A Memorable Journey: Shastry Virudh Shastry's Screening at the Parliament

It is said that great things come in little packages. We received ours in a smaller envelope. We learned that Shastry Virudh Shastry was selected for a screening for Rajya Sabha Secretariat officials and their families at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium, Parliament Library Building, in a letter we received roughly two weeks ago from the Welfare Section of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. And that was all. We were packed our luggage for a one-day excursion to Delhi and the Parliament as soon as our IDs were sent for the records! Only one director, Nandita Roy, was able to attend the March 23 showing of Bohurupi, as the other, Shiboprosad Mukherjee, was too busy filming their Puja picture. On March 22, Didi (Nandita Roy) hurried from Bolpur, and we boarded the overnight trip to Delhi with high hopes but low expectations.

It was during the flight that Didi, who I have confirmation would shortly achieve nirvana, levitate, or bounce about like a leaping frog as great yogis surely do, informed me that there will be 25 individuals because this is merely a bureaucratic formality. She had to leave behind her greatest passion because, on the wrong side of sixty, the only thing that makes her happy is being at the filming location. She has never bothered me with seeking validation for her efforts. I was duped by her words. That's why I assumed we would be done in roughly two hours and twenty minutes, which is exactly how long the movie lasts. We picked up our Delhi-based family friend Debashis Saha outside the Parliament Library Building, who was going to go to the screening with us. It was a greater dream come true for him than for any of us! Now that I was at the Parliament, my dream was to take a photo outside the famous building. That had to wait.

An official greeted us and politely asked that I wait to take photos until after the performance. I was in a bad situation. I returned from a recent trip to Jakarta with the director pair, and I brought back photos from a neighborhood bazaar that could have passed for our very own New Market!

As I entered the auditorium along with the others, it occurred to me that government officials operate based on a clock rather than feelings. And I had a surprise in store. The large auditorium, which could have held 900 people in seats, was completely packed. Former MP Paresh Rawal was already there with his National School of Drama pals, and he was delighted to see the director and young Kabir Pahwa, who plays his grandson in the movie, again. The Bengali film Posto is remade as Shastry Virudh Shastry, which centers on a child's custody dispute between his parents and grandparents. After its premiere, Windows' first Hindi movie, which it co-produced with Viacom 18 Studios, attracted a lot of attention. It was praised by reviewers and viewers alike and remained on Netflix's Top 10 list for an amazing 20 days.

Anu Singh Choudhary and the directors wrote a gripping story for the film, which has captured the attention of audiences all over the country. The ensemble cast, which includes Paresh Rawal, Neena Kulkarni, Manoj Joshi, Shiv Pandit, Mimi Chakraborty, Amruta Subhash, Kabir Pahwa, and others, gave outstanding performances. However, this was most likely the greatest benefit of all.

In the presence of Secretary Rajya Sabha, IAS Rajit Punhani, Additional Secretary (MS) Dr. KS Somasekhar, Joint Secretary Sashi Bhushan, Director, and Welfare Officer Badruddin Khan, the seasoned actor and Didi were both honored on stage. A moved Paresh Rawal stated, "I am thankful to Nanditaji and Shiboda for entrusting me with this film," while Didi kept her remarks brief and thanked the audience for supporting her Hindi directing debut with Shiboprosad Mukherjee. Such a character doesn't come along very often, yet at the point in my life where I am, father roles seem to be the norm. Funny movies are great, but you also need serious movies that make you reflect on your relationships and take a close look at yourself. Bengali theater and cinema have always captivated me. It is impossible to play effectively in isolation; the team as a whole has excelled. Again, I want to express my gratitude to the entire team and crew for this movie.

The next few hours flew by, and as the movie ended, the audience was laughing, crying, and applauding.

A brief statement from Shastry Shastry, Virudh

One audience member was so moved, she was on the verge of tears. She remarked, "There aren't many movies these days that are so deeply ingrained in our culture and also help us connect to them." Little Kabir was encircled by the excited onlookers throughout all of this, who really lifted him up for groupies, selfies, and the like. I called him in my customary high-pitched voice, which undoubtedly shocked everyone around me, because I was so scared. However, Kabir returned beaming with happiness. He remarked, "I've never posed for so many selfies in one day before."

Following the government officials, we attended a special lunch held in honor of Team Shastry Virudh Shastry in a stunning dining room after the program concluded. Lunch was a sit-down affair that focused more on cultural interchange. During the meal of badam soup, breads, rice, kali dal, gobi matar, paneer, kofta, orange raita, kheer, and gulab jamun, numerous people professed their affection for Bengali filmmakers, who are renowned for having a strong emotional connection with the nation's viewers. Kabir was ecstatic to eat lunch with everyone as his mother let him enjoy gulab jamun and kheer. The seven-year-old remarked, "I am not allowed to have more than one sweet a day, but today is different." Since I last met him during the film's production in Panchgani, he has become a little wiser and leaner. Back then, after every scene, he would seek approval from "Director Ma'am" and would not move until she gave him a candy. The directors endured a demanding shoot in Mumbai and Panchgani for over two months, and now that I was in Delhi, I could see the immense love and respect that people had for the hard work that they had put into the film.

Privately rather philosophical, Shiboprosad confided to him one day what Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi had told him when they met in Mumbai. "He said that a movie is like a river; you won't know it's flowing and reaching its audience." More than anything, his comments stuck in my mind as I left the Parliament Library Building. Without Didi, I would have lost my mind. She reminded me, "That picture is overdue." I was delighted to comply.

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