It is after a very long time, that I am seeing a period film in Bengali be so beautifully portrayed. Since Uma, I am kind of developing faith in the director and actor duo Srijit and Jisshu Sengupta.

This movie is all about Jisshu, and boy does he shine. Frankly I have been watching his off-late films pretty halfheartedly because he wasn't being appealing at all with his acting chops. However, Ek Je Chilo Raja just catapaults him to a different level altogether.

He looks very much the Raja Mahendra Kumar Chaudhuri he is supposed to be, both in terms of his looks and mannerisms. He does have the physique for it, which definitely works in his favour. Also surprisingly he has managed to learn the tongue of Bangladesh very well indeed. It is a matter of credit, for getting the dialect of the other half of Bengal is not an easy task especially when you have had to speak in straight tones all your life. The other thing that is commendable about him is that he speaks Hindi very well indeed! Well there is nothing too great in being able to speak this language, but what is great is being able to hide your regionality while you speak it. People will definitely add the tone of their language in whatever language they speak, but Jisshu has garbed his Bengali roots incredibly well when he speaks fluent Hindi as his changed avatar Naga Sanyasi Sundar Das. Right from being a man who cannot turn down his sister or grandmother, to being a womanizer and directly asking a maid in his palace if she is having her periods or not, to being an absolute marksman in terms of hunting, to being a generous man when it comes to his subjects' well-being, Jisshu has done it all with panache.

Now this tale is based on a real character Raja Ramendra Kumar Chaudhuri or popularly known as the Bhawal Sanyasi since he was the Raja of the Bhawal estate. He was known for his conquests with women, a womanizer at its best. Yet he was a man who cared, not for himself but for everyone around him. He was wronged, he was very very wronged. And amidst all that he faced, there was just one point that bugged me. This point was brought forth of course, given the rational person Srijit Mukherjee is, and that is if a man is really good, then how can he be a man who stayed stooped in women like as if he is intoxicated by them? Is it that women who weren't part of the family could be treated as playthings and that this behaviour was a pardonable crime? It did appear so. However, it just irks me to see that a man who was so loved by his people, a man who worried for his wife's repute and his sister's concerns, could also randomly look up an innocent maid and tell her to come to his room at 8 p.m. Everyone does have two sides to them, a good one and a bad one as well. But this person's bad side was overlooked for the good that he did. But this bad side of him isn't a minor error in his personality, although it was considered to be so probably back in the days. Nonetheless, the man did redeem himself of this bad repute, he was a changed man after a stage in his life.

In this film, I cannot talk about anyone but Jisshu Sengupta 'cause he has shown himself in an absolutely different light this time. It was heard that he had vehemently refused to take on the makeup of a Naga Sanyas and had to put on weight before this film. Even though he was against it, being an audience I can say that he pulled it off very well indeed. The makeup in this film happens to be very crucial. Raja Ramendra Kumar Chaudhuri had unattached dangling earlobes, and since this film has stuck to the details of the original as much as possible, Jisshu had prosthetics for his earlobes but alas it was so understandable that it was an attachment to his body part. Wish the quality of it had been better. It just steals away a patch from the authenticity of the character's physicality.

I enjoyed watching the film, and it is a film where your heart will reach out.

Mine did especially when Raja Mahendra Kumar says, 'Ami Raja... amay Rajar moton morte dao.'

To begin with let's say that Drishtikon is a thriller with a different approach. It is not the quintessential gruesome murder, with several people behaving suspiciously to let you point fingers at throughout the film, with sporadic shooting of bullets and hour long chases.

Off late there has been a rise in the making of short films. Right now shorts are hot! They are a rage in YouTube. Regional languages are making scratches in this arena, and I feel proud to say that directors and production houses in Bengal are making an effort to gain prominence over here.

That the film was made with a lot of brain behind it, is a given. But like people say too much of something is never too good, Meghnad Bodh Rohoshyo is an example to support this testament.

Anik Dutta is a well read and knowledgeable man. He tried to put an intellectual touch to his thriller. It is different from the thrillers we see from the Shobor brand by Arindam Sil, and the Byomkesh and Feluda styles as well. You cannot clearly label this as a thriller of now or a thriller of then, like you can do with the others. It is a mix of both the worlds. There aren't any songs or terrific background music to give that somewhat extra plus to the audience. Songs in a detective film really find no meaning, but they are just there to give the audience something more to nibble on. However some nice spine chilling background music has always been loved. This isn't a fast paced crime film. It is a film which takes its own sweet time, a good 30 minutes more than it should have. It has a slow Miss Marple feel to it all. In fact, slight tones of anglicism are also noticed. Like the play on the name of Asimavo (the protagonist or antagonist? Or both? That's for you to find out) with Isaac Asimov, Asimavo spending a major portion of his life in Oxford and Indrani's daughter having lived mostly abroad.

