Bengali Classic Comedies of all times (10+1list)

Best Bengali Classic Comedies of all times

written by Souranath Banerjee.

Bengali Classic Comedies of all times: Bengali Cinema has a long history of making comedy films which perfectly defined the term ‘family entertainment’. We Bengali’s love to laugh out loud and the Bengali-Classic-Comedies-of-all-timesclassic Bengali comedies have given us the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Even Satyajit Ray has made films like the Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne series and Paras-Pathar which essentially falls in the comic genre.

Here i have listed some of the Best Bengali Classic Comedies of all times; films that are enjoyed by all generations and which are also responsible to make our childhood a bit more merrier.

And the laugh riot starts now!

1. Sharey Chuattar (1953)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZuhgll3MWc

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Imagine the chaos when a beautiful girl arrives in hostel full of bachelors!

Directed by Nirmal Dey, casting the most romantic pair of Bengali Film History – Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen at their best. And an even better chemistry between Tulsi Chakraborty and Molina Devi.

Also accompanied by Bhanu BannerjeeJahar Roy and Nabadwip Halder – a laugh riot indeed. 

2. Lukochuri (1958)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwYHUwcb9jw

Bengali-Classic-Comedies-of-all-times

Kamal Majumdar directed comedy, a unique film both in style and execution.

Twin brothers and the hilarious twin-related misunderstandings. Kishore Kumar proves to be the king of comedy. 

Casting Mala SinhaAnita Guha, supported by Anoop KumarKeshto MukherjeeNripati Chatterjee and Rajyalakshmi. And some great songs! 

3. Jomalaye Jibanta Manush (1958)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH-oh8Kv3es

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Directed by Prafulla Chakraborty, the film at a first glance is a comic love story with an innovative plot and hilarious dialogues. But if one looks carefully the film is actually a satire, a sarcastic take on the-then society. 

Bhanu Bannerjee at his best – teaching the ‘hum hum gudi gudi’ dance to the all the Apsaras in Heaven!

4. Galpa Holeo Satyi (1966)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ5CJ5rU-1M

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Robi Ghosh in the lead role (my personal favorite) as the God send helping hand who knits a joint family together with his clever wits.  

Probably the best written story among this list – written and directed by Tapan Sinha.

Remade in Bollywood as the Rajesh Khanna starer Bawarchi (1972) directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

5. 80 te Asio Na (1967)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wAOeP9Cmy4

Bengali-Classic-Comedies-of-all-timesThe eternal fantasy of the fountain of youth; a neglected old man takes a dip in it and becomes young!

Bhanu Bannerjee takes the lead followed by Jahar RoyRobi GhoshRuma Guha ThakurtaTarun Kumar and Asitbaran.

Directed by Sree Jayadratha, a fun satire on human nature and society.

6. Chhadmabeshi (1971)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ8qB0UnkfU

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Directed by Agradoot, story by Upendranath Ganguly – this one is a gem of a Bengali comedy.

Uttam Kumar disguised as the driver to fool Madhabi Mukherjee‘s uncle Bikash Roy! Also starring Subhendu ChatterjeeJahar RoyTarun Kumar among others.

Was remade by Hrishikesh Mukherjee in Hindi titled Chupke Chupke (1975) staring DharmendraSharmila TagoreAmitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri.

7. Dhanyee Meye (1971)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFBuaBY-yY

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And finally a RomCom that includes Bengali’s favorite sport – Football!

Uttam Kumar and Sabitri Chatterjee has an awesome chemistry in this film. Jaya Bhaduri plays the tomboyish young girl, along with a formidable comic lineup Jahar RoyRobi GhoshTarun Kumar and Partho Mukerjee.

Directed by Arabinda Mukhopadhyay, a film very close to my heart. Awesome songs in the voices of Hemanta MukherjeeManna Dey and Aarti Mukherjee.

8. Bibaha Bibhrat (1971)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tssr-jEyBt8

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Directed by Ashim Bannerjee this one is the story of a boy who gets in trouble after his sudden marriage decision. 

