Love, Up in the Clouds

Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee

- Amborish Roychoudhury

MANIKBABUR Megh—The Cloud and the Man—is a film about a lonely man falling helplessly in love with a cloud. Or the other way around. It boasts of a captivating performance by Chandan Sen, a stage and screen veteran who, despite his staggering talent, continues to be Bengal’s best-kept secret. The film marks the debut of a remarkable directorial voice in the form of Abhinandan Banerjee, who also wrote the screenplay. The central character of Manikbabu is an exceptional role, etched with extreme care and performed with great virtuosity by Sen.

Manikbabu revels in his loneliness—his isolation is not imposed but self-inflicted. He loves nothing more than to be left to himself, tending to his dying father and to the plants on his terrace. When his father dies, the distraught but stoic Manikbabu feels a presence, a shade overhead. It seems to follow him wherever he goes. Thus begins one of the most bizarre but moving love stories to be filmed in recent times.

Sen’s parents were involved in the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), so theatre flourished in him organically. He has been a part of Bengali theatre ever since the late 70s. Among his teachers was the late great Utpal Dutt. It was in the mid1980s that Sen started doing television and then graduated to the movies. Whether it was a key “supporting” role or bit parts, Sen managed to leave his mark. But barring one film called Aloy Phera, where he played a member of the Lodha tribe, there have been no significant lead roles coming his way. Until now. From the first scene to the last, Manikbabur Megh sparkles with Sen’s delectable performance.