The character build ups were fine, everyone was at the top of their game, dialogues were well written, but why did Anik Dutta include the paunchy detective and his sidekick for absolutely no reason at all? This entire scenario is like reading the big fat The Book of Rules, trying to absorb it and follow it till you feel you can, and then flinging the book right out of the window because well, fuck this shit. This is what exactly happened in the film. Someone disappeared, so bring the cops in, make them go about asking awkward questions to everyone, show some loopy alibis. Justified. Did the cops really have to be this dumb? You want to show that a detective need not always look sharp and suave. Fine. True that being a sleuth is not based on how you look but how you think. So in that case shouldn't the cops have an ounce of intellect about them? About the way they talk? Ignoring these, if introducing those two cops was a matter of bringing some comic relief into the otherwise serene film, then it is a fail again. Because the only reaction the duo could illicit from the audience was misery. All we could think of when they were on screen is when would they NOT be on screen. Even if the cops were brought in, where did they vanish? In the middle of solving a crime, they were pretty much sent poof into thin air. And surprise surprise or maybe no surprise, who is made to untangle the mess? Abir Chatterjee again. Yes, no doubt he is our favourite sleuth in the state right now, but give him something else to do as well. The detectives were brought in just for the sake of some rationality rules that are demanded for certain arenas, we understand. We also understand that Abir needed to be given a meaty role so this is what the director allocated him. But there should be something to bind the entire plot together, something which links the scenes and the characters. Sadly this wasn't there and it clawed away a MASSIVE portion of the charm this film could have otherwise created.

Moving on from the bits that irked us to the bits that we liked. Sauraseni as a new comer was pretty good. Her acting chops are in place. Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Gargi RoyChowdhury are veterans, so a good performance from them is nothing but expected and that is what they deliver as well. Vikram Chatterjee was good too.

If you would like to know about how the film ends, then being the most optimistic as far as possible, it definitely could have ended better. It almost gives you hopes and then snatches it away from you and leaves you with a slightly unsatisfied filmy soul.

However the way in which the name of the film has been justified is nice. Figuring out who is Meghnad and who is Bibhishon in this tale, on a rainy evening is worth one watch.

For those of you who have missed this movie in the theatres, you can catch it in Netflix here

Absence of Jatayu

One of the major blows of this movie is the absence of Jatayu. Sandip Ray has directed Double Feluda because the two stories based on which the movie is made does not feature the weak and simpering crime novelist we have loved since Sonar Kella. Also there is a strange myth associated with this character. Whoever has played this role has faced an untimely death. Santush Dutta, Anup Kumar, Rabi Ghosh and even Bibhu Bhattacharya, all died in their 60's due to heart attack. Some say the role is cursed, but who knows. Jatayu has always been an integral character, his dialogues will always be remembered but sadly at the present moment there is probably no one fit enough to slip into his shoes.

Benuda is our favourite Feluda

He may be ageing whereas the Feluda in the books is still young, but imagine if Satyajit Ray was gracing us with his presence now, Feluda would have aged and Ray would have approved to take Benuda on board. Sabyasachi Chakraborty with his baritone voice does full justice to the character. His pragmatic persona is definitely on point.

Brimming House of Talent

Is Gaurav Chakraborty. Watch out for him. He is an actor to reckon with.

Lack lustre

The film was like bland food. Easily digestible and smooth, no spice to keep up the suspense. A detective movie demands to be edgy and Double Feluda failed to do so. It is just that the ensemble cast did their bit. The rest fell flat.


It is an average watch. A movie dedicated to 50 years of Feluda deserved to be better. Way better. You will forget what you saw once the lights are on.

Winter evenings infused with some crime and mystery is all that the soul wants and Arindam Sil gives us the perfect concoction of it on celluloid with Byomkesh Pawrbo.

