Ruchira reviews the 2015 Bengali film Happy Birthday for DifferentTruths.com, exploring a privileged child’s eye-opening journey through Kolkata’s gritty underbelly.

I couldn’t control my tears while watching this film, which I casually found on the OTT platform. Little did I know what was to follow.

I am referring to the 2015 Bengali film Happy Birthday, directed by Raaj Chatterji. This movie, which has remained relatively low-profile, truly awakens you from stupor and somnolence. Within the gamut of an entire day, the story vividly exposes the seamier sides of urban life; the viewers get a close-up look at the underbelly of the bustling megapolis Kolkata: abject poverty, filth and hunger lurk therein, and yet hope, friendship, music, love and mercy sprout – though fragile and transitory to the core. Jhulan (Samriddha Pal) is the only child of an affluent family residing in an upscale locality in Kolkata. Since his parents, both corporate professionals, are overambitious and workaholics, he lives under the tender care of a loving and devoted governess, Papia (Dolon Ray). In fact, Jhulan is far more attached to Papia than to his parents.

The narrative opens a few hours before the boy’s birthday: The father is shown ready to take a flight to a conference in New Delhi, while Mom, Bidisha (Locket Chatterjee), has her nose buried in work. As a small compensation (?), the father, Sayak (Badsha Moitra), creeps into his son’s bedroom at night (the boy pretending to be fast asleep) and places a high-tech, remote-controlled toy aeroplane by his side.

The following day (read birthday), while Papia is busy with her chores and the parents are away from home, Jhulan quietly tiptoes out of his splendid mansion. While wandering through the alleys, lanes, and bylanes, he encounters a baul (singing minstrel) followed by a blind man with a young boy in tow, who sings for alms. Further on, he bumps into a handful of street urchins—dirty, clad in rags and unkempt—who have fun and frolic in their own way. Jhulan is dumbstruck and horrified as he watches the same kids happily eating their noon-bhaat (salted plain rice). During the rest of the day, Jhulan aimlessly follows the blind man and the boy from one locality to another.

Climbing in and out of buses and trams, we see the trio finally landing in the vicinity of Princep and Outram Ghats, favourite tourist spots for the local crowds. Since he has been here before, Jhulan feels comfortable and sinks into a blissful slumber on a bench nearby.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, chaos ensues: Papia, having discovered the escape, dashes through the nearby neighbourhoods, hoping to spot her ward. But in vain. She summons the family’s chauffeur, who, in turn, alerts his employer (mistress). A hysterical Bidisha, with Papia in tandem and the chauffeur at the wheel, launches a more intensive search besides lodging an FIR at the local police station. With her father’s important connections, she successfully alerts the major police stations in the city.

Upon being informed, Sayak air-dashes back to Kolkata to join the frenzied hunt. Finally, as twilight approaches, the fugitive is traced by the riverside, still sleeping. Tears and emotional scenes later, the family of four are shown happily dining in a posh restaurant. Jhulan suddenly remembers the starving kids he saw earlier in the day and persuades his parents to sponsor dinner for them. The couple is only too happy to comply. Still later that night on their way back home, Bidisha takes a momentous decision: to quit her high-profile, lucrative job and instead rear her son with loving care – an area where she has miserably failed all these years. The birthday boy is ecstatic and overwhelmed by how his eighth birthday has turned out to be the best one ever!

Picture from Zee

Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh

Born in Guwahati and raised across Delhi and Punjab, Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh is an alumna of Sacred Heart Convent, Ludhiana. She holds a master’s degree in English literature from Punjab University, Chandigarh, and a postgraduate diploma in Journalism. With nearly 25 years of experience in print, web, and television media, she has carved a niche as a feature writer. Her writing focuses on women’s issues, food, travel, and literature, reflecting both versatility and depth.