First Odia New wave Cinema Matira Manisha

Ashok Palit

Odisha News Times EditorAshok Palit  With  Mrinal Sen

Matira Manisha (aka -The Man of Soil) is a 1966 Indian Oriya film directed by eminent film director Mrinal Sen on the story of Kalindi Charan Panigrahi’s novel in the same name. The film contrasts traditional and modern values contexts and themes such as the Gandhian and Marxist ideologies, postwar social conditions, agrarian culture, rustic life, joint family system and human relationships. It is a poignant story that upholds the human values of moral concern and sacrifice, delineates the landscape and traditions of a typical Orissan village and presents life in its multiple dimension , Kalindi Charan Panigrahi a versatile genius who wrote poems, short stories, plays, essays and literary criticism in addition to his autobiography, Kalindi Charan Panigrahi also wrote five novels, four of them having been published in the nineteen-thirties and nineteen-forties. His first novel.

Matira Manisha, published in 1931, is considered a modern classic in Oriya language. Its film version, directed by Mrinal Sen, The plot revolves round the family of Shama Pradhan, a rural farmer and his two sons, Baraju and Chakadi. At the time of his death, Shama Pradhan entrusts Baraju with the responsibility of looking after his younger son Chakadi and entreats him to prevent partition of land and the house between the two brothers. Baraju is a peace-loving person who commands respect from the villagers for his idealistic way of life. Baraju’s wife Harabou is also an ideal housewife who is very caring and affectionate towards Chakadi, his wife Netramani and her two children. Chakadi, in contrast, is a carefree vagabond loafing around the village. His wife, Netramani, who is envious of Harabou, keeps insisting on partition of property.

A village tout, Hari Mishra, also tries to create discord between the two brothers. Swayed by the villainous Swayed by the villainous designs of Netramani and Hari Mishra, Chakadi asks his elder brother to divide the property between them. Baraju is shocked, but in reverence to his father’s advice and out of affection for Chakadi, tells him that he is free to own the entire property and that there is no need for partition Baraju leaves the house with wife Harabou and his two kids with no regrets or rancour .After Baraju’s departure, Chakadi feels miserable, gets nostalgic about his brother, sister-in-law and their two kids. He goes to Baraju and begs him to return home. But Baraju, who is committed to But Baraju, who is committed to the spirit of sacrifice, non-attachment and love advises Chakadi to go back and take care of all that he has left behind The complex plot of Matira Manisha encompasses a wide range of contexts and themes such as the Gandhian and Marxist ideologies, postwar social conditions, agrarian culture, rustic life, joint family system and human relationships. It is a poignant story that upholds the human values of moral concern and sacrifice, delineates the landscape and traditions of a typical Orissan village and presents life in its multiple dimensions of good and evil, love and hatred, joy and sorrow.