Urbanisation indeed is vanquishing. Emotions scurry deep down—suppressed, submerged and subjugated—and you find yourself in a never-ending loop of the struggles that emerged through the shackles of society. Amid that, you find yourself breathing in interdependence. Not co-dependency, but interdependency—that keeps your emotions and empathy both in check. That’s pretty much what could be taken away as you draw closer to the film, Lokkhikantopur Local.
A narrative from Ram Kamal Mukherjee always comes with strings attached. He has brought up stories that reflect realities that we live in. Whether it is periodic, like Binodini, or outright contemporary, like Lokkhikantopur Local, the director knows where to wave his wand. The film nurtures you, and you start to value the little bits of your daily life, the moments that you get to cherish every day.
The narrative revolves around three contemporary urban couples, featuring Kaushik Ganguly and Rituparna Sengupta, Indraneil Sengupta and Sangita Sinha, and Rajnandini Paul and John Bhattacharya, who are intertwined within the complexities of life, daily anxiety attacks and struggles that exist like mementoes. Amid the chaos, we see their three domestic helps—Paoli Dam, Chandreyee Ghosh, and Saayoni Ghosh—and how their lives become completely interdependent; we see a mutual sense of belonging on both sides.
The film brings a striking balance between the urbanised setting and the domestic help’s rural lives. Dancing within the metaphors of life and the train Lokkhikantopur Local that the latter travels on to connect with the city, the narrative finally lets you gulp down the truth that, whether you celebrate urbanisation or clay pots, both lead you to a similar destiny.
Visuals will intrigue you. You see the revival of the city’s soul and the rural ensemble, with absolute flamboyance and transparency. The tiny details hook your eyes, along with the rhythms that play in the background.
As you leave, you feel empowered. You think the empowerment of your emotions. And mostly, you go with an impulse to treat your house-helps better, realising how they have become invisible pillars of our lives.
IWMBuzz rates it 4 stars.
