Nirbaak

Anjan Dutt wakes up on his birthday, a day that foreshadows the fragmentation of his mind. He moves between imagined roles—husband, partner, and writer to his deceased mother—reflecting his split personalities. The opening scenes establish his schizophrenic condition and the theater of his inner life.

Sushmita Sen appears in the park, a real visitor who shares her own grief with the solitary man. Their conversation is largely inaudible to the audience, underscoring the disconnect in Anjan's perception. He listens but does not fully engage, leaving the moment charged with unspoken emotion.

In a succinct, almost clinical moment, Anjan utters only 'Love Yourself' and brushes past her. The statement reflects his internal philosophy and detachment from ordinary connection. He then leaves, retreating into his own world.

Later in the day, Anjan goes to a restaurant and cuts his birthday cake alone. He eats it with exaggerated devotion, spreading the cream across his face as if his imaginary partner were present. The scene underscores his ability to perform affection only within his internal script.

Back home, he is shown drunk after spending the day outside. In a moment of private ritual, he simulates intimacy with an imagined partner, even as the world around him remains hollow. The sequence emphasizes the depth of his alienation.

On the next day, Anjan slips in the bathtub and sustains a severe head injury, a turning point in his fragile condition. He is found and taken to the hospital, his mind perhaps slipping further into its fractured realities. The accident precipitates a medical crisis that frames the forthcoming narrative.

In Lust arc, Sushmita lives in Calcutta and visits the park where the tree becomes the focal point. The tree, personified, is presented as an object of desire and influence in her life. The dynamic is stylized and fantastical, reframing romantic longing as a landscape of nature’s own longing.

The tree dreams of Sushmita, appearing as a dancing woman and, at times, a dominant mistress. Its branch, shaped like a penis, becomes a visual metaphor for the tree's arousal, and juice leaks from it during the dream. The sequence blends surreal imagery with Sushmita's presence.

Jisshu arrives and they discuss whether she should stay with him. Each intersection is sidestepped by the tree's distracting influence, allowing Sushmita to reaffirm her commitment to the relationship. By the end of the night, she chooses to live with Jisshu.

That night, a cyclone hits Kolkata, turning the city into a blurred tableau. The tree’s branches break and scatter by morning, a stark visual metaphor for disruption. Sushmita’s evolving life remains in motion amid the storm.

When Sushmita returns to Jisshu's flat in an unnamed city, the female dog Bingi harbors jealousy and turns violent against her. Jisshu restrains the dog after learning of the attack. The attack foreshadows the unraveling of their relationship.

Jisshu and Sushmita resolve to leave Bingi with his mother, a fragile attempt at maintaining peace. The dog’s presence lingers as a symbol of her attachment and the couple's struggle. They drive away with a sense of unresolved danger.

While driving to the mother's place, Bingi attempts to flee, triggering a car accident. Sushmita dies in the crash and Jisshu falls into a coma, leaving Bingi unscathed. The tragedy marks a brutal point in the narrative, severing the living from the dead. The event cements the fateful turn that follows.

Ritwick Chakraborty, a morgue caretaker, nurtures a dangerous obsession with the dead Sushmita. He dreams of a life with her, projecting his longing onto the corpse. His fixation intensifies as the story circles around mortality.

Goons confront the morgue as Ritwick is beaten to death by those enforcing control over the dead. Ritwick’s death is contrasted with Sushmita's body being carried out for removal, visually expressing the separation of the two corpses. The film closes on a chilling note that love and life persist in strange, fractured forms.