'Gondi' deals with barriers in friendship in the twilight years
In the film 'Gondi,' a retired loner crosses path with a dentist. Their episodic banter turns into platonic friendship, disavowed by both of their children.
Fakhrul Arefeen's new film "Gondi," currently in cinemas, is not so much of a story about companionship as it is about loneliness at the twilight of two people's lives. Fakhrul's latest film onboards Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Suborna Mustafa, a duo many moviegoers longed to see share the silver screen.
Watch the trailer of "Gondi" here
The movie begins with a voice-over monologue, narrating Asgar (Sabyasachi Chakraborty) and Doctor Shamima's (Subarna Mustafa) exploits as both are widowed and trying to grasp life in their sixties. Asgar, a retired loner, tries to reignite his spirit by stargazing at night. His deceased wife makes an appearance, only to reminisce their bonding in spirit.
After her husband died in a plane crash, Shamima continues to go about life. The dentist gets a reality check as her fateful encounter with Asgar takes place, that too in her chamber. Meanwhile, Asgar is diagnosed with dementia. His doctor reaches out to
Shamima, seeking help on medical grounds. Interestingly, both Shamima and Asgar have prior experiences meeting each other. However, the relationship that started with childish bantering ends up as a seasoned friendship.
Few days later, Asgar and Shamima boards a plane to Cox's Bazar. They check in to a hotel, but not in the same room.
Everything seemed fine, until Asgar woke up the next morning, only to find himself in the marine city which he does not even remember coming to. His dementia strikes hard as Asgar forgot to take his medications upon coming to Cox's Bazar, resulting in him to forget about his whereabouts. From this point, a chain of events put Asgar and Shamima in an uneasy state.
Asgar's son (Majnun Mizan) is notified by his wife (Aparna Ghose) about his father's secret escapade with Shamima. He contacts Shamima's daughter (Payel Mukherjee) and immediately comes to Bangladesh to resolve this issue they found "very unethical."
The crux of this dilemma raises some questions such as is there any barrier in friendship in old age. "Gondi" reiterates the loneliness seniors face as the only thing the society expects them is to "wait for death."
The "Feluda" famed Sabyasachi commands his customary charisma as Subarna nestles with her acting chops. Despite its flaws, 'Gondi' is watchable. Mostly for its music and the Sabyasachi-Subarna chemistry fans will surely want to see in the future again.
