Film Review- The Storyteller: Fails to Highlight the Human Aspect of the Storyteller

By Shantiswarup Tripathi

• Rating: 2.5 Stars
• Producer: Jio Studios, Purpose Entertainment, and Quest Films
• Producers: Jyoti Deshpande, Salil Chaturvedi, Suchhanda Chatterjee, and Shubha Shetty
• Director: Anant Narayan Mahadevan 
• Cast: Paresh Rawal, Adil Hussain, Revathi, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and others
• Duration: 1 hour 53 minutes
• OTT: Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from 28th January

Inspired by Satyajit Ray's critically acclaimed short story Golpo Boliyo Tarini Khuro, director Anant Narayan Mahadevan presents The Storyteller. The film has been highly appreciated at prestigious festivals like the 2023 Kerala International Film Festival. It has also been screened at the Busan International Film Festival 2022, Houston International Film Festival 2023, and Jagran Film Festival 2023. The film, while exploring creative copyright, raises the question of who the true storyteller is—the one who narrates stories or the one who writes down stories heard from others?

Story:

The film is based on Satyajit Ray’s short story Golpo Boliyo Tarini Khuro. Tarini Bandopadhyay (Paresh Rawal), who lives in Kolkata, loves telling stories. He is a proud Bengali, fond of Rabindranath Tagore’s books, fish, Durga Puja, and other cultural elements. Tarini enjoys losing himself in the stories he tells, but he has never written them down or published them because he fears criticism. On his birthday, his wife gifts him a pen and urges him to write stories, but Tarini hesitates. His son and daughter-in-law live in America and keep inviting him, but he refuses to go.

At this point, he receives a job offer from Ratan Goradia (Adil Hussain), a wealthy cotton businessman from Ahmedabad, who invites him to narrate original stories. Ratan suffers from insomnia and believes that hearing good stories will help him sleep. He is a typical Gujarati businessman, paying close attention to house design, numbers, and importantly, he has many books, though he doesn’t read them.

Tarini travels to Ahmedabad, meets Ratan, and begins narrating stories to him. After that, a series of events unfold rapidly. Ratan, being a businessman, uses his acumen for some purpose. But did Ratan actually sleep, or is there something else going on? Did Ratan deceive Tarini? To find out, you’ll have to watch the film.

Review:

The issue of copyright has been a hot topic in recent times, with filmmakers often embroiled in legal battles over the true ownership of a story. Many years ago, Satyajit Ray wrote an intriguing short story addressing this issue. Now, Anant Mahadevan brings this concept to the screen. This slow-paced film manages to convey a lot, shedding light on the idea that success belongs to those who continuously pursue their goals without fear. Tarini enjoys telling stories but is afraid to write them down—this human and psychological aspect could have been explored better by the filmmakers, but it falls short. The film has a clear message: stories themselves are not magical, but the storyteller breathes life into them. However, the relationship between Ratan and Saraswati remains ambiguous, and the film doesn’t clarify much. In several scenes, Ratan’s character appears mysterious, but this could be seen as a flaw of the writer and director. The transformation of both Tarini and Ratan's characters is not fully explained, and the narrative doesn't highlight key elements like jealousy, success, fear, deception, and trickery as clearly as it should. The film could have had more pace, but it doesn't. Despite the weaknesses, Satyajit Ray’s well-crafted story allows the director’s shortcomings to be overlooked by the audience.

Some dialogues are poignant and metaphorical, such as

Achhe kalakar nakal karte hain; mahaan kalakar chori karte hain."
Ya phir, "Pyaar aisa promise hai, jise nibhana mushkil hai."

Ek dialogue hai jab Tarini, Ratan se kehte hain: "Aapko kahani sunane wala nahi, zindagi ka nazariya badalne ki zarurat hai."
Aur, "History likhne ke liye bhi kalam uthane ki himmat chahiye."
One scene, when Tarini arrives at Ratan's home in Ahmedabad, feels a bit off and lacks cohesion.

Acting:

Paresh Rawal, playing Tarini, a Bengali who loves fish, captures the essence of his character beautifully. Despite being a Gujarati, his portrayal brings depth to the character. His facial expressions, body language, and dialogue delivery are remarkable. Adil Hussain as the businessman Ratan Goradia gives a restrained yet effective performance, highlighting the dignified presence of a corporate figure. Revathi leaves a lasting impression in her brief cameo role, while Tannishtha Chatterjee, playing the Gujarati librarian, gives a natural, unforced performance.

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