My Favorite Animated Short Films (10+1List)

Best Animated Short Films

written by Souranath Banerjee

Animation films have always been a source of pure entertainment for the kids as well as the kid-makers. And the following Animated Short Films are some of the best in the business.

Most of these animated short films are Oscar nominated, some of them even won the award. Unique concepts and the way they are executed, if you are a true film lover i am sure you won’t be able to resist them.

So let the fun begin.

10. Get a Horse! (2013)

Directed by Lauren MacMullan and produced by Disney this short film is a perfect blend of black and white hand drawn animation and the latest 3D technology.

Mickey Mouse trying to save his beloved Minnie Mouse, this 3D animated short will remind you of all the incredible 1920s original Disney characters.

9. Oktapodi (2007)

You can go to any length to be with your loved ones and that’s exactly what this film is all about.

A French animated short directed by Julien Bocabeille,  François-Xavier ChaniouxOlivier DelabarreThierry MarchandQuentin Marmier and Emud Mokhberi that won numerous awards, was nominated for the Oscars and most importantly awesome fun to watch.

8. Balance (1989)

A German animated film directed by  Christoph Lauenstein and  Wolfgang Lauenstein that won the Oscars!

This short film is a reflection of our society, of course in a critical way. Simple yet a matured, many hidden message to ponder upon.

7. Duet (2014)

Latest animated short film by master animator Glen Keane.

A magical visualization and interpretation of Love through a dance of duet, all hand-drawn and classy and beautiful. Must watch!

6. Day & Night (2010)

Pixar animated short film that brilliantly combines both 2D and 3D forms of animation.
Directed by Teddy Newton, a concept so unique and fresh, it’s simply awesome!

5. Pluto’s Judgement Day (1935)

Directed by David Hand, a classic Disney short starring Mickey‘s pet Pluto in the main lead.

As all other kids I personally liked the MIckey Mouse series (still adore them) but this particular animated short changed it’s meaning as I grew up. The concept looks dangerously similar to our new age socio-political scenario, a film way ahead of its time!

4. Paperman (2012)

A Walt Disney Productions that won the Oscar and probably the most popular animated short film of recent times.

Directed by  John Kahrs, this one will make you fall in love!

3. The Old Man and the Sea (1999)

The first ever animated film to be released in IMAX, it is the animated version of the classic tale based on Ernest Hemingway’s novel by the same name.

A paint-on-glass-animated short film directed by Aleksandr Petrov over a period of two and half years. A masterpiece.

2. Geri’s Game (1997)

A simple yet amazing animated film made by Pixar that won the Oscar!

Written and directed by Jan Pinkava, storytelling at its best.

1. Father and Daughter (2000)

Oscar winner Dutch Animated short film holds the number one spot in my list.

Written and directed by Michael Dudok de Wit, probably the most emotional tale ever told and the magical background score completes the experience.

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

+1. Alma (2009)

A Spanish animated short film by writer/director Rodrigo Blaas that has a very different kind of effect on it’s audience.

Alma in Spanish means ‘soul’ and this film believe it or not, has the ability to capture your sole. Spooky yet brilliant!

Similar Interest: Best Animated Films of 2015

Similar Interest: Best Animated Films of 2016

Similar Interest: Best Adult Animation films ever made

Chotushkone (2014)

Written by Abhikendu Deb Roy

Ratings: 4/5.

Cinema and Death – these two issues connect and bind together every reel of Srijit Mukherji’s sixth outing Chotushkone.

Playing with the film tones in Jaatiswar, adding elements of a thriller in 22shey Srabon or introducing a number of sub plots in Hemlock Society – Srijit seems to have culminated all his learnings from his past outings in his recent release and he undoubtedly looks improved.

When the masters of cinema – Aparna Sen, Goutam Ghose, Chiranjit Chakraborty and Parambrata Chatterjee – form the four angles of the mystique thriller, you know that nothing go wrong in the acting department. Parambrata, however, receives a special mention for his outstanding act in the climax.

