As Durga Puja festivities conclude, everyone in Bengal is having a tough time getting back to the mundane, everyday life putting an end to the fun and gaiety of the festival. Another year of waiting begins as we wait for Maa Durga to revisit us the next year. A critically acclaimed short film ‘Abar Eso Maa’ which was released on the YouTube channel of Mojotale Entertainments on October 8, is out there to share the post-festival blues.
The crux of the story follows a man who has lost his wife and his life centres around their little girl. Every year during Durga Puja, the man brings a woman from the brothel to his house. He doesn’t have any bad intention, rather he gives her his wife’s saree to wear and make her stand in front of the little girl saying ‘Maa eseche’. Unlike every year this year, the man ushers in Maa Durga following the same tradition.
The 17-minutes short film stars Anubhav Kanjilal and Sreya Bhattacharya as the lead pair. The one who grabs all the attention is the child actor Aadhya Bhowmick. Directed by a young director Sujoy Pal, ‘Abar Esho Maa’ weaved a heart rendering tale replete with emotional moments. Raya Ghosh and Bijali Sarkar have also shared the screen in this ‘slice of life’ film. Cinematography is done by Manas Bhattacharya. Soumya Rit took charge of the background score.
Anubhav Kanjilal is on a roll after back to back successes. His last film ‘Sohobashe’, a coming-of-age love story gained appreciation from critics and the actor was lauded for delivering a great performance in a grey shade character with ease in the web series ‘Sampurna’. He is now all set to get the stone rolling for his directorial venture. Amidst all the buzz, the short film ‘Abar Esho Maa’ earned positive feedback from the netizens.
Speaking about the film, Anubhav shared, “We had a great experience working with the young director. We shot the film 8-9 months back and we had to compromise on a lot of things but ultimately we are very hopeful with the outcome. The little girl Adhya did an amazing job and Sreya is very dear to me. The film has a good dose of emotional moments, I think the audience can connect.”
Sreya Bhattacharya, who has been hailed for her recent web series ‘Kholam Kuchi’ is seen in a different light. Produced by Sumana Kanjilal, ‘Abar Eso Maa’ has earned accolades from around the world and is currently streaming on the YouTube channel of Mojotale Entertainments.