Today marks the birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen . He was born on May 14, 1923, in Faridpur. Even though he is no longer with us, his cinema remains incredibly relevant.
His films act as mirrors of our modern lives. They capture the anxiety and exhaustion many of us feel in our jobs today. In his films, he watched the frustration of joblessness in our society. After so many years have passed, the situation has not changed. Still, we deal with unemployment. However, those who have jobs are not happy either. They are frustrated, exhausted and burned out.
In his famous film Interview, Sen depicted the struggles of a young man. The man needed a suit to get a job. He ran across the city to find one. He faced many obstacles along the way. This story is very similar to our lives today.
We also run behind 'suits.' We spend our energy on LinkedIn profiles and online networking. We try to fit into the corporate mould to survive.
The suit in the film symbolised colonial hang-ups and social pressure. Today, that pressure has only increased with the digital age: the Calcutta Trilogy and Modern Burnout.
The Calcutta Trilogy—consisting of Interview, Calcutta 71, and Padatik captured the social and political turmoil of its time.
It showed youth unrest and unemployment. These themes have not disappeared. Today, many jobholders in cities like Dhaka face high levels of burnout.
We are constantly connected to work through our devices. We struggle with long working hours and the fear of losing our position.
The characters in Mrinal Sen's films were fighting against a system that ignored their basic humanity. We are fighting a similar battle today, where productivity is valued more than our mental health.
Why Mrinal Sen matters today
Sen was not just a storyteller. He was a social critic. He used his camera to question the status quo.
He broke the fourth wall to talk directly to the audience. He did not want us to watch a film. He wanted us to think and act. His films revealed the cracks in our society. He showed how the middle class often stays quiet to protect their comfort.
That silence is still a major problem in our workplaces today. We are often afraid to speak against unfair rules. We prefer to stay silent to keep our jobs.
What would he create today if Mrinal Sen were alive today?
He would likely focus on our digital isolation. He would probably film the lives of remote workers trapped in their rooms. He might explore how social media feeds our insecurities.
He would show the irony of being connected to the whole world but feeling completely lonely. He would surely target the modern obsession with hustle culture.
He would ask why we sacrifice our joy for corporate success. He would challenge us to look at the machines that control our time.
We should use his perspective to reclaim our lives from the burnout of the modern machine. He would want us to be more than just employees. He would want us to be human beings who dare to question the world.