Diving straight into the nitty gritties of the movie without further flourishes, director Arindam Sil will grab your attention and glue you to your seat in the very first scene, giving you the 'this is going to be a good one' feel.
Bikram Ghosh deserves special mention for coming up with the spooky background music. More often than not, background music plays an integral role in the development of a scene. This was one of the strong points of Ray's films. He knew what to play, when to play and how to play. And Arindam Sil has learnt the trick.

Abir Chatterjee is our favourite sleuth undoubtedly and the fact that he is growing sharper and sharper as a detective, is evident in his every move. He is the perfect bangali detective one could have ever wanted.

Rwittik Chakraborty also happens to be fitting the role of Ajit incredibly. He has caught the character very well.

Sohini Sarkar is a lovely Satyabati and the requirement of June Malia's role couldn't be justified. She was just there for the sake of being there.

Kaushik Sen is an impressive actor by all means, but getting to be the villain in all the movies, kinda spills the beans before the devil is revealed. You already know that he is going to be the villain, and that cliched head turn is no longer required. A new villain would be fun to watch and would keep the suspense in all probability.
 
Rudraneel proved that he is an actor to be reckoned with, when he slips into the body language of an old wiry man so easily.

Eerie scenes are littered throughout the movie, especially the scenes of the cloaked man riding a dark horse in the dead of the night.

It will not be exaggerating if the movie is called to be a total package of gripping stuff, 'cause it is replete witch catchy songs and thrill. The songs are not out of place. You may be wondering what are songs doing in an edgy detective movie, but you gotta watch it to know why they are sitting prettily where they have been placed.

All in all this movie is the best Byomkesh seen so far. It will clearly satisfy your crime-craving soul.

                                   

A catchy name + A fetchy plot = Eagoler Chokh.

The L.H.S of this equation is director and co-producer Arindam Sil’s success formula.

However,

A catchy name + A fetchy plot – The excess intimate scenes = A Possibly better Egoler Chokh.

In many stories sex and intimacy are of immense importance. Here, in Eagoler Chokh physical relationships play a vital role, but to retain its essence it could be a little restrained in terms of its number. The beauty and authenticity of romance or raw sensuality is kind of lost in the repeated love making scenes. Nonetheless there were some shots where the craze for human touch was well portrayed, like in the hospital where Bishan kisses his wife, the moments steeped in lust expressed with just a look or a loving caress and when the 15 year old Bishal was getting to know the skin of a woman for the first time.  But some of the other intimate scenes came out forced and at times seemed unnecessary.

To say it directly Eagoler Chokh is a very bold movie. No subtlety involved at all. 

Coming to our straight-to-the-point sleuth, ACP Shobor Dasgupta, Saswata Chatterjee couldn’t be better. The letter S stands for quite a few things – Smart, Sharp, Sincere, Sarcastic, Scintillating, Shrewd and many more and all of these are there in S for Shobor. His serious attitude peppered with a little snappy humour makes him even more fun to watch. Even though he is shown to be a being devoid of tender feelings, the glimmering drop of tear at the corner of his eye when he talks to Shivangi for the last time shows that he does have a heart.  

Anirban Bhattacharya as the rich and deeply flawed entrepreneur Bishan Ray delivers an appreciable performance. His profound drawl definitely added more drama to his character. 

Rita Fernandez, Nandini, Jahnabi, Shivangi Roy and her sister Shyamangi, the women involved with Bishan, have him entwined around their little finger. His life is toyed around by these women who themselves are tortured with their obsession regarding him. 

Arunima Ghosh didn’t have a considerable screen time, but she made her presence felt whenever she was on there. Didn’t let the character of the protagonist overpower her. 

Joya Ahsan as Shivani Ray seemed genuine, especially when she stared blankly and stuttered her first words after waking up from coma. 

Nandini played the scheming seductress pretty well. Payel Sarkar is turning out to be an ace in these roles. 

Ushoshi Sengupta debuts with this film and puts in a good effort. Her character is a surprise. 

Gaurav Chakroborty has honesty written all over his face, precisely the reason why he made such a suitable choice for playing the role of a gentle and austere police officer. We have usually seen him in emotional roles, causing a bit of a surprise when he was seen walking in the whites.

To end it all, the music accompanying the thrilling chases was very composed and talking about the chases, it was an immense delight in seeing crisp chasing scenes which are not elongated just for the sake of extending the movie.   

This second feather in the Shobor hat is worth a watch.  The end will leave you stunned.

For those who have missed it in the theatres, watch it in Prime Video now!

A lot of cuss words, a lot of sleeping with this person, that person, with him, with her, murder, murder and four more murders.

