Kapudul: Restoring faith in humanity amidst negativity

OdishaPlus Bureau

In a world where humanity has come down on its knees, where conflict tears minds, hearts and souls, betrayal and hopelessness stream through the space and mental wellbeing wades through the air, Deepa Mahanti’s Kapudul is an effort to bring out the shadowed in light. Kapudul literally translates to the name of a rare flower that blooms once a year, but when it does it leaves behind its aroma for ages. Just as its charm, the story of Deepa Mahanti’s real life story on Subhra Mukherjee’s life brings the essence of lost humanity to the upfront.

Subhra (protagonist) has had a very tragic accident that puts humanity to shame. She screams, she shouts, but all in vain. Her body and soul were crying for silence. Her pain was unbearable. No one came to her help. Once a beautiful lady, Subhra now feared to look into the mirrors. She cried again when nurses dressed her newly formed skin twice every day. The burnt marks on her body made her hate her existence. But Subhra was no ordinary lady. The scars on her body ignited the fire in her soul. She stood back up. And that’s how the story progresses.

Kupudal brings out the taboo issue of social justice to the common masses. The initiative reminds us to accept the delve beyond and find the real purpose. Life’s betrayal and painful journey that follows in overcoming the scars has been beautifully depicted in the documentary. A perfect rendezvous of equity and inclusion from Canada where different terrains meet for a common purpose- to restore faith in humanity. Humanity being the ethos and solidarity- the goal. Beneath the surface lies a shimmering soul – that surfaces to brighten and lighten the path of the individual. The movie deals with real identity of women. It is a true validation to self. The movie is a mindset that screams that beauty is not on the outside, rather it grows inside out.

Deepa Mahanti said, “I must thank Subhra Mukherjee for sharing her story unconditionally for a bigger purpose of self and community. And to have faith on me that I could bring it on the visuals of a cinema to the world.” The documentary was scheduled for a world premiere on March 15, 2020 but plans were cancelled owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It took less than 2 weeks to complete the shooting of the documentary.