Apart from these four, an ensemble cast of Paayel Sarkar, Indrasish Roy, Rahul Banerjee among many others play their part sincerely and honestly. But that one cameo that stands out from the rest is of Kaushik Ganguly’s. His acting is undoubtedly going to leave you spellbound during his 3 minutes appearance.

Srijit has taken a few real life elements from the four leads of the film – two of them being Aparna Sen’s “Trina Di” and Parambrata’s “Hawa Bodol Katakuti” reference. The dialogues, penned by Srijit himself, are a reflection of his intelligence (as always) and keep us engaged throughout.

Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee, a favourite at the YRF studios who has Dhoom 3 and Chak De India to his name, works wonders for the film. Shot in 5 different tones, the film distinctly allows you to enjoy the visual orgasm.

With indoor sequences predominant in the film, the set design has been looked upon intricately. A self potrait wall-hanging is a common factor present in all the four directors’ residents.

Editor Rabiranjan Moitra could have been better with the scissors as the film, with a 2 hours 21 minutes running time, seems a bit stretched. Also one or two subplots look redundant.

The music composed by Srijit’s favourite, Anupam Roy complements the film pretty well. Lagnajita’s “Bawshonto Eshe Gechhe” fits perfectly in the Paayel-Indrasish shoot sequence. Boba Tunnel is another favourite. The film, like 22shey Srabon, ends with a Rupankar Bagchi number.

Indradip Dasgupta’s background score sinks in as your heart races through every moment of the movie.

They say, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Srijit proves it wrong with his fresh new preparation, ready to be served and enjoyed during the Pujas. Go, taste it as it will soothe your tasting buds.

A walk among the Tombstones (2014)

My Ratings: 2.5/5.

There areA million ways to die in the west but probably the worst kind is to get kidnapped by a couple of psychos, get tortured and then sliced up into pieces.

A prayer for the dying but that’s not enough. The Mission here is to catch these Unknown kidnappers who are repeatedly Crossing the line, are in a Non-stop rampage murdering The innocent clueless victims.

The only Satisfaction for the Husbands and Wives or anybody Next to kin to the victims is to make sure that the Suspects responsible for such gruesome deeds are Nailed by the law (or may be an out of the law settlement is even better).

And here comes the not so Gun shy detective, ex-cop Matt/Matthew Scudder who is Taken for the job.

An actor who has been a part of the Gangs of New York and The A-Team, have seen both The clash andThe wrath of the Titans; has witnessed times of Batman Begins till The dark night rises.

Yes he is The nut job who has been Rob Roy, Ethan Frome, Michael Collins and Alfred Kinsey; has ticked off his Schindler’s list and is now ready to take A walk among the Tombstones’.

Who else but Liam Neeson.

There are only a few such actors who can make a simple action thriller look super cool. And A walk among the tombstones is worth a watch only for Liam Nesson’s presence and performance.

Directed by Scott Frank, the film builds up enough suspense in the first half to excite the audience, we begin to expect and anticipate but unfortunately in the second half when it comes to wrapping things up neatly (I mean logically) the film goes for a brisk walk somewhere among the tombstones.

At the end even the dangerous psychotic kidnappers seemed to loose their edge.

The deadly evil men who relished butchering innocent girls throughout the film suddenly gets nervous when Matthew Scudder (Liam Nesson) threatens them to hunt them down (that too on the telephone). And soon enough they stupidly agree to reveal themselves!

But I am not going to reveal any further except that the film stretches on for a good half an hour more than it should. The editor also seemed to have gone for a walk among the …

The title sequence is impressive, very well shot and innovative.

So if Liam Nesson and an innovative title sequence can lure you to the cinemas – you are most welcome.

The Maze Runner (2014)

My Ratings: 3.8/5

The Maze Runner, as the name suggests is a film where people keep running inside a maze; they run desperately, they run for their lives.