Its as if scotch, money and lust is what all life has to offer. While some may agree that these are ALL the best things in life, there may be some people who believe that these are nothing but some of the best things life gives us. I, happen to support the second group. Too much of blood, sex and alcohol make this movie very, very stifling. It overpowers the flimsy plot of the movie. The obvious saga which will come to the minds of many supporters of the former, is Game of Thrones. I would gladly like to point out that despite the gore and skin show Game of Thrones has an amazing plot as a breather, something which this movie grossly lacked. All Shororipu did was drown our sensible side in alcohol and stab our intellect over and over again.

The twist at the end comes as a total surprise. The surprise is so terrifically dumb that no one could have seen it coming. This script was surely the aftermath of a night soaked in scotch.

Even though Shororipu is regarding the seven sins which involves love, lust blah blah, it could have been portrayed with a sensible story line and not by something just strung along. After every passing minute, I thought OK, there will be something worth watching in the next scene maybe. I was disappointed, to say the least.

Dhee Majumdar and Rudraneel Ghosh came as respite. If you sit on your seats, you will sit for them. As the young Shekhar, Dhee Majumdar has a small role but he does justice to it. Effortless acting on his part, accurate expressions and perfect usage of his baritone voice. Rudraneel Ghosh is a wonder. The timid manager, to calm blackmailer, to a pretty good singer (the male voice in that pointless but peppy item number is his), Rudraneel Ghosh as Shubhankar Nandi was lovely to watch. Chiranjeet Chatterjee as the sleuth Chandrakanta brought a certain sharpness to his character which is commendable. Koneenika Banerjee, as the simpering and nagging assistant was watchable. Sudipta Chakraborty however seemed too loud and definitely overacted her part. Indraneel Sengupta didn't make a mark, but at least he didn't make us cringe so it was alright. Rajatava Dutta is a veteran actor so a brilliant performance from him is nothing but expected, nonetheless the kind of character he tried to portray probably calls for a different cast. That smile of his with his wide open eyes may send chills down your spine though. Sohona Saba, well, she can do better than this, hopefully.

The only scene which will bring a hint of smile to your face is when Chandrakanta says 'Kani ebar ektu popcorn niye esho toh.' and the lights are switched on for the interval.

An average film with a very clumsy end is what all I can say about Shororipu. 

Nandita Roy and Shiboprasad has been raising the bar over the last few years and with Bela Sheshe they had set a benchmark for themselves.

Praktan lives up to the duos much deserved fame.

The two directors have set up a style. They bring back an old pair and narrate a story of two people in a way that makes the audience feel like its their life on celluloid. It is their ability to choose a particular string of the heart and strum it in ways that will make your eyes swell.

Rituparna Sengupta is an architect, an independent modern woman, loves her man so deeply that fails to recognise that her success brews jealousy in his heart.

Prasenjit Chatterjee is a middle class tour guide running his own business, has a busy schedule, actually a romantic but doesn't have time for his wife, is dominating, prefers to be the knight in shining armour and wants his wife to be the damsel, not in distress but always dependant on him.

All goes well at first but love flies out the window when money matters come barging in through the door. Prasenjit's character Ujjan oversees the love of his wife when she gifts him and thinks its her attempt in showing him that he doesn't have standards like hers. Rituparna's Sudipa tries to get her husbands attention by making compromises, by planning trips from her own pocket just so that the two can spend some quality time together, but doesn't understand that her attempts to draw him near are actually pushing him away as it hurts his self esteem.

Sudipa's last attempt to salvage their marriage goes in vain and the two separate.

The entire film is set on a train ride from Mumbai to Kolkata and is shown on the basis of a conversation between two women. The two women being Aparijita Adya and Rituparna Sengupta.

On the side we have a group of four musicians in the train to bring in a light note with their music, otherwise the movie would have been a tad bit too dour. We also have a newly married OTT couple, Biswanath Basu and Manali Dey, coming back from their honeymoon and an elderly couple, Soumitra Chatterjee and Sabitri Chatterjee, returning to Kolkata after a visit to their son's family.

 

The reason for showing the three married couples is to show the stark contrast between the various stages and types of marriage. The young couple returning from their honeymoon shows the enthusiasm, love and concern a couple share at the start, how they don't realise that marriage isn't always a smooth sail. The elderly couple shows how love and loyalty stands the test of time and stay together till the end. The two women show how mistakes can make a marriage go wrong and how they can be rectified given a second chance and a change of heart.

