Banner: Adlabs / Handmade Films
Producer: Sunil Doshi
Director: Jayabrato Chatterjee
Music Director: Usha Uthup
Director of Photography: Soumik Haldar
Cast: Jaya Bachchan, Om Puri, Shahana Chatterjee, Prithviraj Choudhury, Mallika Sarabhai, Neil Bhoopalam, Doel Basu
Rating: 3.5 /5
The film, Love Songs – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, is an intricately woven love story spanning three generations. It’s a love story of Mridula (Jaya Bachachan) and Aftab Jaffrey (Om Puri), Palaash (Shahana Chatterjee) and her musician husband Dev (Neil Bhoopalam) and last but not the least and Rohan and Tara (Doel Basu).
The director Jayabrato Chatterjee is back after a gap of 23 years as his last film was Kehkashaa, way back in 1985.
Mridula did not have a happy youth due to an unsuccessful love affair with Aftab Jaffery. Her husband died even before their daughter Palaash (Shahana Chatterjee) was born.
One day, Palaash dies in a road accident leaving her son (Rohan) in Mridula’s arms.
In this film, love has been manifested beautifully in many forms – the unspoken love between Mridula and Aftab Jaffery, the off beat love between Palaash and her husband Dev (Neil Bhoopalam) and also a young romance between Rohan and Tara.
Love Songs also touches the relationship between Aftab Jaffery and his drunken wife Rabea (Mallika Sarabhai) beautifully and with great sensitivity.
With its offbeat conduct, the film is shot in Kolkatta and that lends a lot of character to it. Also the screenplay is cinematically manipulated and the beauty lies in the way the director has handled the subject.
Jaya Bachachan needs a special mention for a strong and subtle performance. She is a treat to watch.
All the other artists are good, but the main issue of the film is that most of the cast comprises stage artists, who literally get theatrical and are unable to differentiate between the two media. To add too it all there is the renowned classical dancer Mallika Sarabhai, who is wasted in a cameo as an ageing alcoholic and all she does is ham. Her loud performance is very unimpressive.
The music of the film could have been better as it is an integral part of the film.
All said and done Love Songs is a film all cinema lovers must go and watch!