Adopted from James Dashner’s novel by the same name (this is the first of the trilogy) The Maze Runner is a film that guarantees to clench your thirst for thrill and suspense.

Similar to The Lord of the Flies the film in one hand delves with the complexities of a dystopian society while on the other side it’s a pure SciFi adventure full of tense moments to keep you at the edge of your seat.

From the very beginning the audience along with the protagonist Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) is sucked into a whirlpool of unknown, an unexplored environment, unfamiliar people, new set of rules and unexpected dangers.

Unable to remember anything other than his name, Thomas takes a lift ride up to meet a group of teenage boys who are trapped in an open arena in the centre of a maze, called the ‘Glade’.

The maze only opens during the day and the maze-runners explore it, desperate to find a way out. For three years they didn’t have much luck but post Thomas’s arrival things change for the better (or worse).

And a little detail to add, dangerous biomechanical monsters (the worst type of spiders you can imagine) called the ‘grievers’ cruise around the maze at night to ensure awkward moments for anyone trapped inside the maze after sunset.

A decent thriller after ages, the director Wes Ball succeeds in setting the right tone from the very beginning of the film. Dark and tensed moments along with an interesting story line.

Amazing use of visual effects to enhance the SciFi experience and the best part is you don’t have to struggle with your 3D glasses to enjoy the film. It’s in 2D like how films should be.

Overall good performances by the typical ethnic cast (the protagonist being white must have Afro and Asian people always by his side).

And ‘we have got a Runner!’

For me The Maze Runner scores higher than any of its recent competitors like The Hunger Games series and Divergent. May be its because of it’s fast pace and also it took lesser time to built up the scenario.

So as they say ‘wicked is good’ – a term used frequently in the film though I still don’t understand its proper context!

The Maze Runner is both wicked and good. Worth a watch for sure. No regrets.

Finding Fanny (2014)

My Ratings: 3/5.

In our school/college days we all must have come across such so-called ‘cool’ kids who would wear weird clothes, have tattoos in unexpected places, sport bizarre haircuts or act funny – basically do anything to look different.

Finding Fanny is one such pseudo-cool film that tries hard to be different (unfortunately a bit too hard).

No doubt the film has a fresh feel to it and the first half shoots up your anticipation to a positive high but alas, then comes the second half.

Backdrop being a small village named Pocolim in Goa, Finding Fanny is based on a very simple premise – five lazy people in a mission to find – as the name suggests – Fanny (ones long lost love).

Now as they say that the destination is not important but the journey is, Finding Fanny indeed starts off as a very interesting journey.

After Being Cyrus and Cocktail, this time Director Homi Adajania has managed to rope-in a dream cast for his film.

Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Dimple Kapadia, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and each of these actors has done justice to their unique characters.

Naseeruddin plays the very shy and meek ex-postman Fredie who misses his one true love Fanny (a 46 year old incomplete love story); though I felt Naseeruddin’s character didn’t get much of a chance to show off in comparison to others.

On the other hand Pankaj Kapur plays the famous artist named Don Pedro Cleto Colaco and he is hilarious with his strange ‘Madame’ accent and a few artistic affinities.

Dimple has given a very natural performance in the film playing a widow named Rosie; her curvy voracious figure still remains the inspiration for many (especially the artistic minds).

Deepika, the second widow in the house named Angie. She manages to remain this cute, innocent, village-girl (virgin too) for most part of the film except may be for once – the night when the car broke down in the middle of nowhere but she slept comfortably in her bra the whole night and that too after loosing her virginity to her long lost childhood friend (also a dear friend of her dead husband!).

And then there is Savio Da Gama, Arjun Kapoor who has a good screen presence and this kind of roles of aimless angry lover boys suit him perfectly.

But then again, I think the real stars of Finding Fanny are Anil Mehta, the cinematographer and to some extent the colorist of the film too.

Because I think it’s kind of a challenge in itself to show Goa without its beautiful beaches and the blue sea and yet make it look beautiful; and Finding Fanny, no matter what happens to the storyline is a pleasure to watch.

