Shonar Pahar preview: Explores nuanced complications in a parent and child relationship

Parambrata Chatterjee’s Shonar Pahar revolves around an unusual friendship between a 70-year-old Upama (Tanuja) and eight-year-old Bitlu (Srijato Bandopadhyay). Upama’s equation with her son Soumya (Jisshu Sengupta) and her daughter-in-law Momita (Arunima Ghosh) is strained and hence, they stay separately.

One day Soumya’s childhood friend Rajdeep (Chatterjee), who runs Ananda Ghar, pays a visit to Upama as she accidentally falls off. Learning about her loneliness, he proposes to send an orphaned child from their home to spend time with Upama.

Mischievous Bitlu and Upama initially do not get along well, but eventually they develop a bond, completing each other’s life. Bitlu inspires Upama to take up her pen and begin writing again as she used to, when Soumya was a kid. Soon, their adventures get them into trouble and it begins to affect the mother and son relationship even more.

Undaunted, Bitlu keeps persuading Upama to tell him her best story, which is yet to be finished. This leads Upama and Bitlu on a journey that eventually brings a turning point in Upama and Soumya’s equation.

Shonar Pahar attempts to bring out the nuanced complications in a parent and child relationship.

Shonar Pahar will be screened at the Bay Area South Asian Film Festival 2018 on 23 September at 3:45pm at Mountain View Centre For Performing Arts.