Aparna Sen's 'Goynar Baksho' has received heavy criticism mostly with regards to the imbalanced plot and drastic change in the third act. To be honest, the third act did feel like a sudden change in both tone and story and heavily rushed. It ought to have been further developed and more humour could have been added (to balance it adequately with the rest of the picture). Moreover, the connection with the first half felt weak. There should have been more focus on the mother-daughter relationship than just that one scene. Maybe Sen could have left this act for a whole other film, a sequel. That would have given room for the story and characters to flesh out.
And now for the plusses, the first and second act are sheer delight. It's a bit like watching a hilarious folktale and it's beautifully shot. The colourful visuals (sets, costumes and landscape) are stunning. I've never seen CGI of this high quality in any Indian film. Sen has obviously hired some of the best technicians and designers. The cinematography and score are first rate.
Not to take anything away from Aparna Sen and her crew's input but what would have 'Goynar Baksho' been without the fabulous performances of Moushumi Chatterjee and Konkona Sen Sharma. I doubt Moushumi's done anything like this before but she's at her best here. The same goes for Konkonaas she holds her own. Their shared scenes are the highlights of 'Goynar Baksho' and most of them had me laughing out loud.
To sum it up, this isn't Aparna Sen's best work but it's amusing, entertaining and visually satisfying nonetheless.