If the story in the second half made a little bit sense then I am sure Finding Fanny would have been a much better movie.

A fun film, a combination of slapstick and dark comedy with some very odd events (let’s call them twists) in the storyline.

Watch at your own fun.

 

Boyhood (2014)

My Ratings: 4.5/5.

Boyhood is something very special.

Ok, what happens if you follow around a boy (and his family) with your camera for 12 years and then edit the best of your footage and make a film out of it?

What happens is Boyhood!

It’s a preplanned, well-scripted film shot over 45 days during a period of 12 years (2002 -2013). Wow!

A film so real and shot through such an unreal time-span that it gives you the feel of being a part of the journey with this boy Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who was 7 years old when Richard Linklater (director) started filming and 18 when he finally felt it’s time to wrap up.

A unique experiment on celluloid, though Linklater said himself that if the audience see this merely as an experiment then he has failed at his task.

And believe me Richard Linklater is probably more successful with Boyhood than in any of his previous works which includes some beautiful films like Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Bernie and of course not to forget his ‘before’ series – Before sunrise, Before sunset and the very recent Before Midnight.

And like most of his brilliant films Boyhood also doesn’t have a definite start-middle-end to it; it’s like inviting the audience to relish the voyeuristic pleasure of watching somebody’s life passing by.

Amazing natural performances and such realistic dialogues, an over-simplified storyline and that’s probably the magic of this film’s popularity.

A string of somewhat insignificant events that eventually makes an impression in our minds, the casual talks with friends and family; may be it’s bowling game with your dad or some heated conversation with your mom – after all these little memories are what we are left with in our lives.

And Boyhood is full of life.

Ellar Coltrane plays Mason (the boy), Lorelei Linklater (Richard Linklater’s daughter playing the sister), Patricia Arquette (the mom) and who else but Ethan Hawke (the dad).

Each one of these actors deserves applaud and honors for playing their parts with such conviction and for being in their characters for over such a long period of time.

It was also decided that if Richard Linklater would die during this period of 12 years, Ethan Hawke would take over the directorial duties; just a precautionary measure I guess!

Beautifully edited by Sandra Adair, Boyhood is a must watch for all you film lovers who patiently waited for it.

A wait too long but it’s worth it.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill for (2014)

My Ratings: 3/5

Welcome to the twisted world of Sin City.

A city that conspires with the stooping dark shadows to tell its gruesome stories; where white blood spills like milk, men ruthless and bloodthirsty, and the dames cold and treacherous.

Almost after a decade since Sin City (2005) mesmerized us, we are invited again to get drenched in pure artistic savage violence; an invitation I couldn’t resist.

sin-city-poster1The most awaited sequel – Sin City: A dame to kill for has preserved the legacy of Frank Miller’s comic book style imagery, typically high contrast black and white with occasional flashes of red, blue, green and gold.

Perspectives are stretched beyond belief and each frame has a unique story of shadow play.

And that too in 3D! (Though I personally feel the 3D technology doesn’t add much to such already-stylized films).

sin-city-poster2Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez have done it again but this time (though artistically as impressive as the first one) the story doesn’t have that sting in it.

The various interlinked plots that bind the screenplay are somehow deliberately underplayed; I mean as if it is a conscious effort from the filmmakers to keep things as simple as possible almost at the risk of being dumb.

But consistency is maintained in the department of violence. Every now and then throats are getting sliced, skulls smashed, enough chopped hands and heads and at the peak of it – an eye was taken out with bare hands!

sin-city-poster3-marvActors who managed to stay alive in the first movie still dominate the sequel – the brute force Mickey Rourke, seductive dancer Jessica Alba, the protector of the old town Rosario Dawson and the powerful senator Powers Boothe.

Even Bruce Willis makes his presence felt in a few scenes – now only a ghost of himself.

