Amazon Abhijan

A tribute to Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhayay, the movie is the next episode of the Shankar franchise as created by director Kamaleshwar Mukherjee who is also the writer of the story. This time Shankar is on the quest to discover the lost land of the El Dorado guided by an incomplete map on the request of an Italian anthropologist, Anna Floriana wanting to revive the spirit and save the honour of her pianist father Marco, in heart an adventurer, who failed once trying to look for the city. His previous expedition saw him losing his entire crew as his boat capsized and he was at the mercy of the jaguars but for a miraculous escape, thanks to the apparently mythical Virgins of the Sun who saved him though he passed out soon after that. So he had returned empty handed. Heartbroken Marco had turned alcoholic and had lost all hope for another adventure. Unable to bear this pitiful condition of his father, Anna had sailed to India to meet Shankar, already famous for his African explorations, to ask his help in the adventure. Shankar agrees and all starts gearing up for the adventure.

But here, the movie turns curiously detuned with a staccato of events which are thrilling and full of old world romance but the cohesiveness of the film fails drastically. The geography is carefully narrated, the route explained in details, the dangers of the forests are displayed, the tribes are portrayed in details but the adventure itself lacks clarity. The storytelling fails after sometime. The reason for the adventure never seems convincing. The completeness is severely compromised by floating a vague idea in the closing sequences.

A wonderful part of the movie is the picture portrayal of Shankar and Anna's journey from the homeland to meet Marco which deserves applause.

As compared to the previous movie, this movie only improves on the cinematography, scene selections. The animal lovers may give a hard thought for allowing live animals in movie as the animations are quite evident that does not do justice to the rest of the scenes. The hunting of the Boa is never realistic. The adventurers are once shown diving with the robust apparatus that was natural of the age but their previous luggage never suggests them to carry these along with them. Knowing fully well the food will have to be sufficiently selected, it is hard to understand why rations fall short. The unnatural way of passing out after the Virgins of the Sun show up is never explained. Why a doctor lives in isolation in a house in a lake is also never taken up. The mix of languages is also not correct always. Another curious thing is why the adventurers did not clean their teeth even when staying at camps of tribes.

So for the beauties of nature, the detailed picture of the Amazon, the film will be a treasure but to get the thrill of adventure it will not be a correct choice.

The Eye of Osiris

The case starts with the disappearance of a man suddenly with evidences found to indicate his presence in at least two places last but nobody seems to have a clear idea of where he visited last really. This seems to be a problem with his relatives due to the oddity in his will which makes it necessary he be found. The case becomes more complicated when after about a couple of years some human bones are found in several places that resembles the structure of the disappeared but there is not enough to have a definite idea. Also slowly doubt creeps in minds of people about foul play and subtle accusations stray publicly. So it remains upon the forensic expert to come to the rescue which he does but the twist remains that keeps him in the audience seat.
A story with mystery but with a romantic perspective that may sometime feel a little too much for a detective tale. The element of classics prevail dominant throughout and forensics only fill in the necessary gaps. But the slow yet steady rhytm characteristic of a serious crime drama remains always. Though the narrative is like any other of the series centering more on howdunit rather than whodunit but the surprise will surely be why done it in this case which is splendidly realistic yet horribly peculiar.

Kanchangarher Kokilsir

The terrifying master of Mathematics is himself terrified of his own voice. As remarkable as it may sound that is what had happened to the angry arrogant Sir of Kanchangarh Boys' School that keeps him literally dumbfounded as whenever he tries to speak there seems to be a risk of his voice being punctuated by a cuckoo blurting out notes at random. As he is trying to recover from the shock, it seems he is not the only one with a problem. The closed ones are crestfallen. Several doctors fail to diagnose the cause of the disease and infact one of them sets off a chain of events leading to another hilarious episode. The headmaster is also at a confusion to find students failing miserably by the question set by this veteran Sir. Added to this is the surprise visit of the strangest of inspectors. But the solution to all seems quite at hand. As the logical mind seems to grasp the root of the problem the message is loud and clear. The author styles a unique way to convey the joy of spreading joy among folks. A story for the young but it will surely be as good to the others.

