story challenges the boundaries of relationships when the quite unconventional identity of a bisexual is revealed. It also accuses general social assumptions and shows Jojo’s mistake in assuming his friend Rahul’s orientation, even when he is a homosexual himself! However later he accepts Rahul and the most important part of the film starts. Rahul reveals the peculiar situation in which he is in at that time. He feels warm for both, Jojo and Piu. There exists no conditions and no limits. This is where Piu finally decides, that if Rahul has feelings for both of them, they both have same rights over Rahul, and if society does not accept Jojo and Rahul’s marriage, then she and Rahul would not marry either, and would stay together along with Jojo at his place. It seems too overwhelming and diametrically opposing the traditional cycles but the film hands it down in a fine form.
Their fight against the society and its conservations start here. The multifaceted nature of a relationship is shown here which includes love, care, acceptance and obviously a tinge of jealousy and possessiveness. The character of Piu at first shows a huge level of acceptance and sacrifice, as she leaves her family and against their disapproval, continues her live in relationship with Rahul and Jojo.the society takes its full course on them as they struggle for a better living place. at last how ever finding it, they settle down together. The story takes another interesting turn as Piu becomes pregnant with Rahul’s child .At this issue she faces a wall of resistance at her work place and she isforced to quit! She finally gives birth to Rahul’child Bittu. Though she misunderstood Jojo, at once but being a doctor Jojo always assisted them.The whole story comes out in the words of Bittu, the child of Piu. He has grown up and settled in life. Bittu discloses this whole story to one of his lady journalist friend, in a rainy evening. He speaks of how he was brought up by his three parents Rahul, Piu and Jojo. The words really touch us when he says that he wonders how a person like Jojo who has just got only hatred from the society, can be such an endless source of love and care.
Perhaps love is not a habit to learn but an inherent human behavior which comes as spontaneously as the rain on the ground below, without any distinction or discrimination! However at the end Bittu speaks of the fateful day when Piu’s parents come to their place and in the absence of Piu and Rahul threatens Jojo. Now the realization dawns on Jojo that if he stays with them any more, the curse of the social discrimination would fall on little Bittu and ruin his tender heart! So for the sake of Bittu, Jojo leaves the family for good.Bittu is deserted of one of his three parents, and perhaps the most special one! But now Bittu is an adult and now he feels he would find his Jojo again. Some relations cannot be defined, like that between the earth and the sky, the flower and the dewdrops and perhaps that between Jojo and Bittu. Perhaps the dictionary of social knowledge does not recognize
them or perhaps words fall short to describe their relationship and in both the conditions their relation remain undefined and they stay as just strangers, the strangers in the rain…
The film remains as an unputdownable venture from director Tirthankar .The acting skills of the actors can definitely be developed, but looking at the shoestring budget of the film and the technicalities we can definitely rank the performances as above expectations! The film‘s length is about 30 minutes and hence is quite precise. The editing of the film is brilliant and this is where it captivates! The sets used look natural (as according to the budget). But the best part of the film is the only song that it has. The song’s lyrics is composed by the director himself and the music is composed by ‘Jack Rabbit’. The song is simple but somewhere it touches our heart with its soft, deep-seated melody! The film proves that effort and sincerity can really make a difference! Thumbs up to the doctor and director Tirthankar!
Synopis :
Three friends with varying sexual orientations decide to live together. The story unfolds as they pass through the adversities of living through unconventional relationships, in a society too closeted with its straight-jacketed perception of morality.
Story, Script and Direction: Tirthankar Guha Thakurta
Director of Cinematography: Richa Mohan
Assistant Directors: Rupesh Chaudhuri, Richa Mohan, Anupam HazraMusic: Jack Rabbit
About The film
The Film is an experimental effort by a group of amateur filmmakers. Shot on a handycam, on a shoestring budget, it was a pleasant exercise of story telling. Three friends with varying sexual orientations decide to live together. The story unfolds as they pass through the adversities of living through unconventional relationships in a society too closeted with its straight-jacketed perception of morality. They have a child who grows up in their loving care, until a weird sequence of events forces one of them to leave home. The story is narrated as the child, now grown-up, speaks to a journalist friend about the lives of his three parents.
About the filmmakers :
This is the second directorial venture of Tirthankar Guha Thakurta, based on a story, and script written by him. His debut film ‘Piku Bhalo Achhey’ (Piku is fine) which he made with his friends as a second year medical student, received critical acclaim in various film festival around the world (2nd ICMSC, Bangalore; 10th Kolkata International Film Festival [Short Film section]; Alliance Françoise, Chennai; SGFF 2005, Kolkata; etc) and at various workshops and conferences (Bangkok, Brighton, Bombay, etc).
Richa Mohan, who is the Director of Cinematography of this film has graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, in Mass Communication & Videography and has actively been a part of various short films and ad film projects. Her Degree Film, “Hey Dev!” was selected and screened at various film festivals including the Kolkata Short Film Festival. Being a part of a leading advertising agency ad films conceptualized by her for various brands were aired nationally. She has also been a part of TV shows like Amazing Race, AXN.
