Josef - Born in Grace

Overview

An adaptation of a short story "Joseph" written by Umakanta Mahapatra and is set in the foothills of the Himalayas between 1960 and 1980 in India. Father O'Hara (Victor Banerjee), a missionary doctor with the help of his caretaker Maularam (Sudarshan Juyal), raises an orphan baby Josef (Hitesh Bisht). While still a young boy, Josef is sent to Dehradun, Uttarakhand, for his studies and vocational training. Josef (Subrat Dutta) returns back with a reputation as a great cook as well as his love for alcohol. The film explores in its unfolding of time, the different paths that Father O'Hara, Josef, and Maularam take in their respective journeys for spiritual fulfillment through memories, duty, and search as well as the their interaction with friends and acquaintances. Through static mis-en-scenes, the narrative of the film reflects the all-encompassing nature of time, pre-empting and repeating itself in allegorical hues.

Susant Misra