An
Aparna
Sen
film
is
always
special.
Like
her
previous
endeavours,
The
Japanese
Wife
[a
film
in
Bengali
with
English
sub-titles]
also
looks
at
relationships.
Only
thing,
this
time
it's
about
two
strangers,
who
start
off
as
pen
friends,
exchange
letters,
get
drawn
towards
each
other,
even
get
married
through
letters,
but
never
meet
each
other.
Despite
staying
apart
and
not
meeting
even
once,
the
couple
share
an
honest
and
chaste
relationship,
confiding
the
smallest
of
incident
to
one
another,
thru
letters
and
phone
calls.
This
unique
story
[penned
by
Kunal
Basu]
is
translated
beautifully
on
celluloid
thanks
to
Aparna
Sen's
deft
handling
of
the
material.
Of
course,
a
story
like
this
unwinds
at
a
leisurely
pace,
but
there's
no
denying
that
the
proceedings
keep
you
engrossed
for
most
parts,
mainly
towards
the
penultimate
moments.
Aparna
Sen
also
gets
it
right
because
her
choice
of
actors
is
perfect.
And
the
characters
they
portray
are
real
as
well
as
unreal.
Real,
because
there
do
exist
people
who
look
beyond
physical
relationships
and
who
eventually
become
soul
mates.
It's
unreal
at
the
same
time
because,
in
today's
times,
when
love,
sex
and
dhokha
have
become
a
norm,
characters
like
Snehamoy
and
Miyage
appear
straight
out
of
dreams.
Do
they
belong
to
this
era,
really?
You
may
watch
The
Japanese
Wife
for
varied
reasons.
But
I
recommend
that
you
watch
it
with
someone
you
love.
Snehamoy
[Rahul
Bose]
and
Miyage
[Chigusa
Takaku]
are
pen
friends,
who
exchange
wedding
vows
through
letters.
Yet,
even
after
fifteen
years
of
marriage,
the
two
have
not
met.
It
is
always
a
question
of
not
having
enough
money
or
Miyage's
sick
mother
or
Snehamoy's
mashi's
[Moushumi
Chatterjee]
health.
But
their
physical
absence
in
each
other's
lives
never
comes
in
the
way
of
their
sense
of
belonging
as
a
couple.
A
young
widow,
Sandhya
[Raima
Sen],
comes
to
stay
with
Snehmoy
along
with
her
eight-year-old
son
Paltu.
Sandhya
is
Snehamoy's
mashi's
god-daughter.
With
Sandhya,
Snehamoy
discovers
a
bond
of
domesticity
as
they
gradually
start
sharing
household
chores.
With
Paltu,
Snehamoy
discovers
the
joys
of
fatherhood.
When
Miyage
falls
sick
and
has
to
leave
her
home
to
live
with
her
brother,
Snehamoy
is
frantic
with
worry.
As
days
pass
by
and
Miyage's
health
worsens,
it
becomes
clear
that
Snehamoy
will
need
to
visit
an
oncologist
in
Kolkata
to
get
a
proper
assessment
of
his
wife's
condition.
A
storm
strikes
as
he
makes
his
way
to
the
city
and
he
returns
disheartened
and
severely
drenched.
Far
from
his
wife
and
desperately
worried
over
her
health,
Snehamoy's
life
hangs
by
the
thread
as
he
is
tended
by
Sandhya,
just
as
any
beloved
husband
would
be
by
a
loving
wife.
A
compelling
story
comes
alive
if
the
writing
has
meat
and
the
actors
are
on
the
same
page
as
the
director.
Aparna
successfully
creates
a
world
that's
so
simple
and
relatable.
In
fact,
that's
one
of
the
highpoints
of
the
film.
The
purity
and
simplicity
is
what
wins
you
over.
On
the
flip
side,
the
bond
between
Rahul
and
Paltu
comes
across
well,
but
the
relationship
between
Rahul
and
Raima
isn't
too
convincing.
The
writing
isn't
coherent
during
these
portions.
Also,
the
sub-titles
get
merged
with
the
colours
on
screen
and
aren't
decipherable
at
most
times.
Talking
of
performances,
Rahul
Bose
delivers
a
stellar
performance.
He
portrays
his
character
with
panache.
Chigusa
Takaku
is
equally
convincing,
enacting
her
part
with
restraint.
Raima
doesn't
get
too
many
lines
to
deliver,
but
conveys
a
lot
through
her
eyes.
Moushumi
Chatterjee
is
a
revelation.
She's
exceptional.
On
the
whole,
The
Japanese
Wife
is
an
emotional
journey
that
keeps
you
hooked
for
its
sheer
novel
story.
A
film
for
connoisseurs
of
art
house
cinema
mainly!