And then there is the sexy Eva Green, chirpy Joseph Gordon Lewitt and Josh Brolin (replacing Clive Owen) – the new lot who promise to commit every possible sin offered by the Sin City.

sin-city-a-dame-to-kill-for-poster-rosario-dawsonThe deadly Miho is also been replaced; Jamie Chung played the role instead of my favorite Devon Aoki.

But nevertheless every Sin City film is an unique experience, an artistic extravaganza, a pure delight for both the action film lovers and comic book enthusiasts.

In this sequel there is a bonus treat for us, none other than the sultry Eva Green and her fight for free-dom with the censor boards (of India).

 

Mary Kom (2014)

My Ratings: 3.2/5

Five-time World Amateur Boxing Champion Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom is Bollywood’s next pick for a sports person biographical film.

Mary Kom, a poor farmer’s daughter from Manipur, who from a very young age dreams to become a boxer though against her parents will; and finally creates history by being the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.

Indeed a story that is worth to be told.

But unfortunately I won’t prefer to call this film a proper biographical account of her life.

The hard-core facts of Mary Kom’s achievements hold the story together and make it look like a biopic but on the other hand the over-dramatization of the events of her life makes the film look like fiction.

I must confess that Mary Kom is not an exemplary film (Bhag Milkha Bhag and Paan Singh Tomar undoubtedly scores better) but still it has its heart in the right place.

And the credit goes to Priyanka Chopra for taking up the lead role with such conviction. Though the painted freckles on her non-Manipuri face doesn’t help but still Priyanka has successfully managed to convince the audience into accepting her as Mary Kom.

She has transformed herself – her body language, her accent and her athletic built (result of an extreme fitness regime) – Priyanka’s performance is the spine of this film and the sole reason to watch it.

A handful of emotional scenes that comes to the audience as real, otherwise the story-telling is pretty ordinary, the unnecessary need to create dramatic moments out of every situation makes the film a bit too filmy.

For example Mary’s father excitedly shouts inspirations to Mary while watching her fight live in the TV and exactly at that point Mary (who is in a different country) looks at the camera and seems to get the signal, and miraculously inspired starts winning the fight. Wow!

In another occasion Mary Kom after loosing a fight unnecessarily accuses the match referees of being partial to her just because she is from Manipur (without any previous context or hint of such state-wise partiality). Seems kind of out of place and deliberate.

Then again the cast of the secondary characters doesn’t look apt, especially Mary’s father, Mary’s husband Onler Kom (Darshan Kumar) and the worst – a stereotypical boxing federation chief Mr.Sharma.

Also I am sure intelligent editing could have made a huge difference to the film.

Directed by debutant Omung Kumar (one of the talented art directors in Bollywood) and produced by Snajay Leela Banshali; overall an inspirational story of a woman who never gave up her dreams even after becoming a mother and achieved great success and pride for our country.

A film worth a watch.

P.S – my humble request to all the recent filmmakers will be that if possible they can advertise the sponsored products in their films in a more subtle way. I mean it kind of degrades the class of a film when the main actors blurt out lines deliberately written especially for the sale of products such as Iodex and Sugarfree.

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxsKcx1IwI8

Upcoming Bollywood must watch Films

Upcoming Bollywood must watch films. Some of them are artistic and others very much commercial.

But i am sure each one will entice you with their unique trailer. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

So let the fun begin.

1. Margarita, with a Straw

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

Margarita-with-a-straw

Almost after a decade the director of Amu, Shonali Bose (my personal favorite) is back with her second film.

The trailer looks superb and Kalki Koechlin yet again amazes us with her exceptional acting.

Sonali Bose along with Nilesh Maniyar share the director’s credit. I didn’t get a proper poster for this film (probably not released yet) so using a picture from twitter instead.

2. Bang Bang

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

Bang-bang

Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif are back with a bang (a double bang actually), good news for those who loved their chemistry in Zindagi na milegi dobara.

The trailer promises an action packed film with dangerous car chases, gun fights and of course the dance numbers to entertain us.

