FILM REVIEWS

MACHER JHOL – a review If the name “MACHER JHOL’’ or ‘fish curry’ turns you off or if you think that this is going to be another silly Bengali comedy, then you will be in for a surprise. I was. The story is about a successful Bengali master chef, Devdutta Sen (Ritwick Chakraborty), better known as Dev D in Paris who has severed all ties with his home town, Kolkata, enjoying what he does best, cooking and running his own French restaurant. But a call from home about his mother ’s ill health takes him back to his roots, leaving his live-in French girl-friend behind. Coming back to his ancestral home after years, he faces his tyrant of a father who does not welcome him. However, he is in a quandary when his mother in the nursing home wishes to have ‘Macher Jhol’ -- once made by him when he was a boy and didn’t really follow any recipe. With all his newly acquired mastery of the French cuisine he cannot recall how to repeat the same feat of making simple, homemade, Bengali Mache...

THE VICEROY'S HOUSE -- a review A “Bend it” film, Gurinder Chadha’s new epic film "The Viceroy’s House" is another much told tale of the Partition of India -- assembling vintage footage of the communal riots and then recreating the handing over of the country to its countrymen as a benevolent act by the British. The 340-room Viceroy’s House with its impressive architecture is the place where the tragedy of the bloody, massacred nation’s fate is decided and executed, leaving m illions of people traumatized and scarred for life. As the partition takes shape the contents of the Viceroy’s House get divided for the two carved out nations including the kitchenware and library books. But then again this is where the endless streams of refugees find shelter after the blood bath under Lady Edwina Mountbatten's care. The movie generally moves around the theme of the British leaving the country and giving the gift of ‘freedom’ to Indians. However, there is a sub...

MEGHNAD BODH ROHOSHY -- a review Anik Dutta has always surprised us with his penchant for extraordinary themes bordering on fantasy. ‘Meghnad Bodh Rohoshyo’ is certainly a departure from all that fanciful imagination. The story is about the sudden disappearance of a renowned writer, Professor Ashimabho Roy (Sabyaschi Chakraborty) who has made quite a ripple in the literary circle with his science fiction. His second, but very young wife Indrani (Gargee Roy Chowdhury), a famous actress, is suitably alarmed and engages in finding out the truth behind his disappearance with her director friend, Kunal Sen ( Abir Chatterjee). Earlier we were introduced to a team of the couple’s associates at the writer’s book launch and also at his birthday party. Evidently, they all have secret lives that the couple is blissfully unaware of and all seem to be somewhat connected to Ashimabho’s activities as a youth during India’s struggle for independence. During the first half of the movie ...

LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA – a review If you haven't seen 'Lipstick Under my Burkha' then you have probably not seen a movie that is bold in its presentation, unique in its matter and bla`ze about public reactions that it might generate. The movie is about the journey of four spunky women in the congested back lanes of Bhopal who dare to dream and rebel, that too in a claustrophobic mansion, ‘Hawai Mahal’, given out to poverty-stricken tenants. Like the name of the building  itself, their dreams too remain elusive and dim. Yet they chase a fantasy of their own, conspicuously in a trance. Lily (Ahana Kumra), a beautician by profession, doesn't believe in arranged marriages. Rehana (Plabita Borthakur), a Freshman in college, chooses to do away with the Burkha and Shirin Aslam (Konkana Sen Sharma), hates to endure domestic rape day in and day out. Even a loving, middle-aged, but bossy Usha, (Ratna Pathak) wants to break away from her elderly ‘Buaji’ image an...

A Death in the Gunj – a review By – Dola Dutta Roy With an Agatha Christie-like title, ‘A Death in the Gunj’ seems almost like a period drama cast in a shade that reeks of gloom and suspense. Set in a far flung county hovering between Bengal and Bihar, the movie begins with the disposing of a decomposing body by some young men in the winding roads of the jungles in Bihar. From there the camera moves back a few days to capture the events that led to the mystery of the dead body.  Those who have been through the 70s and 80s could get a glimpse of an era of bonhomie with a bunch of boisterous young men with long hair sporting sideburns wearing bell-bottoms, and women, zany and quite ‘bindaz’. They are driving down to McCluskiegunj to spend a few days with an old couple, O.P. (Om Puri) and Anupama (Tanuja) to bring in the New Year. McCluskiegunj is an idyllic spot, a place where time stands still and life begins only after dark to the beat of tribal drums and foot-tappings of...

