Jaatishwar 2014

Rohit falls for Mahamaya and accepts her Bengali song challenge

In the present timeline, Rohit Mehta, a Gujarati-born man in Calcutta, falls in love with Mahamaya Bandopadhyay. She tests him by demanding a Bengali song with perfect lyrics and no accent, as a condition for considering a relationship. He agrees and leaves for Portugal to study colonial history, hoping to master Bengali and win her heart.

Two years later in Portugal, Rohit's Bengali improves and he starts a dissertation

Two years pass in Portugal. Mahamaya is now a radio jockey while Rohit continues living abroad, and his Bengali improves with Bodhi's help. He chooses a music course and decides to write a dissertation on the 19th-century folk poet Anthony Firingee, traveling between Calcutta and Chandannagar as part of his research.

Rohit meets Kushal Hajra, the self-proclaimed reincarnation

Back in Calcutta, Rohit meets Kushal Hajra, who claims to be the reincarnation of Anthony. Kushal's visions haunt him daily, threatening his present life. Rohit promises to take Kushal to Calcutta for treatment if Kushal shares Anthony's life history.

Anthony's 19th-century beginnings in Calcutta

The story shifts to the 19th century as Anthony captivates villagers with his musical talent in Calcutta. He saves Soudamini, a young Bengali widow, from sati and marries her, while pursuing mastery of Bengali through Hindu scriptures and folk songs.

Anthony forms a kaviyaal troupe and faces rivals

Anthony learns Bengali poetry and forms his own kaviyaal group. He defeats Joggeshwari, the first female kaviyaal, and goes on to compete with notable poets like Ram Basu and Thakur Singha.

Kushal undergoes psychiatric evaluation in present timeline

Back in the present, Kushal is taken to a psychiatrist, who explains that completing Anthony's life work might quiet the visions. Kushal's visions intensify as he confronts visions from the past while Rohit plans his musical path.

Bandemonium plan forms and Rohit prepares for a Bengali performance

Rohit discovers a way to sing his Bengali composition in front of Mahamaya as Bandemonium—a cross-border competition between West Bengal and Bangladesh—approaches. Bodhi returns to Calcutta with Sidhu to assemble musicians for the show.

Anthony's last kavigaan and the Durga Puja tragedy

Kushal reveals Anthony's final kavigaan, during which the widower planned to perform a Durga Puja alone. The villagers, who see him as a firingee (foreigner), oppose him, forcing him to travel to Calcutta for another kavigaan against Bhola Moira, which he wins despite the opposition.

Bandemonium day; Rohit performs and flashes back to the past

Bandemonium arrives and Rohit takes the stage to perform his Bengali song 'E Tumi Kemon Tumi' while Mahamaya watches with tears. The performance triggers a flashback to Anthony's 19th-century life, including triumphs and losses.

Anthony's return, tragedy, and Soudamini's death

In the flashback, Anthony returns victorious, only to find his home burned and Soudamini dead. He digs graves for his wife and then for himself, his faith shattered by the tragedy and isolation of his life.

Kushal meets Mahamaya and then vanishes

During the show, Bodhi brings Kushal to the auditorium to see Rohit's performance. Kushal meets Mahamaya briefly and leaves abruptly, his visions growing stronger in her presence.

Rohit and Mahamaya confess love; Kushal is missing

After the performance, Rohit and Mahamaya profess their love backstage. Kushal goes missing, and Rohit and Mahamaya rush to Kushal's house in Chandannagar, where they find him delirious and attacking Rohit amid his worsening visions.

Kushal's final act and the end of visions

Kushal, now seemingly beyond cure, recounts Anthony's life and finally apologizes to Soudamini in memory of his lost love. The visions gradually fade, and Kushal is left at peace as the present timeline moves forward.

Reincarnation twist and ending cue

The film reveals that Mahamaya is the reincarnation of Soudamini, though she remembers nothing of her past life. Rohit and Mahamaya's romance remains complex as Kushal's visions come to a close and the two timelines converge through memory and music.