#Homecoming review: An idealistic conversation by the stage, for the stage, on the screen

A theatre group returns for a reunion, its volatile mix of loyal, lost artistes seeking something close to what they experienced on the stage. Yet, they are far too different from their personas of the past. The conversation among these personalities, their past and their regrets form the crux of Soumyajit Majumdar's #Homecoming.

The story is set around the reunion of the famed Aamra theatre troupe in Kolkata. Reunions can be messy, and this one is no different. Five years after the troupe was disbanded, the people returning carry within them feelings of guilt, anger, frustration and regret. As the night progresses, each of the characters comes to the fore with their own story, which spills over into multiple people sparking new things.

The plot sounds fascinating for a play, which is perhaps how Majumdar might have envisioned it. A playwright, the filmmaker's sensibilities are clearly outlined in the way the story unfolds. The film is about conversations, and words and ideas take centre stage. The idealism of Godot (Soham Majumder) seeking to find something close to the passion of the stage in his life post-Aamra, the struggle of Shubho (Tushar Pandey) to rediscover his passion for acting, or Sri (Sayani Gupta) and Imroze (Hussain Dalal) reigniting their love form the key to the tale.

Each of these personalities is a volatile mix of emotions and ambitions. Roopie (Tuhina Das) is struggling to keep a career alive while trying to sate Shubho's fanatical idealism of the purity of theatre. Papai is another example who abhors commercialism and looks at the theatre as a revolution.

Bertolt Brecht had famously stated, "The theatre must in fact remain something entirely superfluous, though this indeed means that it is the superfluous for which we live. Nothing needs less justification than pleasure.” #Homecoming seeks to elevate the world of theatre, but in doing so it occasionally resorts to the snobbishness that Brecht despised.

The film feels like a reflection of an idea. Such films can be fantastically engrossing — Jim Jarmusch's Coffee And Cigarettes (2003) and Paterson (2016) are examples that combine high poetic philosophy with filmmaking — provided they have a touch of heightened drama. Majumdar's film revels in muting it, which results in only scratching the surface. The conversations cry out for a deeper exploration of each character.

With a plot that has over 10 main stories, the film struggles to keep its balance. A medium different from the stage, the film needed more visual cues and treatment to add to the experience. The diversified nature of the conversations also makes it feel stretched more than it needed to be. Some unnecessary conversations only exist to paint the stereotypes with a broad humorous brush.

The background music (Neil Mukherjee) is quite worthy and seeps into the film, adding to the Kolkata vibe. Each song is a wonderful addition to the storytelling and pulls you into it. Sayani Gupta and Hussain Dalal are an interesting addition to the mix, with their characters' love-hate relationship reflecting the troupe's nature. Tuhina Das's Roopie is among the more well-etched characters in the film, and the actress performs her internal conflict effectively. Nargis (Plabita Borthakur), is the audience's representative and the final survivor among the idealists. Soham Majumder is convincing and vulnerable as the backstage guy Godot whose love for theatre is now enhanced by a practical understanding of the world.

In the end, Soumyajit Majumdar's #Homecoming is a trip for theatre enthusiasts. For anyone who has been associated with theatre, or worked backstage, the film brings back memories of the wild ideas, rebellious attitudes and impractical dreams that accompany such a life. Yet, like those in the film, the world subdues them all. Nostalgia only works if accompanied by a practical display of cinematic visuals. Perhaps that is the missing element in #Homecoming.

#Homecoming is currently available on SonyLIV.