Journal of Critical Reviews ISSN- 2394-5125 Vol 7, Issue 6, 2020 Review Article GERONTOLOGICAL ISSUES AND BENGALI FILMS: A CRITICAL STUDY OF SELECT AGEING CHARACTERS Ashoke Kumar Mandal1, Dr. Shri Krishan Rai2 1Ph.D Research Scholar, Humanities & Social sciences Department, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, West Bengal, India, Email: [email protected] 2Associate Professor, Humanities & Social sciences Department, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, West Bengal, India, Email: [email protected] Received: 14.02.2020 Revised: 13.03.2020 Accepted: 10.04.2020 Abstract Population ageing is a globally acclaimed crisis of the 21st century and for the days to come. India is undergoing unprecedented demographic changes like the dramatic increase of population of adults aged 60 and up. Better nutrition, sanitation, healthy care, education, economic well-being, declining mortality, fertility rate, and infant mortality as well, increasing age at marriage particularly among women, lead to the expansion of life expectancy. As life expectancy is increasing, so also different types of problems on the physical, psychological, social, economic levels are rising up. The impacts of modernization and globalization leading to proliferation of old-age homes, changing family values and structure, overseas migration cannot be denied here. In this paper the gerontological issues have been focused in the lives of four select characters in the Bengali films Benche Thakar Gaan (2016) and Mayurakshi (2017) to show their challenges and struggles to overcome. This paper contextualizes the issues and shows the relevance in the present socio-cultural and economic fabric. This paper also puts stress on the policy initiatives, successful ageing and the united efforts of the society with a hope of creating a good atmosphere favourable for all round development of the elderly. Key Words: elder mistreatment, Gerontology, healthy ageing, overseas migration, population ageing, urbanization © 2019 by Advance Scientific Research. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.06.187 INTRODUCTION Both the films Benche Thakar Gaan— Song of Life (2016) and Like many other developed and developing countries, India is Mayurakshi -The Stream Within (2017) brilliantly show the use undergoing a demographic transition with an alarming of different ageing issues in the lives of Sushovan increase of older people. It is projected to reach 22 percent in Roychoudhury in Mayurakshi and Shiboprasad and Jaya 2050 worldwide. About 80 percent of the world’s older people Banerjee, and also Dipankarbabu in Benche Thakar Gaan from are projected to live in less developed countries by 2050 (UN, physical, psychological, and social perspectives. As 2009). Indian elderly constitute 8 percent of the total Mayurakshi highlights dementia, the musculoskeletal disorder population and it is likely to rise to 12 percent by 2026 (CSO, with high morbidity but low mortality( Victor,2005) impact, 2011). With ageing comes increased prevalence of age–related the former focuses cardiac and circulatory disease with high diseases and more seriously chronic diseases like mortality and high morbidity ( Victor, 2005) criterion and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and gastroenteritis problem. Besides the biological hazards, both other dementias. In 2019, ADI estimates that there are over 50 the films undertake various mental diseases (pseudologia million people living with dementia globally, a figure set to fantastica, for example), emotional crises (Loneliness, increase to 152 million by 2050. Someone develops dementia depression, anxiety, fear etc), social problems (elder abuse, every three seconds and the current annual cost of dementia is elder mistreatment, elder crime, social exclusion etc.). Here in estimated at US $ 1 trillion, a figure set to double by 2030 ( these films, there is an attempt to unveil how the elderly World Alzheimer Report, 2019). A markedly increasing people are mercilessly left alone to cope with their age, or how proportion of this total is in less developed countries. The horribly they are treated, beaten and attempted to be prevalence of dementia is expected to double in every 20 years murdered by their kin. The directors raise a critical awareness with growth being highest in developing countries including of the gerontological issues in the projection of the elderly India. In 2010, an estimated 3.7 million people of over the age people on-screen in the popular genre of feature or drama of 60 years in India were considered to have dementia films. Society is, often unknowingly, influenced by Mass media (Alzheimer’s & Related disorders Society of India: 2010). By and film, as a readily