Sujoy Ghosh‘s latest short film which just released on Youtube this week is a masterful retelling of a mythological story with a twist. Ghosh’s thriller Ahalya is based on the mythological rishi-patni Ahalya from the Ramayana.
In the Ramayana, Ahalya is Brahma’s most beautiful creation bestowed upon the righteous Gauthama Sadhu. The king of gods – Indra – is jealous of Gauthama and in his envy, he uses his magical powers to seduce Ahalya by taking Gauthama’s form. Gauthama catches Ahalya and Indra in the act and curses his wife. Ahalya is condemned to an eternity of being trapped in a stone sculpture and invisible to all. Ahalya is eventually relieved from her punishment by Lord Ram.
Ghosh re-tells this epic story by craft-fully adapting it to modern times with a nail-biting finish you’ll have to see for yourself! Radhika Apte plays the enchanting Ahalya, while Tota Roy Chowdhury plays the curious Inspector Indra Sen and Soumitra Chatterjee plays the wise Gauthama Sandhu. Each character fits perfectly into their molds to give you a chilling fourteen-minute short film that will leave you with goosebumps! Watch for yourselves – but don’t say we didn’t warn you!
What were your thoughts?