The music has been composed by ‘Jack Rabbit’. The music group is lead by Utsav Guha Thakurta and Aritra Dutta Gupta. The title track has been sung by Debajib Das. The lyrics have been composed by Tirthankar Guha Thakurta.
Screenings:
The film was screened at a conference on homosexuality at the Birla Planeteriun Auditorium, Kolkata in 2007, and as the inaugural film at the Siddhatha Gautam Film Fesatival '07, as part of the Rainbow Pride Week in Kolkata. It has also been screened at a conference at the department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College.
Media Reviews:
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=238543
http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/12299.html
For any enquiry about the film "Strangers in the Rain" kindly contact the director at: tirthankar82@yahoo.co.in
Film review by Rahul Deb:
The film is based upon a relationship that the society is yet to accept. The plot revolves around three characters, whose interwoven relationships challenge the conservative straight-jacketed concept of the traditional relations. The director and scriptwriter Tirthankar Guha Thakurta had a brilliant take on the changing social scenario and the tagged concepts of sexual orientations. This is perhaps one of the first films in India, which bases itself on bisexual relationships, and it is rendered a different dimension. One of the characters, Rahul justifies himself by questioning if a straight man can love two women at the same time, why can't a bisexual man love a man and a woman at the same time! I suppose that is true since relations can not be restricted into concepts or genres or any such qualified boundaries, primarily because they are unpredictable - and which perhaps makes them even more beautiful!
The story outlines like so: Rahul and Jojo are together for quite a long time. Rahul is bisexual and Jojo finds himself upset at Rahul liking Piu, a friend of his. Jojo had always assumed Rahul was gay. Here the story challenges the boundaries of relationships when the quite unconventional identity of a bisexual is revealed. It also accuses general social assumptions and shows Jojo’s mistake in assuming his friend Rahul’s orientation, even when he is a homosexual himself! However later he accepts Rahul and the most important part of the film starts. Rahul reveals the peculiar situation in which he is in at that time. He feels warm for both, Jojo and Piu. There exists no conditions and no limits. This is where Piu finally decides, that if Rahul has feelings for both of them, they both have same rights over Rahul, and if society does not accept Jojo and Rahul’s marriage, then she and Rahul would not marry either, and would stay together along with Jojo at his place. It seems too overwhelming and diametrically opposing the traditional cycles but the film hands it down in a fine form.
Their fight against the society and its conservations start here. The multifaceted nature of a relationship is shown here which includes love, care, acceptance and obviously a tinge of jealousy and possessiveness. The character of Piu at first shows a huge level of acceptance and sacrifice, as she leaves her family and against their disapproval, continues her live in relationship with Rahul and Jojo.the society takes its full course on them as they struggle for a better living place. at last how ever finding it, they settle down together. The story takes another interesting turn as Piu becomes pregnant with Rahul’s child .At this issue she faces a wall of resistance at her work place and she isforced to quit! She finally gives birth to Rahul’child Bittu. Though she misunderstood Jojo, at once but being a doctor Jojo always assisted them.The whole story comes out in the words of Bittu, the child of Piu. He has grown up and settled in life. Bittu discloses this whole story to one of his lady journalist friend, in a rainy evening. He speaks of how he was brought up by his three parents Rahul, Piu and Jojo. The words really touch us when he says that he wonders how a person like Jojo who has just got only hatred from the society, can be such an endless source of love and care.
Perhaps love is not a habit to learn but an inherent human behavior which comes as spontaneously as the rain on the ground below, without any distinction or discrimination! However at the end Bittu speaks of the fateful day when Piu’s parents come to their place and in the absence of Piu and Rahul threatens Jojo. Now the realization dawns on Jojo that if he stays with them any more, the curse of the social discrimination would fall on little Bittu and ruin his tender heart! So for the sake of Bittu, Jojo leaves the family for good.Bittu is deserted of one of his three parents, and perhaps the most special one! But now Bittu is an adult and now he feels he would find his Jojo again. Some relations cannot be defined, like that between the earth and the sky, the flower and the dewdrops and perhaps that between Jojo and Bittu. Perhaps the dictionary of social knowledge does not recognize
them or perhaps words fall short to describe their relationship and in both the conditions their relation remain undefined and they stay as just strangers, the strangers in the rain…The film remains as an unputdownable venture from director Tirthankar .The acting skills of the actors can definitely be developed, but looking at the shoestring budget of the film and the technicalities we can definitely rank the performances as above expectations! The film‘s length is about 30 minutes and hence is quite precise. The editing of the film is brilliant and this is where it captivates! The sets used look natural (as according to the budget). But the best part of the film is the only song that it has. The song’s lyrics is composed by the director himself and the music is composed by ‘Jack Rabbit’. The song is simple but somewhere it touches our heart with its soft, deep-seated melody! The film proves that effort and sincerity can really make a difference! Thumbs up to the doctor and director Tirthankar!
Contact Info:
Email: tirthankar82@yahoo.co.in
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