Prague

Prague is an unlikely gem of 2013. Eerily trippy, it's a whirlwinding ride through the fragmented mind of a delusional schizophrenic. The generic umbrella term 'psychological thriller' sounds more apt. Chandan Roy Sanyal rediscovers himself [his acting mojo?] after the sensational act in Kaminey four years back. The sheer range of kaleidoscopic emotions he embodies is remarkable. Fragile and volatile, erratic and unpredictable, brooding and explosive - the polarising dynamics of his character have been succinctly portrayed with precision. He is constantly visited by the apparition of his friend, Arfi [Arifi Lamba], whose suicide was involuntarily triggered by him. Gulshan [Kumar Mayank], another friend, comes as a destructive force into his life and he sleeps with the girl Chandan had been wooing, Subhangi. Despite the betrayal, Chandan idolises him and feels threatened by his menacing presence at the same time. In Prague, he falls for a young gypsy girl, Elena [Elena Kazan]. The chequered tapestry of their relationship is challenged by Chandan's deteriorating mental state, as he sinks into obscure depths of obsessive insecurity and hallucination. There are nuanced homoerotic moments in the film which raises the question: is Chandan a repressed bisexual? Quoting his initial impression of Gulshan: "When he pees with his head hanging back, it is as if he is orgasming." Later, he beats up a queer admirer at a bar, hysterically screeching, "I am not gay!" Right at the end, it is revealed that Gulshan too is, in fact, a figment of his frenzied imagination. He had pushed Gulshan to his death before arriving at Prague. The power politics of human relationships is another theme that has been explored in the film. Since Chandan's male machismo is imperiled by Gulshan, he looks for weaker people to reestablish his superior position of power. That's why he holds on to the vision of Arfi, who is already dead. As long as Elena plays along, submitting to his charm and later as a muse to the artist in him, Chandan manages to suppress the memories of Gulshan. Just when Elena declares that she is not his girlfriend, Gulshan reappears. Although they reconcile, the illusion of his presence drives Chandan to the path of self-destruction, culminating in Elena's death. It's a stellar debut by director, Asish R. Shukla, who has co-scripted the film along with Sumit Saxena. The cinematography by Uday Mohite is spectacular, so is the editing by Meghna Sen and the background score.