Priyo Maloti holds a mirror to society

The ending of 'Priyo Maloti' was quite a blur. 

As the ending credits rolled and the lights came on in the hall, people from the half-filled hall walked out and a few slyly wiped their tears. Everyone in the hall, including ourselves, collectively felt the melancholy of Maloti.

Shankha Dasgupta's film, 'Priyo Maloti' is a break from the average over-the-top Bangladeshi cinema with an absurd storyline and loud item songs. It is but a story of common people that can be related to many. 

Priyo Maloti follows the journey of Maloti, a woman nearing motherhood, whose life takes a tragic turn when her husband, Polash, dies in a devastating fire. Left to navigate the overwhelming bureaucracy of death while burdened with financial struggles, she faces the harsh realities of loss. The story also highlights how systemic issues can lead to tragedy, emphasising the additional hardships minorities face through Maloti's struggle.

Polash's death, stuck in traffic while rushing to the hospital, feels both tragic and avoidable—yet it reflects a harsh reality for many. It forces us to question how privilege and circumstances dictate survival. Without privilege, the price paid isn't convenience but life itself—leaving behind nothing but a burnt body, lost in the chaos of the streets.

Priyo Maloti's storyline and characters feel authentic because they mirror real-life experiences.

"I wanted to address various societal issues, particularly the struggles of people like Maloti in seeking government support," the director shared. "Our flawed system denies citizens their basic rights, even after navigating a bureaucratic maze."

The director further emphasised his intent to highlight unemployment and the disparities in documentation, particularly for the lower class. Through his film, he sought to shed light on these issues.

When discussing his inspiration for the characters of the movie, the director revealed how Maloti and Polash were inspired by his parents. "The love you see between them is what I have grown up seeing," he shared. 

We cannot see through Maloti's character without dissecting Mehzabien Chowdhury's performance. To pull off a character who goes through so much grief, harassment, and misfortune, the actress would have no other option than to give it her all. 

Mehzabien did not disappoint at all. In moments of grief and shock, the image of Mehzabien's wide eyes and screams of anguish is still seared in my mind. 

Furthermore, the matter of religious clashes remains at the forefront of the story. It particularly shines in the scenes where Maloti's friend, who is an Islamic Studies teacher, is criticised by the school he works at for helping out a Hindu. 

While referring to a particular scene where Maloti's husband's body is being burned as the 'last sacrifice' as per Hindu customs, Shankha Dasgupta elaborates on how he intentionally uses this scene as a pivotal plot point. 

"The film's main conflict begins with the Hindu ritual of cremation, symbolising how nothing is left behind," he explained. "I wanted to explore this practice as a central issue. While many conflicts can find the middle ground, religious differences often leave no room for compromise."

The story delves into the rigid grip of patriarchy and what it means for a woman to stand alone against oppression. It captures this struggle in meticulous detail, starting with something as basic as hygiene—Maloti must rely on a man, her landlord, to fix a faulty lock. But this is just the beginning. With her 'source of power' gone, she becomes an easy target, exploited at every turn.

For example, only moments after Maloti returns home from Polash's funeral, her landlord knocks on her door to inform her that her rent will be increased. 

"There is no one single character in Priyo Maloti whom I have not experienced in real life. I have seen them, lived with them, and encountered them in many cases. Characters such as Aboni Babu [Polash's father] or the landlord are common, and they are ruthless," shared the director. 

Shankha continued to describe how minorities commonly face discrimination from landlords who refrain from renting out their apartments to Hindus, similar to the harassment Maloti faces from her landlord.

Despite being dealt with the worst life can offer, time and time again, Maloti is not a damsel in distress. Just days after her husband's funeral, she shares with her friend how she needed to find a job to support her child.

Amid the chaos, somewhere along the way, her grief turns into anger—the female rage. Her raw emotions bring forward hard-hitting scenes, such as when she tells her friend, "All the people around me are betrayers."