Thrilling and fast paced, directed by Siddharth Anand and the screenplay by Sujoy Ghosh.

3. Monsoon Shootout

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJAMZQHA97U

Monsoon-shootout

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Vijay Varma in the latest crime drama based on Mumbai underworld.

Directed by Amit Kumar the film has already earned a name in the festival circuits.

The trailer looks good, very realistic and well shot. Anurag Kashyap being one of the co-producers i hope this film lives up to it’s expectations.

4. Haider

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xakmvJ0WPa4

haider

After adopting Maqbool from Macbeth and Omkara from Othelo, Vishal Bhardwaj is back with another Shakespearean play adaptation -Haider based on Hamlet.

Shahid Kapoor with a skull in his hand, Tabu, Shraddha Kapoor Irrfan Khan, K K Menon all geared up to present the tragic tale of Haider.

Hope the film is as good as it’s trailer.

 

5. Qissa: The tale of a lonely ghost

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORO6Zp0oHDU

qissa

Something unique and completely different from the trend, Qissa is a film that shows huge potential.

Directed by Anup Singh, the film has already been screened and applauded in many international festivals. Finally awaiting it’s release in India.

Irrfan Khan, Tillotama Shome, Tisca Chopra at their best; the trailer looks great, very well shot but doesn’t really reveal much.

6. Daawat-e-Ishq

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtsHlYO6TUc

daawat-e-ishq

Hyderabad in the background this one is Habib Faisal‘s upcoming film after his last two hits – Do dooni chaar and Ishaqzaade.

Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur make a fresh pair and are also good actors. Their chemistry will be the USP of this film.

YashRaj coming up with yet another romantic film and the trailer looks pretty cool.

7. Titli

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

titli

The film that competed for the prestigious Camera d’Or in the Cannes Film festival. 

Overall very natural acting, directed by Kanu Behl the film already has some rave reviews and a trailer that promises a lot.

A fresh cast who acted superbly and an unusual story line. Hope it can win over the Indian audiences pretty soon.

8. Happy New Year

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0mrzMQJMQ8

Happy-New-Year

The king Khan’s latest film yet to release.

After Main hoon na and Om Shanti Om the director Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan teams up again.

This time also joining the team are Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Boman Irani.

Hope this film brings a happy new year for us.

9. Ugly

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ougQY2-zpk

ugly

Anurag Kashyap direction and a very interesting trailer to watch.

A thriller, the story revolves around the kidnap of a 10 year old girl of an aspiring actor.

It’s raw and dark and it promises everything that we expect from an Anurag Kashyap film.

Personally a big fan of his cinema and eagerly waiting for this one.

10. Finding Fanny

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O86FUOrlkY

Finding-Fanny

After Being Cyrus and Cocktail, director Homi Adajania comes up with his latest film, a romcom it seems.

A very talented cast and so good acting guaranteed, shot in the scenic Goa in the background; the film looks like a lot of fun indeed.

Naseruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Panjak Kapur, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor – all driving around Goa to find Fanny i guess!

11. Sulemani Keeda

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdbxunrkZd4

sulemani-keeda

Very interesting concept and a fresh cast.

Sulemani Keeda is about two writers who want to make it big in Bollywood and what happens in their lives when they are given a choice between love, friendship and their career.

A comedy by debutant director Amit Masurkar which promises to win over the audience. There isn’t a proper trailer out yet i guess.

12. pk

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

PK

After his blockbuster hit Dhoom 3 Amir Khan is back.

And after his blockbuster hit 3 Idiots Rajkumar Hirani is back too.

Trailer not released yet but this is probably the most awaited film of this year. I am sure entertainment is guaranteed.

In this poster thankfully Amir Khan is wearing clothes instead of a radio.

13. Mary Kom

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxsKcx1IwI8

Mary-kom

A film based on the life of Mary Kom, five time world boxing champion; it’s about how she has challenged herself and achieved such glory.

