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BEST BENGALI FILMS 2015 – 2016 (10+1list)

Best Bengali Films 2015 – 2016

written by Souranath Banerjee

Hello to all you Bengali ‘nak uchu’ snobs who consider Bengali Cinema/Literature/Music as the epitome of art and creativity – well, glad to announce that I am exactly like you!

And when ever we Bengalis talk about Cinema, we time travel to the memorable glorious past of Bengali Cinema – the days of Satyajit RayMrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak and then coming back to the present we proudly allude to the likes of Rituparno GhoshBuddhadev DasguptaGautam GhoseAparna Sen.

Such legendary directors and their invaluable contribution to World Cinema make us feel honoured and content, and why not?

Similar Interest: Best Bengali Films 2012 – 2014

Similar Interest: Best Bengali Classic Comedies of all times

However this current list is of more recent times, the last two years to be exact (2015 – 2016), a list of the best Bengali films from exceptionally talented directors who are very much the present and the future of Bengali Film Industry!

Best Bengali Films 2015 – 2016 – let the countdown begin!

10. Double Feluda (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1V7VWYKbeI

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016Sandip Ray have made his latest film on none other than two back to back mystery stories originally written by Satyajit Ray, based on the famous detective character Feluda!

And guess what, Sabyasachi Chakraborty is back in and as Feluda and still rocking! And then of course we have Saheb Bhattacharjee as Topshe and Paran Banerjee as Sidhu Jetha. I only wish that somebody could replace Mr.Lalmohan Ganguly aka Jatayu aka Santosh Dutta as well. I guess some people are just irreplaceable!

9. Belaseshe (2015)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zUrtioA2g

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016Directed by Shibprasad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, probably the best film that explores the intricate emotional values of various human relationships, be it married or unmarried, short time or a life-long companionship!

Brilliant chemistry between Soumitra Chatterjee and Swatilekha Sengupta straight after they shared the screen in Satyajit Ray‘s Ghare-Baire in the year 1984.

8. Byomkesh O Chiriakhana (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjc4ogHSOo0

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016It seems that the Bengali-audience can never have enough of their favourite detective Mr.Byomkesh Bakshi.

Directed by Anjan Dutt, this thriller revolves around the murder of a judge and this time Jishu Sengupta plays the role of the typical ‘bhodrolok’ sleuth to perfection. And Saswata Chatterjee as Byomkesh’s friend/assistant Ajit and Usashi Chakraborty as Byomkesh’s wife Satyabati.

7. Shankhachil (2016)

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

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016Acclaimed director Goutam Ghose‘s latest film won the National Award for Best Bengali film of 2016!  

It’s a India-Bangladesh joint venture and the story is also based on consequences of partition and how people get affected by it still today.

Commendable performances by child artist Shajbati and then of course Prasenjit Chatterjee, Kusum SikderDipankar Dey all have given their best. 

6. Eagoler Chokh (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZZkXdFRS0

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016Based on Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay‘s story and directed by Arindam Sil this is the best detective thriller among the endless Bengali-detective movies that had been churned out in the last year.

The investigator Shabor Dasgupta played perfectly by Saswata Chatterjee slowly connects the dots as he cracks a murder case of a young woman.

Ebar Shabor, by the same director and based on the same detective character is also worth your time.

5. Chotoder Chobi (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8xRKKtL2Oo

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016An emotional heart-touching love story between two people born with genetic defect causing dwarfism.

Directed by Kaushik Ganguly, this slow-pace drama won a National Award in the ‘Best Film on Other Social Issues’ category.

Unique concept, superb direction and brilliant natural performances by Debalina Roy and Dulal Sarkar. Mr.Dulal Sarkar was also awarded best-actor at Goa International Film Festival last year.

4. Nirbashito (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iang3nizjTE

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016A biography of a writer in exile, a story about her isolation, her hopes and her helplessness – officially not based on the life of controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen but rather inspired by her life post exile.

Directed and also performed by Churni Ganguly, the film won the National Award for Best Bengali film of 2015 and also was India’s Oscar nomination in the category “Best foreign film” in 2015!

3. Open Tee Bioscope (2015)

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

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016Adolescence, adventures and experiences, friends and infatuations – Kolkata seen through the eyes of a young boy.

Superb performances by the young actors Riddhi Sen,  Surangana Banerjee,  Dhee Majumder.

Directed by Anindya Chatterjee and Shoojit Sircar, if you want to experience the nostalgic North Kolkata of the 90s, this is the film you should watch!

