Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen

The film follows Aparna Sen as she revisits locations where she filmed 36 Chowringhee Lane, Parama, and Paromitar Ek Din, guided by director Suman Ghosh. Sen discusses her feminist themes and political views, including critiques of right-wing politics in Mr. and Mrs. Iyer.{{Cite news |last=Das |first=Shantunu |title=Suman Ghosh on making a documentary on Aparna Sen: 'We have a habit of celebrating people posthumously' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/suman-ghosh-on-making-a-documentary-on-aparna-sen-we-have-a-habit-of-celebrating-people-posthumously-101735886808609.html |date=2025-01-04 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Hindustan Times |archive-date=2025-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250208121738/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/suman-ghosh-on-making-a-documentary-on-aparna-sen-we-have-a-habit-of-celebrating-people-posthumously-101735886808609.html |url-status=live }} It includes interviews with collaborators and archival footage from her films, highlighting her role as editor of the Bengali magazine Sananda.{{Cite news |last= |title=Aparna Sen-Suman Ghosh Rotterdam 'Parama' Links to Satyajit Ray |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/aparna-sen-suman-ghosh-rotterdam-parama-satyajit-ray-1235885660/ |date=2024-01-29 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Variety |archive-date=2025-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109020120/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/aparna-sen-suman-ghosh-rotterdam-parama-satyajit-ray-1235885660/ |url-status=live }}

• Aparna Sen
• Konkona Sen
• Shabana Azmi
• Rahul Bose
• Anjan Dutt
• Goutam Ghose

Suman Ghosh, a National Award-winning filmmaker, began the project in 2022 after interviewing Sen in Santiniketan, focusing on her career as a director, actor, and journalist. Structured as a “road movie,” it explores themes like feminism in Parama.{{Cite news |last= |title=Suman Ghosh's documentary is a fitting salute to Aparna Sen |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/suman-ghoshs-documentary-is-a-fitting-salute-to-aparna-sen/cid/2076945 |date=2025-01-11 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Telegraph India}} Archival footage for 36 Chowringhee Lane was sourced through negotiations with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).{{Cite news |last=Chatterji |first=Shoma |title=Suman Ghosh's Aparna Sen Docu is a Complete Film With Beautiful Background Score |url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-suman-ghosh-documentary |date=2024-02-18 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=The Quint |archive-date=2024-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223221126/https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-suman-ghosh-documentary |url-status=live }} Shot by Soumik Haldar, edited by Sankha, and scored by Debojyoti Mishra, the film faced distribution challenges but gained screenings due to Sen’s prominence.{{Cite news |last= |title=Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen Documentary, Just Screened at Rotterdam, Traces Her Career Graph |url=https://www.news18.com/movies/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-documentary-just-screened-at-rotterdam-traces-her-career-graph-8762116.html |date=2024-02-03 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=News18}}

The documentary was praised for its portrayal of Aparna Sen. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express called it “a lively portrait of an artiste,” noting its use of location revisits in Kolkata.{{Cite news |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |title=Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen review: A lively portrait of an artiste |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-review-a-lively-portrait-of-an-artiste-9758306/ |date=2025-01-04 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=The Indian Express |archive-date=2025-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123184319/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-review-a-lively-portrait-of-an-artiste-9758306/ |url-status=live }} Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it “essential viewing” for its balanced narrative.{{Cite news |last=Chatterjee |first=Saibal |title=Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen Review: Overdue documentary should be essential viewing, 3.5 stars |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-review-overdue-documentary-should-be-essential-viewing-3-5-stars-4979546 |date=2024-01-27 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=NDTV}} Anandabazar Patrika lauded its exploration of Sen’s personal complexities, questioning her reliance on male companionship.{{Cite news |last= |title=Review of Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen, a documentary on Aparna Sen |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/review-of-parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-a-documentary-on-aparna-sen-dgtl/cid/1572293 |date=2024-01-27 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Anandabazar Patrika |language=Bengali}} Subhash K Jha of Times Now described it as a “fascinating voyage” through Sen’s life and films, praising its intimate storytelling.{{Cite news |last=Jha |first=Subhash K |title=Parama: A Journey With Aparna Sen Takes Us Through Her Life And Films |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/bollywood/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-takes-us-through-her-life-and-films-article-117024644 |date=2025-01-05 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Times Now |archive-date=2025-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120134030/https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/bollywood/parama-a-journey-with-aparna-sen-takes-us-through-her-life-and-films-article-117024644 |url-status=live }}

Screened at festivals in Houston, New York, Vienna, Stuttgart, London, and Kolkata, the film ran at PVR Inox, a rarity for documentaries.{{Cite news |last=Dasgupta |first=Priyanka |title=Aparna Sen documentary 'Parama' receives rave reviews at KIFF |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/aparna-sen-documentary-parama-receives-rave-reviews-at-kiff/articleshow/116052011.cms |date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Times of India |archive-date=2024-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211203623/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/aparna-sen-documentary-parama-receives-rave-reviews-at-kiff/articleshow/116052011.cms |url-status=live }} Ghosh planned an OTT release after the festival circuit.{{Cite news |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |title=Aparna Sen's decades-long journey as a director is focus of documentary Parama |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1062784/aparna-sens-decades-long-journey-as-a-director-is-focus-of-documentary-parama |date=2024-02-03 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Scroll.in |archive-date=2025-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250404164850/https://scroll.in/reel/1062784/aparna-sens-decades-long-journey-as-a-director-is-focus-of-documentary-parama |url-status=live }}

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• {{IMDb title|31416811|Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen}}

Category:2020s Bengali-language films

Category:Indian documentary films

Category:Films directed by Suman Ghosh

Category:Bengali-language Indian films

Category:2024 documentary films