Trikal

1985 film by Shyam Benegal

30 August 1985 (1985-08-30)

Running time

137 minLanguagesHindi, Konkani, Portuguese

Trikal (Past, Present and Future) is a 1985 Indian movie written and directed by Shyam Benegal, set in Goa during the twilight of Portuguese rule, It marked the return of Leela Naidu in her first film appearance since 1969.

The film was selected for the Indian Panorama at Filmotsav 1986, and for the Indian Film Retrospective, Lisbon 1986. It was later invited to the London Film Festival 1986.^[1]

Plot summary

Set in the Portuguese Goa in 1961 shortly before the colony's liberation by the Indian army and shown in the form of flashbacks, Anna Souza-Suarez is unwillingly engaged to a young man named Erasmo when her grandfather Ernesto suddenly dies. The engagement is put on hold indefinitely as Anna's grief stricken grandmother, Dona Maria, the matriarch of the family attempts to hold seances to contact Ernesto with the help of her maid Milagrinia, acting as a medium. However, the seances bring forth the apparitions of various people the family has wronged in the past. Shortly after a visitation by a spirit of an Indian rebel beheaded by Dona Maria's grandfather in a case of mistaken identity. Leon, Anna's lover, a fugitive is hidden in the cellar of the family home. Anna soon discovers the fact she is pregnant by Leon and unsuccessfully tries to hide the fact she had an affair from Erasmo. Ruiz, who had attempted to pursue Anna in the past, begins a secret relationship with Milagrinia who becomes pregnant as well. Anna elopes with Leon to Europe leaving only a letter behind. Milagrinia also marries an older man in an attempt to make sure the child isn't born out of wedlock. After twenty-four years, Ruiz returns to his ancestral home which is now in ruins from years of neglect and ponders his reasons for returning.

The movie ends with Naseeruddin Shah's monologue which actually questions the action of characters within the movie including his. He wonders what brought him back after so many years. Everything fades under layers of time and all that remains is sweet memory.