Amitabh Roy (Soumitra Chatterjee) is a scriptwriter who is on a journey to find inspiration for his work. His car breaks down in a small town and Bimal Gupta (Haradhan Bandopadhyay), a tea-estate manager, offers him room and board for the night. Upon reaching Gupta’s lavish tea-estate bungalow, Amitabh meets Karuna (Madhabi Mukherjee), his old lover who is now Gupta’s wife.
Ray’s brilliance is shown in the encounters between Amitabh and Karuna at Gupta’s bungalow -- Amitabh, nervously and guiltily, approaches Karuna and tries to talk to her when Bimal is not around. The scenes never seem dramatic or stealthy -- but are just the right portrayal of how a man might look for opportune moments to talk to an old lover.
Karuna is cold and mysterious to Amitabh. She answers his questions in a sardonic and snide way that confuses him even more. It is also quite clear, that her wounds have not healed.
Amitabh was a struggling student with artistic aspirations who lived in a teen kona ghor in Kolkata. Karuna comes to him one day and tells him that her uncle is moving to Patna and taking her with him. Amitabh knew how Karuna’s uncle never approved of their relationship.
She tells Amitabh that her uncle must have taken the transfer so that he has better control over her and can separate her from Amitabh. She seemed adamant to not let anyone else decide her fate. She said that she will take a job and quit art school. She had her graduate degree- so life should not be so hard.
Amitabh tells her that Kolkata is a “ruthless city.” He says that he understands that she wants to marry him and not go back to her uncle, but emphasises the extent of such a decision. She was accustomed to the comforts of life and Amitabh was only making ends meet and living in a hostel. She was going to leave for Patna in three days but Amitabh asked her to give him some time to think about it.
Karuna replies : “Tomar ashole jetar obhaab, sheta toh shomoy na. Onno kichu.”
Amitabh is the title’s coward. But is wanting to contemplate upon a major decision a sign of cowardice?
Amitabh was young and marriage is a big step. He wanted some time to come up with a solution which may or may not be marriage. He was not indifferent to Karuna’s plight and wanted to be close to her too. He was only being practical. But is left to feel like a coward for all his life.
Karuna was being separated from her lover against her will and of course, she turned to him for shelter and protection. But upon hearing Amitabh’s reasoning, Karuna could have also tried to find other solutions. She could have stayed with a friend or relative while her uncle moved to Patna. That would be less of a rebellion than eloping, and the two of them could still be in the same city.
Amitabh was not a coward. But the look of guilt never quite fades from his face. Especially in the scenes with Karuna. All he wanted to know was if Karuna was happy. He asks her but fails to get a clear answer. He manages to slip her a note that he will wait for her shesh muhurto porjonto.
The movie ends at the train station. Amitabh is waiting for the train. Waiting also for Karuna and deliverance from feeling like a coward. Karuna does come.
She asks him for the sleeping pills that he had borrowed. Takes the bottle and leaves.
Amitabh is left guilty. Karuna -- sleepless.