BISHORJON -- a Review By – Dola Dutta Roy I have always liked Kaushik Ganguly ‘s films that are not only visually pleasing but thematically intriguing. His general preoccupation with the human psyche, men-women, to be precise, and the conflict that underlies their physical attractions has often given his viewers a jolt. Offbeat themes as seen in” Shunyo e Bukey” or “Arekti Premer Golpo” or even “Chotoder Chobi” where he delves into the turmoil of secrets kept away from socie ty and the intricacies that color human relationships and astound us. Of course, he has also explored the differences between generations as we saw in ‘Cinemawala’ or ‘Apur Panchali’; each, one of a kind. However, “BISHORJON” is perhaps the most lyrical portrayal of conflicts that spread over cultural and geographical boundaries. It is about the love that gingerly explodes between a Hindu widow, Podda (Jaya Ahsan) and a man from India, Naser (AbirChatterjee) who is washed ashore on the banks of the Ichamoti...

DURGA SAHAY –a review By – Dola Dutta Roy Of some of the Tollywood movie-makers that have made a place for themselves in the industry, Arindam Sil is one. Presenting the maladies of contemporary society, and his repertoire of Bomkesh thrillers, he has given us some neat movies free of frills and froth. Discerning, urban Bengali movie-goers have accepted most of his stories with satisfaction. It appears that “ Durga Sohay ” has also not disappointed them. A family saga, the story is about a wealthy, ‘bonedi’ Basaki family -- that owns a long running Jewellery Shop -- preparing for their traditional Durga Puja in their old mansion. The family is happy to bring back the patriarch, (Sumanta Mukherji), home from the nursing home after a heart attack. Now they need an attendant-ayah to take care of him. So ‘Dugga’ (Shohini Sarkar), arrives and wins the heart of some with her sob story and also as a care-giver, especially the old man, the younger daughter-in-law, Manshi (Tanushree ...

POSTO – a review BY Dola Dutta Roy Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee are no new names in the Bengali movie industry today. The journey for them making movies of substance has been long and arduous at times. But with the startling success of Ichche and Muktodhara in 2012 --followed, in quick succession, by hits with Alik Shukh, Ramdhonu, Bela Sheshe and Prakton, the duo have created ripples in the genre of new wave movies by treading cautiously on the line between offbeat cinema and mainstream fares. Today they are proud partners of a production company – Windows Productions. The title 'Posto' evokes the taste of relishing the delicious poppy seeds so loved by most Bengalis in their food and the audience is, perhaps, half-expecting a movie drawn in a comic vein. At least, I was. But it is far from a comedy of any sort. This is not the story of any culinary feat. It is simply the story of a seven-year old child who is loved enormously by his grandparents who wouldn’...

SONATA – A Review By – Dola Dutta Roy Saw SONATA by Aparna Sen last evening. While I watched the film I couldn't decide whether I was enjoying it or not. I gave myself the opportunity to cling to the classic theory of 'willing suspension of disbelief'. But when I came out of the hall, I was definite it didn't touch me at all. Adaptation of a chamber play, Ms Sen, I think, made a hash of it. The set was beautiful, the actors were gorgeous and competent, the theme was contemporary but then there it ended. What went wrong then? What went wrong, in my opinion, was the sham of it all. None of the actors could do justice to the roles they played. The dialogue seemed sterile and stifling. It was stilted; the put on accent to sound regional in delivery almost gave you an ear-ache. Ms Sen's appearance, body language, behavior and speech were unconvincing. She looked positively stiff in her role as Aruna Chaturvedi, a middle class scholar and writer, who chose to...