When Anup Kumar and Robi Ghosh get together the comic timing can’t be better. Utpal Dutt plays the angry father and Lily Chakravarty the young bride.  A film that guarantees both laughter and nostalgia. 

9. Sriman Prithviraj (1973)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1pb5iMWiDU

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Original story by Bibhutibhusan Mukhopadhyay, written and directed by Tarun MajumdarThis Bengali film takes a comic take on child marriage.

A hilarious tale of Ayan Banerjee the young husband who is the follower of ‘Prithiraj’ and his even younger wife Mahua Roy ChowdhurySandhya Roy also plays an important role.

10. Basanata Bilap (1973)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMI7Nk5OwuI

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A contest of wit between a gang of four young girls and boys, a rivalry that of course soon leads to romance.

Directed by Dinen Gupta, this one has some of the best comic sequences ever!

Staring Soumitra Chatterjee, Aparna SenRobi GhoshAnup KumarChinmoy Roy among others.  

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. Charmurti (1978)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIfygFlt_JI

Bengali-Classic-Comedies-of-all-times

From the novel written by Narayan Gangopadhyay, directed by Umanath Bhattacharya this film is the story of the adventurous four from a place called Potoldanga – TeniDa, Pyalaram, Habul Sen and Kyabla.

Chinmoy Roy leading as TeniDa, we also have Santosh DuttaSatya Banerjee and Robi Ghosh to make the adventure more entertaining.

And now a few other honorable mentions which are not included in the above list: Bancharamer Bagan (1980), Mouchak (1974), Dadar Kirti (1980), Personal Assistant (1959) among many others.

Similar Interest: Best Bengali Films 2012 – 2014

Similar Interest: Best Bengali Films 2015 – 2016

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015)

Tanu Weds Manu Returns review.

My Ratings: 3.8/5. (i hope i don’t have to change my ratings in the future).

Whenever a sequel comes up of some successful RomCom, invariably it proves to be unworthy of it’s preceder. But Tanu Weds Manu Returns is probably the exception that proves this rule!

Tanu Weds Manu Returns may be not as subtle or emotional as Tanu Weds Manu (2011) but when it comes to pure entertainment it’s spot on target. 

tanu-weds-manu-returns-poster3And this time it’s an all and all show for Kangana Ranaut. With a double role (playing the sexy Tanu and the tomboyish Datto) Kangana Ranaut yet again shows that she is currently THE best actress in Bollywood. Extraordinary performance – her body language, her accent and the matured way she handles two completely different characters is highly creditable. 

Madhavan (Manu), though eclipsed by Kangana’s brilliance still holds the ground as an actor and plays an important part in balancing out the overall madness. 

Jimmy Shergill (marriage isn’t everybody’s game after all), Eijaz Khan (the Sardar in Dandiya custume), Swara Bhaskar (the best friend with a secret), Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (the lawyer lover-boy) and Rajesh Sharma (the savior Uncle) – all perfectly fits into their characters.

But Deepak Dobriyal needs a special mention. His over-enthusiastic and hilarious performance adds an unique comic flavor to the film. 

tanu-weds-manu-returns-poster1Decent cinematography by Chirantan Das and the credit for the music goes to Krsna Solo and Rdb; specially the chartbuster song ‘Banno tera Swagger’ is definitely a dance number.

Even the beautiful song ‘Ja Ja Ja Ja Bewafa’ sung by Geeta Dutt in 1954 in the film Aar Paar is played in the background – nicely used for emotional effect.

Directed by Aanand Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma Tanu Weds Manu Returns guarantees a smile on the audiences face as they leave the theaters. And believe me that’s a huge achievement. 

Cheeky dialogues, hilarious situations, peppy songs and brilliant acting; no wonder Tanu Weds Manu Returns is this year’s most successful Bollywood film till date.

Sven Nykvist – the greatest cinematographer of all time?

Sven Nykvist – the greatest cinematographer of all time?

written by Souranath Banerjee.