2. Cinemawala (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9_lUiinpFo

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016This film beautifully takes on two different tussles – one, as the digital media threatens the single screen movie theatres specially in the small towns and the secondly, the universal clash between a father and his son.

Brilliantly performed by Paran Banerjee and Parambrata Chatterjee and directed by Kaushik Ganguly, an emotional tale that Cinema-lovers cannot miss. 

  1. Praktan (2016)

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

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016

A married woman meets her ex husband while they are on a journey from Mumbai to Howrah by train – a beautiful film about relations and relationships.

Directed by Shibprasad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, probably the most popular Bengali film of the last couple of years portraying a brilliant chemistry between Prasenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta.

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

+1. Asha Jaoar Majhe (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFObwB9TAwc

Best-Bengali-Films-2015-2016Also known as Labour of Love, this is one unique film that won two National Awards and was appreciated in many festivals around the world.

(click for the review)

Directed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta, starring  Ritwick Chakraborty and Basabdatta Chatterjee this is one of the best non-comercial visual treat that happened to the Bengali Industry in the recent times.

A few other films that are also worth your time are Srijit Mukherji‘s Rajkahini (2015), Suman Mukhopadhyay‘s The Last Poem (2015), Pavel‘s Babar Naam Gandhiji (2015) and Suman Ghosh‘s Kadambari (2015).

 Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

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.

Byomkesh Phire Elo (2014)

Written by Abhikendu Deb Roy.

Ratings: 3.7/5.

Byomkesh Bakshi is a brand who has been adapted by several filmmakers across the country. Bakshi is not exactly a detective, instead a truth seeker as they call him.

Byomkesh series have an underlying layer of the social issues of that period sandwiched between the whodunnit thrilling cases. Social sattire, wearing the mask of a thriller drama, is precisely what you’d call Byomkesh Bakshi.

Director Anjan Dutt chose Saradindu Bandopaddhyay‘s ‘Benishonghar’ as the plot for his latest release ‘Byomkesh Phire Elo’. This is the third among Dutt’s Byomkesh films and undoubtedly the best of them all.

Abir Chatterjee is comfortable as Byomkesh Bakshi. He looks and feels the part aptly. Saswata Chatterjee as Ajit has hardly a few scenes but stands out in them all.

While the rest of the ensemble cast of this film play their part fairly, the extremely talented actor who needs mention here is Koushik Sen. He seems to be a natural as the drunkard son-in-law of the house and we surely wanted more screen time from him. He is one helluva performer.

Anjan Dutt has always been a master of shooting in the ancestral houses and by-lanes of North Kolkata, adding a 60’s feel to it. It was a plain sailing ride for him to have recreated the era through the consultation of his art director. The use of different colour tones to distinguish between the time frames is plausible.

The film, kept limited to a couple of hours, makes the screenplay more intriguing and appealing for such a thriller. Adventure has never been the forte of Byomkesh Bakshi, but is present in situations which help him deal with his ongoing case.

Neel Dutt does an amazing work with the original background score of the film. The trademark ‘Byomkesh Theme’ by Neel is something we had wanted throughout the film but sadly creeps up only at the end credits.

Final Verdict: Anjan Dutt’s third Byomkesh is an all-in-all interesting thriller with almost all the elements required present in it. It is however saddening that Abir who is so much in his comfort zone playing Byomkesh, has switched roles to Feluda and will not play the role of Bakshi in future. You must go for this adulterated thriller during your Christmas Break, but surely not with your little Santas.

Best Bengali Films 2012 – 2014 (10+1list)

Best Bengali Films 2012 – 2014.

written by Souranath Banerjee.

We the Bengalis! The self-proclaimed intellectuals!

We have to watch films, especially Bengali Films and then give a detailed analytical review of them. Yes, we have to!

In our infamous ‘adda’ sessions, along with politics and football we Bengalis are also keen to show off our critical knowledge of Cinema. We proudly rate our favourite movies and passionately defend our preferred directors – believe me, these loud yet friendly squabbles can go on for months!

Mostly we time travel to the memorable glorious past of Bengali Cinema – the days of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak and then coming back to the present we proudly allude to the likes of Rituparno Ghosh, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Gautam GhoseAparna Sen.

Such legendary directors and their invaluable contribution to World Cinema make us feel honoured and content, and why not?

However this current list is of more recent times, the last three years to be exact (2012 – 2014), a list of the best Bengali films from exceptionally talented directors who are very much the present and the future of Bengali Film Industry!

