After his 2012 hit film ‘Kahaani’, director Sujoy Ghosh has come up with a new Bengali short thriller film titled ‘Ahalya’, which is based on the story of a character of the same name in Hindu scriptures.
In Hindu scriptures, ‘Ahalya’ is known to be a creation of Lord Brahma. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. However, she was cursed by her husband, an old sage called Gautama Maharishi for infidelity.
Ghosh has given the age-old myth a thrilling and a modern twist. In his short film, Radhika Apte plays the role of the young and beautiful wife of the aging artist, which is played by the veteran actor, Soumitra Chatterjee.
‘Ahalya’, a 14-minute Bengali film made as a part of Royal Stag’s Large Short Films tells the story of what happens when a police inspector, Indra Sen, visits the house of an aged artist, Goutam Sadhu, who is married to a much-younger woman, Ahalya.
Just like ‘Kahaani’ had a strong female protagonist, in ‘Ahalya’ too, Apte dominates with her portrayal of the sexy and vivacious wife.
But in Ghosh’s ‘Ahalya’, it is someone else who is turned into a stone. That’s where Ghosh makes a statement on our common understanding of extra-marital affairs and infidelity.
With commendable performances by all actors, ‘Ahalya’ automatically becomes a must-watch.