Raj Chakraborty's political drama Dharmajuddha, starring Swatilekha Sengupta, Subhashree Ganguly, Ritwick Chakraborty, Soham Chakraborty, Parno Mittra, Koushik Roy, and Saptarshi Maulik, was released on Hoichoi on July 19, 2024.
The story unfolds over a single night in Ismailpur, where residents are too terrified to leave their homes due to a communal riot. An elderly woman named Ammi (Swatilekha Sengupta) offers shelter to four individuals: Munni (Subhashree Ganguly), Shabnam (Parno Mittra), Jabbar (Soham Chakraborty), and Raghav (Ritwick Chakraborty).
These four people, each from a different religion, begin to clash, blaming each other's faith for the struggles they face. The film explores how Ammi helps them overcome their differences, and how the communal riot ultimately changes their perspectives.
Swatilekha Sengupta delivers a standout performance, with impactful dialogues and engaging interactions with her co-stars. Having made her debut in 1984 with Ghare Baire, she took a hiatus from films for several reasons but made a remarkable comeback after 30 years with Belaseshe in 2015. Though she hasn't appeared in many films over her 40-year career, her performances in Belaseshe and Belashuru were widely praised by audiences.
Since 2019, director Raj Chakraborty has been experimenting with various genres, and Dharmajuddha continues this trend. Political drama is a relatively unexplored genre in Bengali cinema, and his effort to delve into it is commendable.
The build-up of the drama and its overall execution are noteworthy. The writing by Raj Chakraborty and Padmanabha Dasgupta, along with Indraadip Dasgupta's music composition, deserves special mention.
The performances by Subhashree Ganguly, Soham Chakraborty, Ritwick Chakraborty, Parno Mittra, Koushik Roy, and Saptarshi Maulik are commendable, with each actor taking on roles different from what they've previously portrayed.
Parno Mittra and Koushik Roy's romantic subplot is particularly enjoyable, and Ritwick Chakraborty's story about losing his mother is convincing. However, Subhashree Ganguly's storyline involving her husband and Soham Chakraborty's backstory could have been given more focus, as they felt somewhat underdeveloped.
Ammi's response to inquiries about her religion—she simply identifies as "human"—is a powerful statement. Even in 2024, communal violence remains a harsh reality in many parts of India. Dharmajuddha sends a strong message to society: humanity transcends all religious divides.
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