Kaalbela

Animesh Mitra arrives in Calcutta from Jalpaiguri in 1967 to enroll at the Scottish Church College, hoping for a new start amid a charged political atmosphere. He plans to take refuge with his father's friend Debabrata, setting the stage for what follows. The move marks the first step in a long, demanding journey through friendship, injury, and awakening.

On the day he is supposed to stay with Debabrata, Animesh is accidentally shot in the limb, forcing him into Calcutta Medical College. The injury derails his initial plans and begins a painful period of recovery. This incident binds his fate to the city’s hospitals and the people around him.

During his recovery, Animesh forms a deep friendship with Debabrata’s daughter Neela. Her support and companionship help him navigate the turbulence outside and begin to see a future beyond personal pain. Their bond will influence his choices in the years ahead.

After healing, Animesh enrolls in the BA Bengali Literature classes at Scottish Church College. He immerses himself in intellectual debates and student life that expose him to the era’s political unrest. The college becomes a hotbed for new ideas and potential loyalties.

Although he tries to stay away from politics, Animesh is drawn into revolutionary circles under Ramen and Subhash Sen. They mentor him into communist theory and activism, shaping his early political identity. This period plants the seeds of his later radical path.

A year into his involvement, Animesh sees the BP SF deviating from its egalitarian ideals. He grows wary of the party’s methods and begins questioning its practical aims. This disillusionment pushes him to seek a purer, more uncompromising form of struggle.

In line with Subhash Sen and fellow thinkers, Animesh redefines himself as a hardcore Naxalite. He becomes active in the movement, moving through the interiors of northern West Bengal to push for rapid social upheaval. The personal cost of radicalism becomes increasingly clear.

Animesh’s dedication to the cause clashes with his relationship with Madhabilata, a friend of Neela. She initially opposes his methods but promises not to block his mission. Madhabilata becomes pregnant out of wedlock as Animesh abandons her to pursue the movement.

Animesh’s roommate Tridip, a restless poet, follows him with a dreamy vision of a noncompartmentalized nation. Their camaraderie highlights the romantic, idealistic side of the movement even as violence looms. Tridip’s dream contrasts with the harsh realities of their actions.

The movement is brutally crushed by state action. Subhash Sen and other leaders are killed by the Congress police, and Tridip is shot dead. Women arrested for spreading Naxalite ideas are raped, and Animesh is tortured to the point of paralysis, leaving him crippled below the hips. The violence shatters the movement and alters many lives forever.

Madhabilata gives birth to Arka, and Neela stands by Madhabilata’s side like a wall, despite her husband’s refusal to help. The personal toll of the political struggle is stark as families bear the scars of the era. Hope persists amid hardship.

In 1977 the Left Front Government releases political prisoners. Animesh is freed after meeting minister Sudip, who was his ally during his Calcutta University days. He returns to a slum with his wife and son and, though scarred, embraces a renewed sense of purpose and a new ideology.