Alik Sukh (English: Unreal Happiness) is a 2013 Bengali Medical psychological thriller based on the novel Alikh Sukh by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The film is directed by the duo Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy, starring Debshankar Haldar, Rituparna Sengupta and Sohini Sengupta in the lead roles. It was released on 19 July 2013.[4][5][6][7][8][9] The storyline is based on a novel of Bengali novelist Suchitra Bhattacharya.[10]
| Alik Sukh.[1][2] | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Shiboprosad Mukherjee Nandita Roy |
| Written by | Suchitra Bhattacharya |
| Screenplay by | Nandita Roy |
| Based on | Alik Sukh by Suchitra Bhattacharya[3] |
| Produced by | Windows Production |
| Starring | Debshankar Haldar Rituparna Sengupta Sohini Sengupta Biswanath Basu Saayoni Ghosh |
| Cinematography | Sirsha Ray |
| Edited by | Moloy Laha |
| Music by | Anindya Chatterjee Nachiketa Chakraborty |
Release date |
|
Running time | 137 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Bengali |
Plot
editDr. Kingshuk Guha (Debshankar Haldar), a renowned gynecologist, finds himself in a professional crisis when one of his patients, Kabita Mondol (Sohini Sengupta), dies on the operating table while he is away purchasing a luxury apartment for his family. Kabita's enraged husband (Biswanath Basu) and relatives attempt to mob the hospital. Upon hearing the news, Kingshuk's wife, Rumi (Rituparna Sengupta), rushes to the hospital to support him. There, she sees Kabita's corpse lying unattended in the empty operating theater and begins to imagine that the dead woman is communicating with her.
Though well-off, happily married, and pregnant with their second child, Rumi starts to question her right to happiness, given that her husband is responsible for depriving another family of their loved one. She becomes emotionally distant from Kingshuk, who refuses to accept responsibility for Kabita's death. In turn, Kingshuk grows frustrated with Rumi’s lack of support as he faces an investigation by a medical committee and a compensation claim of Rs 1,000,000 from Kabita's family. Their relationship deteriorates to the point where they stop speaking to each other, and eventually, Rumi leaves with their son to stay with her parents.
Kingshuk eventually reaches an out-of-court settlement with Kabita’s family for Rs 300,000. Relieved and hoping to reconcile with Rumi, he calls her and informs her that he has "bought off the patient’s family." Rumi, devastated by Kingshuk's callousness and the lack of justice for Kabita, suffers a fall shortly after the call, leading to a miscarriage and severe abdominal hemorrhaging.
In a cruel twist of fate, Kingshuk finds himself in the same desperate position as Kabita's husband, as the medical team at the local hospital takes its time attending to Rumi. She survives, and a remorseful Kingshuk seeks her forgiveness, vowing to make amends. From Rumi's perspective, Kabita finally finds closure, and hopes for a happier future emerge.
Cast
edit- Debshankar Haldar as Kingshuk Guha
- Rituparna Sengupta as Rammani
- Sohini Sengupta as Kabita
- Biswanath Basu as Biswajit
- Saayoni Ghosh as Namita
- Kharaj Mukherjee
Crew
edit- Directed by Nandita Roy & Shiboprosad Mukherjee
- Produced by Windows
- Screenplay & Dialogues by Nandita Roy & Shiboprosad Mukherjee
- Director of Photography Sirsha Ray
- Edited by Malay Laha
- Music by Nachiketa Chakraborty & Anindya Chatterjee
- Background score by Joy Sarkar
- Production Designer Amit Chatterjee
- Sound by Anirban Sengupta & Dipankar Chaki
- Costume by Dibyakanti Sen
- Publicity design by Saumik & Piyali
Direction
editNandita Roy is an Indian filmmaker, screenplay writer and producer. She has been working in the film industry for the past 30 years. She has worked in many television serials and National Award-winning films. Shiboprosad Mukherjee is an Indian filmmaker, actor and producer. He started his acting career by joining the Theatre in Education Project and was a regular theatre artiste at Nandikar. He learnt his art from celebrated thespians like Rudraprasad Sengupta and Ibrahim Alkazi. The director duo ventured into cinema in 2011, with their first film, Icche. From then on, they have co-directed films like Accident (2012), Muktodhara (2012), Alik Sukh (2013), Ramdhanu (2014), Belaseshe (2015), Praktan (2016) Posto (2017), Haami (2018), Konttho (2019), Gotro (2019), which have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Their films have been appreciated for their socially relevant content and entertaining narrative structure. [11][12]
Influences
editIn an interview to The Times of India, director Shiboprosad Mukherjee said that although the film is based on a novel, it was influenced by his father's death on 15 April 1994. Regarding his personal experience regarding the lives of doctors, he said,