However a particular aspect was a botheration. Here they showed that a woman who is driven to make a successful career is the one who is refused to lead a smooth marital life, and the woman who forgets about herself and thinks that the sole reason behind her existence is to serve her husband and care for her child, comes out successful, makes no sense as such. What were they trying to say ? That a woman after marriage needs to let go of all her dreams, and just be a thing in her in-law's house to be pushed around ? A working woman wishes to have a husband and child as well. They are not devoid of feelings just because they earn money and wish to make a mark in her life. Whenever Sudipa told Molly that she has learnt a lot about life from her, learnt that compromises are required in a marriage, I couldn't help but feel a little agitated. Why does the compromise need to be forgetting who you are ? Why should the compromise be one sided ? Leaving the job isn't a compromise. Its a sacrifice. Learning to figure out some time for your loved around your hectic schedule is what is required.
This is the only complaint I have regarding this film. The message which came across is not appropriate.

The climax and the end is something that I shall not reveal. It is for you to find out by hitting the nearest theatres. All I can say is that it is a lovely portrayal of the past and present. The last scenes between Ujjan and Sudipa and the last line by Molly(Aparajita Adhya) to Sudipa will either leave you with a smile or with a tear in your eye.

The music of this movie is praiseworthy, especially the the songs Bhromor and Tumi jake bhalobasho. After you leave the theatres hunt these two on the net and play it on loop. For sure.
As for the acting Rituparna has showed a different dimension to her performance after a long time. Aparajita Adhay though natural and effortless mostly seemed a little loud at parts and Prasenjit has lived up to his name definitely.

When I was told to buy tickets for this movie I was pretty apprehensive about how it would turn out, but thank God I did or else I would have missed something this awesome.

Let me first tip my hat for Kaushik Ganguly as he dished out a spooky plot, remarkable direction and outstanding acting. When we see an actor on screen we do realise that he has slipped on the skin of a character but for Kaushik Ganguly you cannot say that. You actually clap for him when he murmurs 'Ami jokhon boli je bonduk thik ache tar mane bujhben je bonduk ta thik e ache'. It felt like he is Timir babu in real and reel life.

Special credit for the costume designer who put together Abir's look cause he looked smart, elegant and delicious. Coming to his performance, this is probably one of his best so far. He fit the role of a brigadier perfectly. The way he showed his angst, his disgust, his distress, his constant desire to win and the final display of passion for his wife whom he has spurned for long was stunning. He is clearly honing his acting skills.

We see our wonderful and beautiful Raima again. Her performance is commendable and the fact that she looked pretty goes without saying. She has definitely done better than what she did in Mon Chora.

Parambrata Chatterjee, our ever dependable actor did very well as the gentle but sharp baastuman Kushal.

Churni Ganguly too puts in a very appreciable performance as the deranged Antara, the elder sister of Abir, who hasn't recuperated from the loss of her husband and son in a car accident.

Cinematographer Gopi Bhagat needs to be mentioned, especially for bringing forth the charm and beauty of Darjeeling.

This is a movie based on relationships which is actually a surprise cause the title doesn't suggest that at all.
Bastushap is packed with lots of thrill and romance and since it is presented so well, do go and give it a watch.

Based on the story Banhi Patanga by Saradindu Bandopadhay this winter Arindam Sil gives us a racy pacy Byomkesh film for our regular dose of much needed thrill.

The movie rolls and enters Byomkesh Bakshi with his wife Satyabati and his author brother Ajit Bandopadhay who are greeted by Inspector Purandhar Pandey in the holy city of Benaras.

Abir in his dhuti panjabi attire and with his smartness and sharp intellect remind us of our olden golden rich bangaliana. His clear cut words and no nonsense attitude reiterates the fact that he is the perfect choice for portraying a sleuth.
Sohini Sarkar gives us a cheerful Satyabati who is demure, intelligent and adds a  certain cuteness to her personality.
Ritwick Chakraborty, the sidekick of our detective as Ajit Bandopadhay has the edginess of a creative mind and also provides some comic relief at times in such a sombre background.
Harsh Chhaya draws an endearing picture of Inspector Purandhar Pandey who plays an ideal host to our family from bengal.

Now comes Inspector Rathikanth Chowdhury marching into Purandhar Panday's residence to invite him to Deepnarayan Singh's palace for a gala night. Having guests over, Purandhar Pandey politely declines the invitation, but Deepnarayan Singh's generous hospitality is extended which is why our trio too are invited.