accessible medium, very often portrays 2040, this figure is expected to jump by 346 percent (Ferri et the grim reality that may impact large number of viewers. al. 2005). This dementia issue focusing on the gradual decline James Monaco, the famous American film critic in his famous of functioning of the victim, ill-fated prognosis, qualitative and book How to Read a Film: Movies Media and Beyond refers to quantitative increase of role stress of the caregivers has been the film’s function as the ‘close approximation of reality’ as ‘it appropriately projected in Bengali film Mayurakshi (2017) in can communicate a precise knowledge that written or spoken the life of a senior character Sushovan Roychoudhury, a language seldom can (Monaco, 2013,p.178). He further said: retired professor of History. It is true that many Indian films as Hindi (Black, 2005or Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara, 2005 Throughout most of film history, realism has been of more or 102 Not Out, 2018, for example) Marathi (Astu, 2013), interest to practical filmmakers than theoretical critics. Dziga Kannada (Godhi Banna Sadharane Mykattu, 2016) show the Vertov in the Soviet Union in the 1920s, Jean Vigo in France, use of dementia issue. There have been films from other and John Grierson in England in the 1930s, Roberto Rossellini, countries with dementia as central theme including A Moment Cesare Zavattini, and the Neoralists in Italy in the 1940s, all to Remember (South Korea, 2004), A separation (Iran, 2011), developed Realist positions in opposition to Expressionist and Still Alice (USA, 2014). But in Tollywood Bengali film theories. It was as if the filmmakers reacted against the industry, this is a new journey initiated by the director Atanu potential abuse of power of their medium, instead searching Ghosh. for a more “moral” position in Realism (Monaco, 2013, p.446). Journal of critical reviews 1073 GERONTOLOGICAL ISSUES AND BENGALI FILMS: A CRITICAL STUDY OF SELECT AGEING CHARACTERS The Bengali directors Atanu Ghosh, Sudeshna Roy, and Abhijit there is his memory impairment which is an associated Guha here assume the “moral” position to uphold the grim criterion of dementia. Due to memory loss he confuses one reality understanding the social, cultural, and economic forces. incident with the other. Dr. Basu says: Tar mane apnar Chicago Through the character portraits, they have projected social theke asa ta or kache Lucknow theke fera. (That means your isolation, elder mistreatment, and elder crime which is some arrival from Chicago is return from Lucknow to him). In 1993 globally recognized challenges for the elderly. Further, it may Aryaneel went to Lucknow on part of Bengal at Ranji Trophy be said that modernization and urbanization, despite the claim Cricket Tournament. Professor Roychoudhury confuses the of better infrastructure and comfort to the citizens, have added fact that his wife Aparna passed last three months of her life in more segregation and isolation and frequent occurrences of hospital. That’s why he says: Aparnar hospital e khub bhoy crimes, creating more vulnerability to the elderly (Patel, (Aparna had hospital phobia). For correction, his son replies: 2005). Changing traditional family values, family structure, Ma to last tin mas hospital e bharti chilo (Mother was in overseas migration, transnational dispersal, changing role of hospital for the last three months). Telling the house keeper women also have adversely affected the situation. All these Mallika to keep the key, he quotes lines from Rabindranath but gerontological issues have been brilliantly used in the in the middle he forgets: Firae dinu darer chabi/Rakhina ar characterization of the films. gharer dabi/Sabare ami… (I return the key/ and give up right to home/ to all I…).Aryaneel informs the doctor: Pachis SUSHOVAN ROYCHOUDHURY (SOUMITRA bachhar ager katha sab kichu mane ache (He remembers all CHATTOPADHYAY) that happened 25 years before). But what the doctor replies is Sushovan Roychoudhury, an 84-year old former professor of more important: Se to chabir moto mane thakbe. Kintu jigges History of Srirampur College is presently suffering from karuk ajke dupur bela charchari kheyachen na dimer ranna, dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder and multiple balte parben na (He would remember it clearly. But he won’t cognitive dysfunctions, behavioural changes, loss of mobility say what he has eaten at lunch-spiced vegetables or egg curry). and executive functioning. He has also cervical spondylitis, Ranjit Basu as a physician could diagnose what type of vitamin deficiency, hypertension, phobic anxiety, loneliness, dementia Sushovan Roychoudhury has. There lies the depression and in the social context