It was Poila Baishak and my father suddenly complained of chest pain. I rushed him to a para-doctor and he asked us to shift Baba (father) to a hospital immediately as he had suffered a heart attack. I called an ambulance and took him to a hospital only to find that there were no attendants or doctors around as it was Poila Boishak! The few junior doctors present there couldn't do anything. When I finally got hold of a doctor, he was leaving for the day. He told me since it was a festive day, the hospital was low on staff and he couldn't help us. My father breathed his last that night. Whether it was family obligations or something else that was going through the doctor's mind, is a question that still haunts me as I lost my father for it.[3]
Soundtrack
editSoundtrack of Alik Sukh has been composed by Anindya Chatterjee and Nachiketa Chakraborty.[13]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "MBBS" | Anindya Chatterjee | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Ke Jane Thikana" | Nachiketa Chakraborty | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Na Re Na Ore Mon" | Nachiketa Chakraborty | 4:24 |
| 4. | "Raat Jaye" | Anindya Chatterjee | 4:07 |
| 5. | "Bidae Theme" | Instrumental |
Response
editAlik Sukh has heavily stirred the conscience of all the individuals, irrespective of the profession they belong to. It has been critically acclaimed and has also contributed a big deal in raising the standard of the tollywood film industry. It ran in theatres successfully for 50 days. Later, on 15 September 2013, it made an all-India release.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]
Accolades
editAlik Sukh was premiered at the Marché du Film section in Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee received the Filmfare Awards East for Best Direction for the film Alik Sukh this year. In the same Awards ceremony, Rituparna Sengupta received the award for Best Actor and Anindya Chatterjee for Best Lyrics for Alik Sukh.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Alik Surgery, article by Dr. Kunal Sarkar of Medica Hospital". Sambad Pratidin. Archived from the original on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ "Ei prothom bangla chhobi te bhoomishtho drishhyer shooting". Ebela. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Shiboprosad's Alik Sukh is inspired by his father's demise". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh: Main Details". Gomolo. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh Album out on times music". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "A Humble Tribute to Doctors". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ^ "Anindya will render a song by his senior in Alik Sukh". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "Interview with Debshankar Haldar". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh is a film with a message". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh pays tribute to doctors". 11 January 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "Alik Sukh review by Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Kalpana-Dual Personality in Bengali Film". Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh soundtrack album". Hungama.com. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ "Priya=te jomey gelo Alik Sukh er Premiere". Ebela. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ^ "Forget Hippocrates! Are doctors hypocrites?". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Housefull ei Sukh". Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
- ^ "Personal life of doctors". Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^ "After Paromitar Ekdin,Ritu-Sohini pair in Alik Sukh". Ebela. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Ritu Sohini in Alik Sukh". Ebela. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh to Cannes Film Festival". Ebela. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh in Cannes Film Festival". Ebela. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh Music Launch in Bengal Club". Ebela. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh niye upche porchhe agroho". Ebela. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh Success Party in Bengal Club". Ebela. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh Review-Alik Obhiggyota". Ebela. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh muktir kaale Debshankar Haldar mukhomukhi". Ebela. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh movie review". rhododendron. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ "Alik Sukh-a really good attempt at story-telling". tollywood dhamaka.
- ^ "New Bengali Film Did a Marvelous Job at the Box Offices". WordPress. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ "Alik Sukh-Sukher-e Sonchaar". Anandalok.
- ^ "Alik Sukh miss korben na". Bangla Live. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
