TARA THE LOST STAR

MEENA KUMARI RAWAT

FILM REVIEW

TARA THE LOST STAR

Tara The Lost Star is a mesmeric blend of love story and mythology ranks among the best cinema in North east region of India.

The director, Samten Bhutia, brings an original tale rooted in northeast Indian culture and mythology that surely ranks among the best efforts by an Indian filmmaker in recent times and it has earned endorsements from people far more accomplished in the world of cinema.

The beautiful amalgamation of action, faith, and mythology in this powerful film ranks among the best efforts by any northeast Indian filmmaker in recent times.  lot has been said about how Indian cinema is losing touch with its roots and not finding original stories from the heartland. This land, being so diverse and vast, is a treasure trove of stories.

Bhutia shows just what is possible when a good storyteller decides to tell an original tale rooted in the land and its culture, while bringing with himself the expertise and technical finesse of good filmmaking. At the heart of it, Tara is the story of small girl vs. rituals, society/people vs. rituals of villagers, and the old ritual vs. modern practices. But it is so much more as it weaves elements from Northeast culture and mythology in the story so seamlessly and fluidly.

The movie takes a story seen very often in our daily lives and introduces some unique local flavour, rooting it to Northeast culture, making it stand out from among other such tales. Then comes the real cherry on top of this beautiful cake- the breathtakingly scenic beautiful cinematography of  Sikkim. The way lens has brought alive the scenic beauty of Sikkim (Gnathang valley) is a lesson for storytellers. The choice to use location in some scenes depicting the beauty of Sikkim was a bold one and it pays off quite well. The score brings out the myths, culture, and feel of the small girl where Tara is set, taking you into the heart of the story so easily that you forget you are sitting in a movie theatre in another part of the country.

It is an important film because its success will determine if other filmmakers across India will dare to tell original stories of Northeast India and the actors and casts brings so much intensity into the scenes that it’s a treat to watch.