Deepnarayan Singh happens to be a rich, powerful zamindar of Benaras around whom mysterious tales are woven especially about his second wife Shakuntala Singh, played by Nusrat Jahan. Rumours say that he has married Shakuntala, a woman half his age, by his own will and against hers.
Whatever the rumours maybe Adil Hussain as Deepnarayan Singh will leave a mark on you even with his short screen time. That voice. That smooth talk. Those titbits of bangla. Many bong women can be heard sighing whenever his face is on screen. Though Nusrat Jahan needs to hone her acting skills, she cut a very beautiful picture throughout the movie.

Night falls, guests come pouring in and a beautiful mujra is presented by Koneenika. Meanwhile Inspector Rathikanth comes in with the news of a robbery in Dr. Pannalal Palit's, the doctor who gave Deepnarayan Singh a new life,modest dispensary.
And that is when the mystery knocks at our detective's door.

Appreciable performances rule all over but we miss the way in which Byomkesh Bakshi slowly unwinds the facts before his audience. Here the revelation is narrated a bit too fast by Abir which bereaves us of enjoying the moment where we are left aghast.

Cinematographer Soumik Halder has beautifully captured the wondrous Benaras in his lens.

Bikram Ghosh deserves special mention for his music direction. Well placed catchy songs are always welcome in a good film.

Over all Har Har Byomkesh makes for a satisfying watch.

PS: Spoiler alert !!! A painting plays a pivotal role here and at the end you will find a scene which is a total rip off of Jai Baba Felunath. Director Arindam Sil says that it is a tribute although. And for the ones drooling over Abir Chatterjee, you will find him romancing his lady love here.

Watch it here in Amazon Prime, if you have missed it in the theatres!

Mon Chora, seems like a low budget attempt in romance by Sandip Ray. Nonetheless barring some errors, it is quite watchable.

Abir Chatterjee and Saswata Chatterjee save the movie from turning into a snooze fest. Saswata once again shows his brilliance by being the meek Monu, who can even kill for his lady love Miss Lily. Abir is slowly turning out to be the ultimate detective and romantic hero. He has a certain sharpness in his mannerisms which is very refreshing.
Raima Sen shimmers through the movie as Nanda and tries to follow the foot steps of her grandmother Suchitra Sen in the way she flutteres her lashes and in her dialogue delivery, but she kinda falls flat on that. We have seen superior performances from her and expect much more. We needed more life from her and less of the plastic stuff. She could have positively been better if she gave more of herself and tried to imitate her granny less. Though it wasn't a terrible attempt on her part, we would prefer seeing a Raima than another Suchitra.
June Malia shines as Miss Lily and she did what she does best, drinking and seducing men. That's all that she has been doing lately, on screen that is.
Paran Bandopadhay too was in his usual comic self.

Sandip Ray may have inherited his father's foodie genes, which is oh-so-evident when we have Paran Bandopadhay relishing his dinner with his doting granddaughter Nanda (Raima) watching him lovingly and saying 'Pudding er jonno jayega rekho kintu' in the opening scene, but he has his father's large shoes to fill in the suspense sector.
We have seen him primarily direct Feluda movies and whatever non-Feluda movies he has made all have a thriller element in them. Mon Chora too has a whiff of suspense, which is one of the highlights of the movie. But the thrill present in the original story of Saradindu Bandopadhay could have been delineated better. The major draw here lays in the charm of innocent love and that is depicted modestly by Abir and Raima. And there is a surprise at the end which you cannot possibly guess and will be thinking of throughout the movie.

The movie has a very 80's feel to it with the exception of a single iPhone only. If winter spells romance for you and reminds you of long lost days then you can positively drop in a nearby theatre and give Mon Chora a watch. Despite its flaws it will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling with your partner by your side.

(Image source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

Directors Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy have depicted a slice of regular married life on celluloid and managed to tease the tear ducts and touch the hearts of the audience.

They say marriage is all about togetherness and dependency and it intertwines the lives of two individuals for eternity. But what happens when love, the pivot of a functional marriage, seems to look bleak? Following this regard a plethora of questions are thrown at the spectators - Is it necessary to stay together despite the differences and difficulties? Is the sole purpose of marriage to raise children? How important a role does physical intimacy play in marriage? For how long does one compromise? And most importantly, is love ever lost? Battling these questions and many more, the grand old pair of Soumitra Chatterjee and Swatilekha Sengupta beautifully portray their emotions through the journey.

