Hemlock Society (film)
| Hemlock Society | |
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Poster
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| Directed by | Srijit Mukherji |
| Produced by |
Shrikant Mohta Mahendra Soni |
| Written by | Srijit Mukherji |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Anupam Roy |
| Cinematography | Soumik Halder |
| Edited by | Bodhaditya Banerjee. Saikat Sengupta |
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Release date
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| Country | India |
| Language | Bengali |
Hemlock Society is a Bengali Dark Comedy released on 22 June 2012, directed by director Srijit Mukherji, who is also the director of Autograph & Baishe Srabon. The cast of the movie consists of Parambrata Chatterjee, Koel Mallick and Soumitra Chatterjee. The name is inspired by the erstwhile Hemlock Society, a society which was based in Santa Monica, US. The primary missions of this society included providing information to dying persons and supporting legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide.
The movie is a strong insight into psychological dilemma about the primal existence of life. It reiterates the fact that you can '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 lees’ 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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