Winner of two Oscar awards, a career spanning over half a century, orchestrated over 120 films, being Ingmar Bergman‘s favorite cinematographer for more than three decades and also collaborated with other renowned film-makers including Andrei Tarkovsky, Philip Kaufman, Woody Allen, Bob RafelsonRichard Attenborough, Lasse HallströmRoman Polanski and Louis Malle – if anybody is eligible for the title of ‘Best cinematographer of all time’ then i am sure the Swedish genius Sven Vilhem Nykvist will be given the very first preference.

Sven Nykvist shot images which where simple yet profound, most natural yet meaningful and significant.

A brilliant camera operator and also the ‘master of light’ – he preferred to use more of natural light or soft bounce lighting and favored geometrically precise shot compositions. 

In his own words “When you are operating the camera, you forget all about the other people around you. You just see this little scene and you live in that and you feel it. For me, operating the camera is a sport and it helps me do better lighting. I prefer to shoot on location because in the studio you have too many possibilities, too many lights to destroy your whole picture.”

He was nominated thrice for the Oscars – in 1973 for Cries & Whispers, in 1983 for Fanny and Alexander and also in 1989 for The Unbearable Lightness of Being. He won the award in the first two occasions.   

His simple imagery speaks volumes and creates such depths and intensity.

He also won a special prize ‘Best Artistic Contribution’ at the Cannes Film Festival for the film The Sacrifice (1986) which was also the last film made by the famous Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky.

By the way Sven Nykvist also directed five feature films out of which his last film Oxen (1991) was nominated at the Oscars in the ‘Best foreign Language Film’ category from Sweden that year. 

The greatest cinematographer of all time – yes probably so but more importantly Sven Nykvist’s talent, his mastery on lights and camera, his authority on capturing beauty and his high professional ethics will always be considered as legendary.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max Fury Road review.

My Ratings: 4.1/5.

Mad Max: Fury Road announces the return of director George Miller with his fourth film of the ‘Mad Max’ franchise. And what a come back!

mad-max-poster2A two hours non-stop action extravaganza, a roller coaster ride of brutal excitement, insane adrenaline rush and high-octane drama.

Mad Max: Fury Road is set in a post-apocalyptic world where ‘humanity is broken’; a dystopic planet of desert and dust, where everything is scarce and available only to the powerful. Even water is a rare delicacy.

Different tribal clans commanded by their ruthless masters rule the earth and for loners like an ex-highway patrolman Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) survival is a daily challenge.

mad-max-poster6But this time Max is not alone in his quest for freedom, he is joined by the fearsome bald-headed Furiosa (Charlize Theron) who has taken the responsibility upon herself to rescue the five sexy wives of an evil warlord named Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) to safety. She is in search of some ‘Green land’ where there is still hope for greenery and other natural resources.

Minimal use of dialogues, quick introduction of characters and real horrific violence – Mad Max: Fury Road is a treat for action genre lovers. Undoubtedly the best action flick of recent times.

mad-max-poster3And that too the whole film is shot in sequence with awesome cinematic visuals!

The color palate ranging from orange to yellow to red cinematographer John Seale has done a tremendous job. And a super-fast editing by Margaret Sixel and Jason Ballantine perfectly complements the mood of the film.

An awesome script – especially the characters of Max and Furiosa evolves brilliantly throughout the film.

Matured and controlled performance by Tom Hardy who most of the times expresses himself by silence and superb performance by Charlize Theron – her body language says it all. Even an almost unrecognizable Nicholas Hoult did a great job. 

mad-max-poster5If looked closely one will find some dark humor in the most darkest corners of the film, often satirical when related to our current world.

Extraordinary perfect visual effects though 80% of the effects seen in the film are actually real (even the stunts).

Mad Max: Fury Road is a film that shouldn’t be missed at any cost. Even at the cost of the 3D!

Fans of the earlier Mad Max films – i doubt if anyone will miss Mel Gibson at all.

Bombay Velvet (2015)

Bombay Velvet review.

My Ratings: 2.5/5.

Bombay Velvet is my favorite director Anurag Kashyap‘s latest feature and one of Bollywood’s most anticipated films of 2015. 

bombay-velvet-poster4The story of an ambitious young Johney Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor) who wants to be called a ‘big-shot’ after his death; who falls in love with a beautiful club-singer Rosie (Anushka Sharma) and who also makes the mistake of betraying the notorious newspaper tycoon Kaizad Khambatta (Karan Johar).

Based on Indian historian Gyan Prakash’s book Mumbai Fables – Bombay Velvet claims to be a thriller, a crime drama and also a love story all at the same time.

But unfortunately it doesn’t match up to the audience’s expectation level – primarily because it lacks a dignified story line and intelligent dialogues.

Bombay-Velvet-poster1First of all, the basic plot is very much clichéd and many a times illogical. The film desperately attempts to create the old fashioned ‘film noir’ kind-of mood (dark and tragic) but after the second-half Bombay Velvet becomes predictable and in a way simply refuses to entertain.

The mad-lover in outrage (we have seen better in Dev.D), the police/CBI chasing suspects (seen better in Black Friday), slow motion firing of machine guns with heavy background music (seen better in Gangs of Wasseypur), suspense and unexpected twists in the story (seen better in Gulaal) – honestly even Anurag Kashyap‘s unreleased debut film Paanch (2003) had more zing than Bombay Velvet (story wise).

But again the mood and lighting is brilliant. Cinematographer Rajeev Ravi has done a great job with the colors and texture of the film.

bombay-velvet-posterThe production designers Errol Kelly and Sonal Sawant along with the art director Sameer Sawant recreated the grander of old Bombay with perfection.  

Amit Trivedi‘s music is decent but nothing extraordinary. 

Now for the acting part – good performances all around. Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma seem to have a great on-screen chemistry.  

Unfortunately, after achieving great success in Barfi! and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actor Ranbir Kapoor‘s luck seems to have taken a summersault. In spite of giving worthy performances, his last three films BesharamRoy and Bombay Velvet (included) somehow fail to hold the audience’s attention.

bombay-velvet-poster3An under-exploited Kay Kay Menon as the CBI officer, Satyadeep Misra as the trusted friend, Vivaan Shah as the lover-boy driver, and even the debutant villain Karan Johar (who seems to have charged only Rs 11 as his acting fee) has done pretty well. 

Overall Bombay Velvet (149 min long) could have been much better with a tight script and crisp dialogues. May be a budget constraint does work better in case of certain directors!

Note: Though Martin Scorsese is given special thanks and Oscar winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker (who has many a times worked with Martin Scorsese before) did edit the film – but Bombay Velvet is nothing close to any of Martin Scorsese’s films. So please stop comparing and unnecessarily escalating your expectations.   

Piku (2015)

Piku review.

written by Abhikendu Deb Roy

Ratings: 4.5/5.

Shit happens, probably the reason Piku was ever filmed. There are certain films where one aspect of the script gets more importance than the characters present in the film. Shoojit Sircar, who always comes up with out-of-the-box ideas for his films, gives life to ‘Constipation’ in his new film ‘Piku’. Not only does the film explore more on bowel movement, it also sheds light on the beaut father-daughter relationship.

Piku-poster1To be honest, Piku doesn’t really have a story. It is simply an assemblage of the daily fights we have with our parents, the skip-a-beat moments when we receive romantic vibes from another person or maybe the arguments families have regarding property sale. It is these nuances which make the film highly relatable. You will, however, never feel the absence of a story, because the premise keeps you engaged all throughout the road journey from Delhi to Kolkata. Screenwriter Juhi Chaturvedi collaborates such moments and stitches a well knit script out of it.

‘Bhaskor Banerjee, Bangalee’ – the prudent selfish constipated 70 year old widower effortlessly emanates ‘Hypochondriasis’ or illness anxiety disorder from every organ of his body. Amitabh Bachchan delights us time and again, sometimes irritating us with his stubborn attitude and at times being the sweetest white-haired child ever. Deepika Padukone has proves herself again as ‘Piku’, her eyes emoting tiredness alongside care and affection for her dad. Piku is the sole person ‘Bhaskor Babu’ can depend on. Irrfan Khan is one of the gifts to Bollywood which shall be cherished for life. Jishu Sengupta and Moushumi Chatterjee get into the skin of their characters with ease, as well.

Cinematographer Kamaljeet Negi frames the locales of Delhi, the bylanes of Kolkata and the Ganga ghats of Banaras with utmost passion which is exhibited on screen. The scenic beauty of the Delhi-Kolkata Expressway does snatch your attention at times from the cute little fights between the father and the daughter. Editor Chandrashekhar Prajapati makes the film as crisp and tight as possible, limiting the duration to around 2 hours 5 minutes.

Piku-posterThe greatest gift of the film, after the cast, is its music. Anupam Roy’s first Bollywood work leaves us mesmerized. Each and every track comes up right at the correct situation, at the correct time. The Journey Song is the jewel of all the songs, the only complaint being that the full song is never played in the film. The background music, again by Roy, is apt for the film and sets the mood of the scenes quite justifiably.

Final Verdict: The ‘Bangalee’ biasness shall always remain. A certain ‘Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoye’ sung by Bachchan, the father-daughter duo dancing their hearts out to ‘Jibone Ki Pabona’, the ‘Angry Not-So-Young Man’ mouthing cuss words like ‘Shuorer Bachcha’, there’s too much bangalianaa screaming out from the pages of the scripts. This light-hearted family entertainer, which also allows us to learn to take responsibilities of your parents after a certain age, is the perfect mood fixer for the weekend. Go and watch the film, you shall walk out of the theatres mesmerized and ‘Bezubaan’.

Animal Documentaries – The cove and Blackfish

Animal Documentaries – The cove (2009) and Blackfish (2013).

Written by Souranath Banerjee.

My Rating (for both): 4.5/5.

The playful Dolphins and the graceful Killer Whales – they are the two most intelligent, sensitive and harmless aquatic species.

Blackfish-posterAnd they are in danger.

Beyond being simply falling in the ‘animal documentaries’ category  both these films The cove and Blackfish have something much more important in common. They successfully expose the ugly face of our human race.

Unfortunately it so happens that ‘We’ are not only the most evolved species of our planet but also the most selfish, cruel and unsympathetic of all.

cove-poster3We snatch baby killer whales from their parents to confine them in a claustrophobic water-ponds and make them do tricks simply for our entertainment. We lure the playful dolphins to the seashore and mercilessly chop them up for cheaper meat until the ocean turns red in their blood.

We humans are capable of any such inhuman acts for a definite reason – and the only reason that explains everything is MONEY.

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite Blackfish tells the story of the billion-dollar SeaWorld empire primarily based on the success of killer whale performances in front of the live audience’s thunderous applause. blackfish-posterA masterfully crafted documentary that gives us insight on the tragic psychological trauma that the killer whales experience in captivity and it’s effect – the several deaths of the trainers. SeaWorld refused to be interviewed (expected i guess) and tried their best to cover up all the evidences for so many years. But no more.

cove-poster2On the other hand The cove is another thrilling and heartbreaking documentary that reveals Japan’s illegal dolphin meat industry for which hundreds of dolphins are slaughtered everyday in a cove near a town named Taijii. Directed by Louie Psihoyos this Oscar winning documentary uncovers the shocking level of animal cruelty which is again directly a threat to human health (since dolphin meat though lot cheaper in price but is unfit for human consumption).

It is not surprising that still there are some people who really care for the well-beings of other animals and are so passionate to come up with such eye-opening documentaries that (i won’t say completely stop animal abuse but) definitely create a certain sense of awareness.

If you like thrilling real-life cinema, if you enjoy good storytelling and if you love animals and care for them – The cove and Blackfish are the two animal documentaries you shouldn’t miss.

Nirbaak (2014)

Nirbaak review

written by Abhikendu Deb Roy.

Ratings: 3.5/5.

‘Learn to love yourself first. Everything else will fall into place.’

Four distinct subplots with the common denouement as death – We surely have heard of this before, in another Srijit Mukherji film. After filming Chotushkone, he tries this format again, but with an enriched and mature execution in his latest work, Nirbaak. Srijit infuses the theme of obsession luring in every subplot of the film. Narcissism, obsession with a living immobile object, the fixation of a bitch towards her master, the passion of a man for a cadaver – Srijit touches upon all the aspects of obsession in his 1 hour 49 minutes film.

Mukherji’s crew states that he loves his crew immensely, but he loves his film the most. This compassion is pretty much visible in his direction. Not only that, he is so possessive about his film that he pens down the script and the dialogues all by himself. He expatiates his script so much so that every intricate detail is translated on screen like magic. This film is not one such where we see conversations happening between the characters, it is a film where the characters’ emote and speak volumes for themselves.

When the structure of the film demands powerful performances, you need actors of that stature to exude their acting skills. Sushmita Sen, the thread that binds the four subplots, appears simply stunning, even with very less makeup. This non-glamorous side to the 1994 Miss Universe was something which was never explored before. Her voice and her ‘Bong’ accent bring in more appeal to the character. But it is the men of the film who steal the show. After one subplot ends, you start missing the man of that plot all the way more till the power of the next encroaches your mind. Anjan Dutt’s character is the conglomeration of the ‘naked’ truths of a loner. The magic he weaves on screen, all by himself, is powerful and can literally leave you speechless. This subplot, however, might bring a few frowns to the hypocritical section of our society. Jishu Sengupta, we all know, is a classy performer and Srijit brings out the best in him here. You are bound to empathize with the crimson red eyes, filled with fury, beating up his pet. The third and the last of the men brigade is Ritwick Chakraborty, for whom I probably don’t have any words. He must engage himself in many more films like these, else it would be the audiences’ loss that they wouldn’t witness how brilliantly he performs. He is one of those very few actors who do not act, just behave.

The aspect of the film which is par excellence is the cinematography. Soumik Haldar and Srijit Mukherji have always been working together, but this is probably the outcome of the highest degree.  You would want to grab a DVD of the film, once released, solely to watch and re-watch the dance sequence, choreographed by Sudarshan Chakraborty. The sequence has been brilliantly shot, under the tree, in the midst of a dark night, with the intelligent use of low lights. Soumik proves that he indeed can be a cinematographer of international stature.

Pranoy Dasgupta sits on the edit table and does a pretty decent job. He executes his work well, but the visionary with which Srijit had imagined the film, individual sequences tend to drag a bit and makes the entire film a little slow. This is something which is contrary to what Srijit’s films had been always.

Last but not the least, Nirbaak will leave an impact on you after the end credits have finished rolling. The major cause of the long lasting impression is Neel Dutt’s background score. The BGM complements each and every moment of the film in a mesmerizing manner. The only song of the film, Jodi Akasher Gaaye, which comes up at the very end of the film, sticks to your mind. Credits go to Bodhaditya Banerjee for the lyrics and the composition of the song, which complements the vocals of Arka Mukherjee.

Special mention, without which this article would be incomplete, must be given to the Shadowgraphy Titles. Srijit has always come up with something new in each and every work of his, but this style of honoring his cast and crew with the usage of shadows moves you completely.

Final Verdict: It is not a film which will appeal to one and all. It will be praised only by a certain limited section of the viewers. You might think you do not like the film at all after walking out the plexes. But when you give it a thought and you rethink more about the film, you learn how entrapped you are in the aura of the script. It is surreal, beyond the understanding level of an average individual. For this, the film can be likable to some, repulsive to some. Srijit’s attempt at surrealism is indeed a brave attempt.