The Mysterious Mr Quin

The elusive Mr Quin makes his presence felt whenever there is mystery involved. Be it murder or romance, the subtle hints by him seems enough to Mr Satterthwaite for unravelling the intricate puzzles of life. His sudden introduction in The Coming of Mr Quin seems just perfect as the story not only solves a long awaited cause of death but it also unveils threat to the love that stands on a delicate pier. In the next a double murder occurs and Mr Satterthwaite has only the clue of The Shadow on the Glass to solve the crime beyond everybody's doubt. A chance meeting At the 'Bells and Motley' seems to save the innocent but a peculiar clue lies hidden in The Sign in the Sky that leads relief to the well wisher of the falsely accused. It is more a romantic story of The Soul of the Croupier but mystery still remains for Harley Quin to guide Mr Satterthwaite to light. The sudden appearance of The Man from the Sea again seems God sent as Harley Quin directs Mr Satterthwaite to join two estranged heart as tragedy looms right throughout the narrative. A melancholy feels the air starting from the sinister The Voice in the Dark followed by The Face of Helen but whereas serious crime is solved in one it seems to be averted in the other. A painter draws The Dead Harlequin which attracts Satterthwaite and curious events follows while The Bird with the Broken Wing seems to reveal a mad criminal hidden behind the veil of respectability. Rolling precariously towards The World's End for picnic seems to be fated for something more and the Harlequin's Lane offers the solution to the eternal love for the heart that bleeds.

The unique creation of the author seems to bind romance and mystery in a way never found elsewhere which is intense yet enjoyable.

The Birth & Death of the Sun

The mystery of the universe especially that of the Sun which is ushering on us the blessing of light, warmth and the whole gamut of energy possible, always fascinates the inquisitive seekers. How was the Sun born, what gave it its shape and luminosity, what is happening inside it, how does it affects other bodies, what is the future of the Sun are a few of the questions that may haunt many. The astronomers through the ages have probed into the mysteries with observational facilities having large telescopes. The scientists have theorized several possibilities. Stars were categorized, origin of elements studied, trajectories of galaxies explained, expanding universe was conceptualized. The book details all these serious concepts laced with humour. With his signature style, George Gamow has narrated one of the most difficult of studies with the ease of a master artist. With three chapters devoted for the basic required for the understanding the stellar evolution was explained in the most simplest of the ways without compromising on the science. With analogies the author has made the readers understand the physics of the universe. The history of the journey of science as it explained the Sun and other stars also is written. The energy that is fuelling the universe is also described. In the climax is given an application of the immense energy that lies dormant in elements. The book is riveting though requiring a bit of concentration sometimes.

The Singing Bone

Named after one of the chapters in the collection of short stories it actually summarises the concept of the narratives. That the simple clue, which may be easily overlooked sometimes presents the critical solution to the investigator so as to rip the mystery apart, is the fundamental basis of forensic deductions. But the major difference that these mysteries present, is as briefed in the preface, is the inverted way of presenting the cases. Yes, excepting the last, all these are inverted detective fictions. Thus the four, The Case of Oscar Brodski, A Case of Premeditation, The Echo of a Mutiny, A Wastrel's Romance are presented not in the light of who did it but more correctly how they did it. The tiniest clue, the merest coincidence, the microscopic evidence, the chance remark, the curious oddities, all are utilized to the fullest and with seriousness to narrow down the events and pinpoint the perpetrators. It is true that not apprehends the criminal, which frankly speaking will be surprisingly satisfying, but in each case the happenings are completely explained. Infact, the theory put forward by the detective is so close to the actual events that the error is negligibly small. Contrasting to these four The Old Lag is a proper who and how done it where Thorndyke actually takes an interest in unmasking the villain rather than stopping at unravelling the mystery only. Related partly by Jarvis, all the stories presents a humane part where the evil rather than criminals is punished. With proper mix of romance, with Polton assisting as required the anecdotes are charming yet thrilling. The forensic investigations will hold the appeal heightened by the inverted way of relating the events that though makes most of the criminals revealed at the beginning yet keeps the suspense of finding out fashionable enjoyable.