Let the countdown begin!

10. Ramdhonu (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV5ipEs1_zk

Ramdhanu-poster

A fun-filled story of a 5-year old kid’s struggle or rather his parent’s struggle to get him admitted in a decent school.

The director duo Shiboprosad MukherjeeNandita Roy has done it again. Brilliant acting by Shiboprosad and Gargi Roy Chowdhury.

A serious issue addressed with a comic touch. Entertaining.

9. Hrid Majhare: Live in my Heart! (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrcoSaBZsl0

Hrid-Majharey-Poster

With the perfect essence of a Shakespearean tragedy this is a film that weaves a beautiful tale of love, jealousy and destiny.

(click for the review)

Writer-director Ranjan Ghosh creates a terrific psychological drama; very well supported by Abir Chatterjee and Raima Sen.

This film will make you think twice before falling in love.

8. Hemlock Society (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9KCaYzHYG0

Hemlock-Society-poster

Is there such a society that teaches the right techniques to commit suicide?!

The concept itself is unique enough and on top of that brilliant performance by Parambrata Chatterjee and Koyel Mallick.

Writer-Director Srijit Mukherji is one of the best in this business and he proves it time and again.

7. Apur Panchali (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxKylESYoa0

apur-panchali-poster

Hat’s off to Kaushik Ganguly for this brilliant theme; the film is based on the child actor who played the iconic role of Apu in Satyajit Ray’s  Pather Panchali. 

(click for the review)

Inspired by Subir Banerjee’s real life story, Parambrata ChatterjeeArdhendu Banerjee and Parno Mitra gives their best. And then the in-between montages from Pather Panchali makes us nostalgic.

6. Aparajita Tumi (2012)

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

Aparajita-Tumi-poster

Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury creates another enticing drama, a plot that involves both love and betrayal, loneliness and friendship.   

Prasenjit Chatterjee utilized to his full potential, PadmapriyaKamalinee Mukherjee perfectly suited in their respective roles. 

A slow paced film that absorbs you into the story, beautiful camera work and edited.

5. Chotuskone (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uNrGCBIgo0

chotushkone-poster

The latest from director Srijit Mukherji, a perfect mystery, four directors, four stories, all blending in at the end! 

(click for the review)

When old friends reunite and discuss their stories – four stories but with a common theme – death. Outstanding performances by Parambrata ChatterjeeChiranjitGoutam Ghose and Aparna Sen

4. Phoring (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TWCydqcJ7w

Phoring-Poster

A relatively less known film but one of the best i have recently seen.

Indranil Roychowdhury has successfully created the world of an adolescent boy, his thoughts, his dreams, his innocence and his lust. 

Both Akash Adhikari and Sohini Sarkar did great. Phoring has received many international awards  and believe me the film deserves all the applause.

3. Bhooter Bhabishyat (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg7OYuc7a5I

Bhooter-bhabishyat-poster

Probably the most popular film of recent times, a superb comedy, uniquely crafted and built up.

Swastika Mukherjee, Sabyasachi ChakrabortySamadarshi DuttaMumtaz SorcarParan BanerjeeMir Afsar AliKharaj Mukherjee and many more.

A variety of characters and intelligent dialogues – director Anik Dutta gives us a super hit.

2. Shabdo (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miTB-lIAwQ4

Shobdo-poster

A professional foley artist – who creates sound effects for films seems to be too engrossed in his world of background sounds.

Not only the concept is unique but also the execution is superlative. Brilliant acting by Ritwick Chakraborty (his best till date) and also well supported by Churni Ganguly and Raima Sen.

Kaushik Ganguly‘s best till date.

1. Meghe Dhaka Tara (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT5UEzQeDGg

meghe-dhaka-tara-poster

Director Kamaleswar Mukherjee teamed up with talented actor Saswata Chatterjee to create a masterpiece; a film on the life of acclaimed Bengali film director Ritwik Ghatak.

Shot in black and white, a film so well crafted and executed, it gives us a new perspective on the life of the legendary filmmaker.

One of the best film of the last decade – a must watch!

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

+1. Chitrangada (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7prDTZhwA8U

chitrangada-poster

A tribute to the master director Rituparno Ghosh who unfortunately passed away last year. 

The film won the Silver Lotus Awards in the National Film Awards.  It is the story of a dancer and his wishes, his unfulfilled dreams.

Rituparno himself acted as the lead, supported by Jishu SenguptaAnjan Dutt and Dipankar Dey.