Biswanath Majumdar(Soumitra Chatterjee) is the owner of a flourishing bookshop and wishes to explore the world whereas his wife Arti Majumdar's(Swatilekha Sengupta) world begins and ends with her husband and family.
Biswanath feels that the time has come for him to make an announcement and tells his wife that their entire family should be present during the Durga Puja. Arati is of the idea that her husband has finally decided to call out his will and rings up her children. The entire Majumdar brood arrives and have immense fun during the Puja as it is a long time after which the entire family has gathered together. On the last day, Dashami, Biswanath declares that he is no longer interested in continuing his relationship with his wife and is in need of a divorce. He is married for 49 years and this change in his mind leaves his children shell-shocked. Myriad reactions run through the family ranging from anger,accusations,resorting to superstition and finally to suspicions of Biswanath having an affair.

On being questioned, Biswanath unabashedly says that he is not happy in his present state of marriage. He thinks that he is bound by responsibilities to his family and cannot get any time to look after what his heart wants. He wishes to see the world and cannot do so with his wife. He needs to be alone for his ventures. He says that Arati has always served the family and seen t.v serials but never given him any special attention. He is of the opinion that he will be doing her a favour by this divorce as she will learn to be independent in his absence. However he says that his wife is at no fault for his decision,that he shall always cater to her financial needs and is ready to hear whatever she says.
When the matter reaches the court, Judge(Barun Chanda) cannot accept that a marriage of 49 years can come to such an end and refuses them a separation. He advices them to take a few days off and spend time in each others company. In the court scene Arati delivers a memorable line. She says that through out her life she has accepted her husband's decision complacently, with a smile on her face. Even when her husband has embarrassed her before her children by openly conveying his desire to separate, has harassed her by bringing her to court after 49 years of togetherness she is expected to accept all this with a smile on her face.
On the judges advice the couple decide to go to Shantiniketan but Arati is adamant on taking the entire family for this trip. While the aged duo evaluate their conjugal bond in this trip, their children who are troubled by their own marriages as well retrospect their situation also. As a result one husband stops complaining to his wife about their lack of physical intimacy and realises that there is more to a married life, another learns to respect his efficient wife, a wife starts to value her husband and ends her extra marital affair and a young couple manage to find their love in the midst of their busy lives. The younger generation realise the importance of matrimony at the cost of their parent's separation. At this point of time even the viewers rethink about their marital status and wonder when was the last time they had complimented their other half or spent some quality time together?


(Image source: indiablooms.com)

When the aged two revisit their memories Arati gives a piece of her mind to her husband. She lists the number of times and the various ways in which he has disappointed her over and over again but never let him realise that. To her husband's question regarding a habitual boring life she says that whatever she does for him has become her habit and this habit of hers is not because she is a dutiful woman, it is because she loves him deeply. Caring for him and her family is what she loves, this is her habit. Incidentally this hits true for everyone in this world. We all become someone's habit and someone becomes our habit and the wheel runs smoothly and mundanely when we know what is about to happen after what. When this flow stops life gets derailed and that is what happened to Biswanath Majumdar.
He thinks he can avoid inflicting further pain on his wife by staying separately but this is the greatest blow he ever gave his wife. He stays back in Shantiniketan with his manservant and lets Arati go to Kolkata. She fulfils his dream of her turning into an independent woman of the world but Biswanath realises that what he tried to chase is nothing but an illusion. The solitude that he craved now suffocated him. The fact that he could no longer take refuge in his 49 year old habits became unbearable for him. He comes back to his wife, who with tears on her cheeks, says that he should die before her, for she can manage without him but he cannot live without her. On this note the couple reunite and the heart-rending tale comes to an end.

The movie has exhibited stellar performances by all the actors especially Soumitra Chatterjee, Swatilekha Sengupta and Kharaj Mukherjee. Soumitra Chatterjee's acting appeared effortless and Swatilekha Sengupta could not have been more real. Kharaj Mukherjee's brilliant comic timing was one of the highlights of the film. Lastly the movie has a strong message that marriage requires time and patience, it is not something to easily give up on and that there is a particular appeal and magic to a married couple's 'boring love'. Actually movies like this can help in the survival of several marriages.

Watch it here in Disney+ Hotstar if you wish!