Nagarkirtan trailer: Kaushik Ganguly's film subtly speaks a lot in silence

Trailers these days almost reveal the entire story of a film; however, Kaushik Ganguly’s Nagarkirtan is an exception in this regard. It contains only a few dialogues. The collage of the visuals and a minimalistic background score with a harmonica subtly leaves a lot for the audience to anticipate.

Madhu, played by Ritwick Chakraborty, stealthily peeks into the inner quarters of a few eunuchs. The single sequence speaks a lot about Madhu’s sensitive character and earnest curiosity about the third gender. The few glimpses of Puti or Parimal, played by Riddhi Sen, are also shot through the curious glances of Madhu, as he silently observes the latter.

In the trailer, Madhu and Parimal are not shown to be making love. There are symbolic images that convey manifold. While Madhu smiles affectionately at Parimal and the latter’s reply suggest Sen’s command over his character, through which he effortlessly expresses feminine energy and sentiment.

The next few sequences suggest the transformation Sen’s character goes through in an attempt to find a place in the spectrum of gender identity as he is forced to conform to the norms of society.

Another transgender woman shaves while Parimal starts dressing up as a woman. He asks for Madhu’s help so that he can live freely; however, the latter breaks down, helplessly holding an idol of Nitai - the icon of Ardhnariswar - in his hands. At the end of the trailer, in a heart-wrenching scene, Sen’s character is shown to be forced to shed his duality.

Yet again, it is the soul of the narrative rather than the depiction of the stark reality that tugs at the strings of heart. Ganguly makes it a point to prove that it is through the emotion of love that the crisis of the third gender can be explored in multiple layers and in great detail.

The film on the sensitive portrayal of the third gender won four awards including, Special Jury Award (Feature Film) and National Film Award for Best Actor for Riddhi Sen at the 65th National Film Awards.

Nagarkirtan is slated to be released on 15 February.

Watch the trailer below: