When the mask becomes your face, who's really performing?
Adapted from "Dui nomberer asami" written by Nilanjan Chaterjee. 'Kaler Rakhal' ( The Understudy), is a musical depicting the lives of colorful 'Bahurupis' ( The itinerant performers ) in rural India, mainly in Bengal region. The story also focuses on contemporary social and political issues.
Acting
Parambrata and Rudranil absolutely devour
Score
Bahurupi folk music that haunts for days
Direction
Sekhar Das makes rural Bengal pulse with urgency
Director
Sekhar Das
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bahurupis are nearly extinct now—this film documents a vanishing art form where performers transform into gods, demons, and animals for village audiences.
Soumitra Chatterjee filmed his scenes while already ill; his presence anchors the film's meditation on legacy and mortality.
