Padatik Dvd Bengali (All Regions/ NTSC/English Subtitles)

While this title won the best screenplay award back in 1974 for India it is not one those well-known films in America today. Mr. Sen is India's most politically active filmakers, and Padatik is the last in a trilogy in that this fillm offers a historical document on the political mindset of the burgeoning Bengali youth and a personal struggle from the film maker Mrinal Sen who tries through film to make sense of Marxist revolutionary ideology and explore whether or not it is a misguided enterprise. The plot concentrates on Sumit, an uncertain member of a left wing political party, probably Marxist and harbouring strong Naxalite sentiments, (The Naxals were considered far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Their origin can be traced to the split in 1967 of the Communist Party of India) who escaping from police custody goes into hiding. While the film is dated(circa 1970's) in today's world of political re-awakening, it illustrates the struggle between young and old; disenchanted political unrest of India during the 1970's. Sen’s representation of Bengali youth is fixed in a reality that sees the oppressed father and patriarch of the family instruct his son to continue fighting the system.

Set in Kolkata, film maker Mrinal Sen's "Padatik" is a fast paced, fascinating film shot on location in 1960's Kolkata. It is a blend of political suspense and adventure, socially conscious, incredibly good acting. A gem of a film. Please, Amazon, offer more Mrinal Sen films - they are SO GOOD!