Hemlock Society (2012)

Hemlock Society 

Directed by

Srijit Mukherji

Produced by

Shrikant Mohta
Mahendra Soni

Written by

 Srijit Mukherji

Starring

Parambrata Chatterjee
Koel Mullick
Soumitra Chatterjee
Dipankar De
Roopa Ganguly
Jeet
Sabyasachi Chakrabarty

Music by

Anupam Roy

Cinematography

Soumik Halder

Editing by

Bodhaditya Banerjee Saikat Sengupta

Release date(s) 22 June 2012

Country India

Language Bengali

Budget 3 crore

Box office 4 crore all india

Plot Summary: 

The movie is a strong insight into psychological dilemma about the primal existence of life. It reiterates the fact that ‘can you shock someone by letting her know that death is impending and inescapable.’ It is a dark comedy which successfully evokes an awareness of life. The comic element is used dexterously to bring out the fear of death. The protagonist Meghna (Koel Mallick), misses her mother, hums the songs of her favorite Sidhartha Roy numbers, blames the new lady in her father’s life, shaken by the dejection by her fiancé. Yet, as an escape route from the world of pain and suffering she goes to her father doctor to get prescribed sleeping pills. Ananda Kar (Parambrata) as the name suggests ‘make merry’ refrains her from ending her life. He comes with an unusual proposal of imparting her technical know how about committing suicide. He adds 'the training will save you from embarrassment if suicide becomes a vain attempt'. Ananda Kar is the founder of the Hemlock Society, that teaches aspirants how to successfully commit suicide. The names of the professors are also significant of the tricks they will teach to execute the end. The society is a film studio. Meghna assembles with all other suicide aspirants being addressed by the over-enthusiastic professors, trainlet, jhulan, dhamani, raktim, shikha, all specialists in different suicide methods. Meghna goes with him, leaving a goodbye message for her parents at her apartment door. Dr. Basu comes in search of his daughter, finds the note and shatters in grievance. Dr. Basu and Niharika start their search for Meghna and almost leave no stone unturned. Meanwhile at Hemlock Society, Meghna encounters with miscellaneous experiences related to humans lives and death. The three day workshop at the society makes her understand the importance of life and what difference her loss would mean to her near and dear ones. The metamorphosis of Meghna occurs when she realizes the miseries of other inmates and considers herself lucky. On the final day, Meghna confesses to Ananda that she wants to live and a vital reason which worked behind her changing of mind is that she had fallen in love with Ananda. Ananda informs her that he is suffering from 'Lymphocytopenia' a medical condition for which he would survive only for two more years. Meghna leaves Hemlock Society, sobbing and returns to her father. The very thought that someone near the cradle of death can ‘drink life to the lease’ in spite of complain and regret, surprises her. She learns from Ananda, that Hemlock society is an institute that refrains people from ending their life by making them aware of the importance of life. Six months later, Meghna reconciles with Ananda while he is on a nursing home bed, after having a blood-transfusion. The film ends with a witty note where Meghna’s fiancé (Saheb Chatterjee), now a dejected soul and undoubtedly suicide aspirant, being taken to 'Hemlock Society'.

                  

                                                         

   

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