Death in the Gunj

Death in the Gunj – Story of sensitive Shutu.

Shutu is a boy who lost his father when he was barely 7 or 8 years old. He lived with his mother in a small town in West Bengal – Bardaman and was academically very good. Topper kind of student. But his fate took him to a bigger city – Kolkata where he stared to live with his cousin brother and his wife. HE was very close to his 6 years old niece and took good care of her also.

But as he shifted to the big city, he saw a very different life – brother and sis-in-law smoking and partying, boozing etc. He had grown up in a small town and was leading a simple life – but exposure to city life confused him a lot. To top the confusion, in comes a flirtatious foreigner (played by Kalki) and they all decide to visit their parents in a McCluskieganj.

His cousin brother had friends in McCluskieganj  who joined them to party etc. One of his cousin’s friends – played by Ranvir was a very loud and flirtatious kind of a man. He had recently got married to a simple small town woman…but that didn’t mean that he would stop all his flirtatious activities. It is shown in the film that Kalki and he had physical relationship (that continued after marriage)…but he married a simple woman because she was rich and father-in-law had gifted him a car also.

Anyways, they were spending their days in the peaceful  Ganj (short form of McCluskieganj ) – Ranvir often used to tease and rag sensitive Shutu and the rest of them had fun at his expense. His sis-in-law basically made use of Shutu to babysit her daughter.

One evening, Ranvir comes with his wife and Kalki tries her best to seduce him in front of his wife to make his wife jealous – but clever Ranvir kept a safe distance from her disappointing Kalki a lot. That night she seduced young Shutu and initiated him in the world of sex. Next day, Shutu left his niece and took Kalki for a ride and again engaged in sex. In the meanwhile his niece got lost and there was complete pandemonium at home. Everyone went out hunting for the little girl and sis-in-law blames Shutu. Later Shutu, while trying to find his niece, falls in a wolf trap…and somehow manages to get out safely from there. When he returns home he sees that no one missed him and everyone had already started having dinner!

In a scene, it is also shown that Shutu had issues with his mother too. He called her up – being requested by his aunt – Tanuja – but as the phone got connected, he disconnected. Probably he blamed his mother to make him weak and meek – unable to face the city life! Plus he had failed in the exam which would be a shocking news to all..and his mother knew all about it. Later Shutu comes to know that the fact that he had failed in his exams had already leaked in the family…and he felt insulted.

He approaches Kalki – his eyes beaming with excitement … sexcitement but she just turns him down saying that he better focus on his studies!

He goes to apologise from his niece- for leaving her alone –  but she turns her back on him and didn’t want to play with him anymore!….he thus lost touch with innocence – that kept him engaged and also made him feel comfortable!

So a the end what was Shutu left with? – He failed in exam, he didn’t like his mother,  his niece didn’t want his company anymore, Kalki had just used him for sex, he was unconfident and uncomfortable to mix with loud flamboyant people….so he takes a drastic step! He ends his physical life…but his spirit or ghost continued to live….witnessing the dumb drama of the worldly people!