While surfing internet after getting home in evening, a line caught my eye," I couldn't stop crying after watching this movie. The epic since Pather Panchali 15 years ago". The heading was written in English and Bengali in an old-fashioned manner of british times. I didn't expect it to be updated, as kolkata is still struggling to free itself from the shackles of British rule. Those out-dates modest lines were written for a movie, "The Japanese Wife". Though i always wanted to see Pather Panchali, which is considered to be the best piece ever created in Bengal, the land of intelectuals, but i never got the chance to see it.
I haven't read much about Bengal history. Moreover born and brought up in Northern part, Bengal, to me, is as far as any other middle east country. Once the famous capital of India before the British rule, a city known for its trade and European architecture buildings, is still reeling under the wrath of union groups and worker strikes. One could hear the outcry over outdated infrastructure and politics around every corner of street. I'll be happy to get any updates on this issue. The movie starts with flowing waters of river malta along the banks of an old town Sunderban. A mediocre house in a dilapidated condition in which an old bengali women cladded in a white sari is cleaning the kitchen. Rahul Bose rides a bi-cycle back to home.
Wearing the traditional Bengali dress, He talks very less but in a very polite manner in Bengali and his tone gets even more polite while talking in English. As the name suggests, he's been married to a Japanese women, whom he has never seen. On the other side of world his wife resides in a small village near Yokohama, Japan. A young Japanese girl with small eyes and fair skin, staying with her ailing mother. They both are just pen friends. They have been sending letters to each other for last fifteen years. He sends her the bangles on their marriage anniversary, and she sends him the kites made by her. Her only wish is to see his husband before her life ends. She hopes one day her mom will recover from her illness and then she can go to stay with her husband. Her husband is tied with the responsibilities of widow (Riya Sen, wife of Rahul Bose's friend) and his late mother's sister, whom he calls maushi. They talk with each other through letters, almost once a week. Half of Rahul Bose savings goes into writing the letters to this wife. She sends him a camera from Japan, so that he can send her the pictures of his house and his maushi too. He tells her the reasons why a Bengali women have to shave her head and wear a white sari after her husband dies.
A few weeks passed by and her mom dies leaving her in the world with a hope that she'll meet her husband one day. That day of hope when she'll have enough money to go to India and see her husband for the first time in life. The story unfolds into the dark when she is informed by her doctor that she's also suffering from a rare generic cancer.. She still hopes for the best and share this sad news with her husband. One can see Rahul Bose's emotions falling apart upon reading the letter of his wife in which she informes of her rare cancer disease. Rahul Bose feels helpless tied with the responsibilities of his family, and can't let his wife to die fighting lonely. He convinces himself that he has a duty towards his wife too. He tries whatever he can to support her cancer-stricken wife in Japan. He goes to Kolkata, the biggest city near his town to get some suggestions from the reputed doctors. But even doctors deny to prescribe any medicine without the medical check-up of patient. He asks various homeopathic and ayurveda specialists and sends the medicines to his wife in Yokohama. One could feel the pain of this Bengali man, in his mid forties walking on the slippery mud at the bank of river malta in deep thought on what he should do to save his wife. Despite all his efforts, her health is deteorating with every passing day. He tries to call and talk to her though a phone booth in Kolkata, but ends up paying 500 rs for a wrong connection. He makes trips to various doctors and specialists to get any help for her wife, but all in vain.
This poor man walking across the doors of hospital has already experienced so many hard-ships in his life. The monsoon season starts and all the bus service and boat service are halted for an indefinite period. Rahul Bose decides to go to Kolkata to meet another doctor, and while coming back he catches the pneomonia. One week in bed and still no letter or telegram from his wife. One night he himself passes away. The message is conveyed to his wife through a telegram, who herself is too frail to write a letter to her husband.
The weeks and months pass by. The widow Riya Sen and Maushi are staying in the same hut. The Japanese lady gets off the boat at the bank of malta river and asks a guy to help her find the address of Rahul Bose's house. She is wearing a white sari and her head is shaven, just like a Bengali widow. She has finally reached to her own house, where she always wanted to come, but only to see her letters and gifts packed in a corner of a dark room with a framed photograph of her husband.
