The Storyteller Review: Paresh Rawal in a stunning Satyajit Ray adaptation on artistic refinement

Storyteller Review

A cotton baron struggles to fall asleep on the cotton bed sheets he manufactures. His chronic insomnia gets the best of him. From counting sheep to popping sleeping pills, nothing helps this rich baron. He calls on a storyteller for help, one who narrates original bedtime stories, thus inducing sleep. He enlists the help of a storyteller. In comes Tarini, a man with a refined taste. Tarini serves this baron a generous helping of his bedtime tales, only for him to realize that his stories are being published by the baron under his name. A sick, twisted case of intellectual property theft.

The Storyteller Movie: Plot

Paresh Rawal plays Tarini Charan Chattopadhyay (‘Tarini Khuro’), the fictional character who features in over fifteen short stories written by Satyajit Ray. The aged bachelor lives at College Street in Calcutta and vehemently opposes capitalism. Tarini cannot hold on to a job to save his life. He often switches from one publication to another, leaving behind several short stints. On his arrival in Calcutta, Tarini is greeted by Manikchand, Garodia’s help, who treats him rather dismissively.

Adil Hussain plays Garodia, the rich baron whose obsession with artistic refinement gets the best of him. “Neend byaaj jaisa hai. Maut ko door rakhne ke liye zaroori hai. Ye byaaj main nahi bhar paa raha (Sleep is like an interest you pay to keep death at bay. I cannot pay this interest anymore)”, Garodia tells Tarini. The two men share their life stories — tales of heartbreak, sadness, failures as they spend time at the dinner table and occasional outdoors visits.

The Storyteller Movie: Performances

Tarini is taken aback when he discovers that his stories are being published under a pen name. The rich industrialists, since time immemorial, have tried to exploit the creative prowess of artists in an attempt to come across as intellectual. The digital world today isn’t very different. Nepotism hires, LinkedIn influencers and tech honchos pay writers thousands to ghostwrite their tweets and posts so they come across as naturally humorous. The ill-begotten wealth cannot give the rich the edge that an artist possesses. This insecurity of not being able to ‘fit in’ makes Gorkhe not just plagiarize Tarini’s stories but try to emulate his approach towards life.

Garodia not only wants to pass off Tarini’s original story as his own, he wants to be Tarini. His obsession reaches a dangerous level. He even consumes fish, despite by repulsed by the smell, saying “maach khane se dimaag tez hota hai” Garodia’s art collection includes Picasso; he keeps multiple copies of Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ on his table (which he self-admittedly doesn’t read). Garodia’s story is quite tragic too; in an effort to fit in and come across as ‘intellectual’, he has lost his individuality. He consumes literature he doesn’t appreciate; collects art he doesn’t fully understand.

The Storyteller Movie: Writing And Direction

Money cannot buy Tarini’s taste or artistic vision. The rich would rather go to great lengths to be seen as artistic, but wouldn’t as much treat the same artists with respect. Manikchand’s initial dismissiveness towards Tarini (when he first arrives at Garodia’s mansion) and the eventual acceptance shows that it is the capitalists who, despite being on top, desire the affability that comes with being an artist. You see, there are things money cannot buy.

After shamelessly plagiarizing Tarini’s work, Garodia brazenly justifies his actions. He does this to impress his lover ironically named Saraswati (in Hindu mythology, she is the Goddess of wisdom, music, art and learning). In another telling moment, Garodia confesses “Saraswati ko Lakshmi pasand nahi”, for his lover seeks not just money but refinement that Garodia cannot offer. It is a moment of reckoning for Tarini as he realizes the importance of being confident and self-assured.

The Storyteller Movie: What Works, What Doesn’t

Veteran actress Revathy plays Saraswati, Garodia’s lover. She is quite impressed when she learns about his massive self-growth, except she is unaware of his sinister scheme. “Good artists copy, great artists steal”, Tarini says, dropping a not-so-subtle hint that he is aware of Garodia’s scheme. Based on Satyajit Ray's short story "Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro" about originality versus plagiarism, The Storyteller is an excellent exploration of artistry. Not knowing how the original short story unfolds, I uttered the loudest gasp when Tarini effortlessly outsmarted Garodia.

In many ways, the dynamic between Tarini and Garodia continues to play out in the world around us. Bangalore tech bros minting lakhs look down on journalists. Rich CEOs hold condescending views on liberal arts graduates. IIT and IIM graduates scoff at JNU scholars. Who will eventually win is anyone’s guess.

Star rating: 4 / 5 stars

The Storyteller is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.