Movie Review: Homecoming as a celebration of art and friendships
Mumbai: The film Homecoming premiered on the popular OTT platform, Sony Liv, on Friday, February 18, 2022. The film is about a reunion trip amongst band members, and the nostalgia amongst other emotions and circumstances that follow.
“If you are bigger than your purpose, it’s a career but if your purpose is bigger than you, then it’s a calling,” This dialogue frames the film’s key plot point. When a disbanded theatrical company known as Aamra (We) reunites in Kolkata, they reflect on their love of theatre and art, attempting to rekindle the same excitement and energy that they had in the past.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the theatre troupe Aamra, which was once a rage in Kolkata, was disbanded. The members of the group, on the other hand, have a reunion, which brings back all the bittersweet memories. This trip is what the major narrative of Homecoming centres on, from reminiscing about their former theatre days to self-introspection about their current phase of life.
Sri is played by Sayani Gupta, and Nargis is played by Plabita Borthakur. Borthakur’s poetry section is really enjoyable to see. Soham Majumdar as Godot delivers a powerful performance. Hussain Dalal as Imroze and Tushar Panday as Shubho, on the other hand, leaves a huge impact on the audience with his character. The rest of the supporting cast members do an excellent job in their roles. A special mention goes to Aman Hiranandani for his exemplary work in the sequences with Sayani Gupta.
Homecoming, created and directed by Soumyajit Majumdar, effectively captures a sense of nostalgia and self-introspection. The inner struggle and sensation of being trapped by the characters become more prominent as the film progresses. The language successfully portrays the tone of Homecoming, be it shattered friendships or estranged relationships, and most crucially, the overpowering feeling for their dissolved theatre company.
Anup Singh’s cinematography captures the aesthetic splendour of Kolkata at its peak, as well as the intensity and monotony of the city’s theatrical world. Homecoming’s visual style by Nafisa Mondal is once again a huge bonus. Mou Sultana, Satyaki Banerjee, Dev Arijit, Neil Mukherjee, and Hybrid Protokol score big in this one with their music.
(Sunidhi Bhatt)