Priyanka Chopra  playing the leading role  looks very athletic and perfect for the role.

Directed by Omung Kumar and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali the trailer promises a very real and entertaining film for the audience.

14. Rang Rasiya

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO576oIWuwE

Rang-Rasiya

Made in 2008, finally Rang Rasiya is getting a release.

Directed by Ketan Mehta, the film  seems to be on a controversial topic, it’s about an artist Raja Ravi Verma of 19th century who painted deities.

Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen, Paresh Rawal have done a great job, the film looks like a riot of colors. I am very curious about this film.

 

15. Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DWghUPBQg8

Kamaal-dhamaal-malamaal

Priyadarshan coming up with his latest laugh riot, the trailer looks hilarious.

Om Puri, Shreyas Talpade, Nana Patekar, Asrani, Shakti Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Madhurima Banerjee – as usual an array of actors and nonstop comedy.

If you are a fan of Priyadarshan films like me please add this film in your watch list.

 

See you in the theaters. Have fun.

Buno Haansh (2014)

My Ratings: 3/5.

Finally Buno Haansh released in Mumbai.

On Sunday evening the hall was packed with Bengalis (mostly family crowd) and for the Bengali community in Mumbai such rare Bangla film-releases are always occasions to celebrate.

And God knows we Bengalis like to celebrate loud and clear.

So, in-between the screening we constantly talk to each other (not necessarily about the film though), our phone rings like siren in the dark and we answer it without any hesitation whatsoever, generally a long conversation that ends with – ‘ami movie hall-e achi re, pore kotha bolbo … achaa achaa’ without even trying to fake a whisper.

Anyways the ‘adda’ must go on but for now let’s concentrate on the film itself. Buno Haansh is based on a story written by famous Bengali writer Samaresh Majumdar.

The protagonist Amol (whose name literally means 100% pure) is an exceptionally innocent boy (or rather a man). He belongs to a lower-middle-class family, works as a security guard in a shopping mall with minimal salary and has a girlfriend, Sohag who has cancer!

A perfect setup for Amol Kumar Biswas (Dev) to finally loose a bit of his purity and earn some quick-buck for the sake of his family members and his fast fading girlfriend (Srabanti Chatterjee Biswas).

But easy-money involves danger and risk. We find Amol being lured by his childhood friend in an import-export business (of course illegal) masterminded by the Madam (performed by Moon Moon Sen).

And soon enough our not so street-smart Amol gets mixed up with a girl named Rijula (Tanushree Chakraborty) who is nothing but trouble.

From the narrow lanes of central/north Kolkata to Dhaka (a sentimental journey), from the massage parlors of Bangkok to the dimly lit streets of Mumbai –Amol experiences a lot and his character graph takes a huge leap as the film races to its climax.

Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and writer Shyamal Sengupta has created a dangerous web to trap the innocence of any ordinary man like Amol who gets exploited in every situation until finally he revolts against the system.

Good music by Shantanu Maitro and decent cinematography by Harendra Singh.

But I feel there is a thin line between being innocent and dumb, and Amol’s character has crossed that line many a times in the film.

Then again our innocent Amol who seems to have problem in understanding the ways of the practical world somehow forgets to protest when Rijula casually kisses him and flirts with him (strange that his innocence never reminds him of his sick girlfriend Sohag!)

When it comes to acting, Dev has tried his level best till date, both Shrabanti and Tanushree did a good job,  Sohag Sen suited the role of Amol’s mother perfectly but Sudipa Chakraborty seems to have stolen the spotlight – very natural and convincing as Amol’s sister-in-law.

‘Dushtu lokera amaye Addy bole’ one of the corniest dialogues by the over-dramatic pimp enacted by Gargi Roy Chowdhury.

Overall a decent film but honestly Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Aparajita Tumi and even Antaheen were much better cinematic experiences than Buno Haansh.

Must go if you are a fan of Raima Sen to watch her cameo as a bar dancer!

Film trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co9XuQtEbj0