Memories in March - 2011

Story

Deepti Naval rushes to Kolkata to collect the remains of her son who died in a car accident. But she ends up collecting a collage of memories of the days her son spent with his lover, Rituparno Ghosh and his colleague, Raima Sen. More importantly, she comes face to face with a facet of her son's personality which she finds hard to accept.... But only, initially.

Movie Review: Alternate sexuality may have become a popular theme in Indian cinema, but most of the films dealing with this controversial topic lack sensitivity and choose to dwell on it, either in a comic vein or in a shock-and-awe tenor. Memories in March scores because it looks at homosexuality as a normal fact of life, Of course, there is the initial shock that conventional mom, Deepti Naval, displays when she learns of her son's preference for the bald Rituparno Ghosh over the pretty Raima Sen. Her attitude towards him changes from friendliness to resentment when she learns of the special bond he shared with her departed son. And like all conventional mothers, she wishes she had known about her son's sexual preferences before, so that she could have consulted her psychiatrist friends....

Gently and subtly, the change occurs and the grieving mother discovers a warm and sensitive person in her son's companion. Shared dinners, shared memories, shared grief, poignant revelations, a bit of poetry and prolonged silences create a bond between the mother and her son's friends (Rituparno, the lover and Raima, the girl who loved him) that may not fill the aching void, but it does help to pick up the strings of life again.

The film boasts of some smart writing (Rituparno Ghosh), a totally uncluttered and naturalistic directorial style (Sanjoy Nag) and consummate performances by the three protagonists, specially Deepti Naval who is a treat to watch with her nuanced act of a mother who tries to bravely cope with loss and longing.

Memories in March is both a sensible and sensitive watch.