Kiriti Omnibus Vol I

The readers will find the detective, mysteries, adventures, strategies everything but what makes them apart from others is the superhuman ability of the sleuth and the mysterious ways that clues are obtained which actually steals away the delicacy of true mystery tales. The volume introduces the arch enemy Kalobhramar in Kiritir Abirbhab but the major problem is sometimes intuition seems to play a major role than actual intelligence. Also the characters are far too romantic and seems only too ideal to be true. But this was not the case in Chokri and Bouranir Beel where the pace is very sluggish at the beginning but they converge at enjoyably fast pace in the later part with thrilling consequences. The short stories Rahasyabhedi and Harer Paasha are also quite nice but several queries remain unanswered though the mystery unravels in each case and villains unmasked.

Sita: Warrior of Mithila

The second in the series, this novel explores the life of Sita considered to be the Vishnu by Viswamitra led Malayputras. As remarkable as the revelation is to Sita, her rise as Vishnu seems not free of secrecy and challenges. While the Vayuputras seem to giv a nod to Vashistha on his selection of the Vishnu, the adamant and formidable Viswamitra thinks otherwise. In the midst of it all is the threat of Ravaan and his cruel tactics to win over every kingdom that tries to rise respectably. The Nagas play a critical role in all the events and several confusions are cleared. The novel also gives some hint about the cause of the rising enmity between the once bosom friends Vashistha and Viswamitra but keeps space for more to unfold. There remains places where repetitions are there as evident from the nature of the series but it is welcome no doubt. The author actually, in the introduction, acknowledges that the third in the series will explore the life of Ravaan after which will converge to the point where the clash between the titans will start. But here there is also much to unfold. Surprising twists abound the chapters where battles are waiged amid tensions. But inspite of the thrill there is some glaring mistakes in the storytelling. Based on mythological characters, the names of places could have been made a bit  more ancient and realistic as do some of the events which seems more modern than real. But having said these it must be said that it is quite unique yet enjoyable.

Back from Dead Inside the Subhas Bose Mystery

The mystery that has puzzled numerous Indians for decades seem to divulge more than the eyes could discover. The 1st in the series, Dhar explores the twisted reportings and tries to unearth a secret that may reveal several dark features. Among the murky waters of Indian politics there lies a secret that is curious yet extremely dangerous. The curious disappearance of Netaji seemed to have posed questions to many. If he actually died, why the reportings were delayed of an important personality? What happened to the INA treasure? Why India remains silent about the list of war criminals? Why some persons became multimillionaire overnight and why a monk seemed to hold key to everything? I have read the sequel to this book earlier which compelled me to buy this one but this proves to be more intense with its reportings. Starting from the fateful day that Netaji plans escape from Japan the narrative climaxes with the appearance of the peculiar monk Bhagwanji at UP. Full of details acquired through extensive research, the book converges logically and poses several questions to the readers. Several in the arena of Indian politics have come up enquiring about the disappearance of the great leader but each time the culmination seem far from satisfactory. But the book has pointed out to a certain pattern in the behaviour of the loyal followers of the man with the lion's heart. An oath so strict that the followers pledged that what Bose told would be followed till the person himself asked them to do otherwise. So it is very obvious that if he asked someone to hold the truth it will be held stubbornly till the next order comes from him. So if Habib-ur-Rehman told that Bose died in plane crash, then there remains a chance that Bose might have proposed his lieutenant to tell so. It also seems natural that if Bose turned a monk and asked his fiercely loyal followers who came in touch with him to not divulge the secret it will be not be made public. Going like this the book make certain revelations that will seriously cause some inquisitiveness to the honest soul. So this might serve as the stepping stone to solve a mystery that have eluded investigators for decades.

Kiriti Omnibus Vol IX

Dr. Shri Naneelal Sen’s Introduction is by no way less mysterious as the other selections in the volume as the web of words that is woven will cause much suspense to the reader’s mind and is best kept for the last as spoilers might act obvious spoilsport to the stories.

Of the four stories that it contains, both the novels Kaalohaat and Chayakuheli are no doubt sincere novels in their own right. Including them as mystery stories will do grave injustice to the plot as well as unfortunately to the genre too. Reminiscent of Kalobhramar, the 1^st one is a mystery where people related by their past gets killed one by one but a curious turn of events and chanced acquaintances help the sleuth to catch the perpetrator. Actually there are two plots in one which is cleverly unraveled by Kiriti, thanks to his hand getting the right clue at the right moment. So though some disappointment is in store but its absoluteness makes it a nice thriller in its own right. The 2^nd one starts with a curious will and an even curious case of false identities that make the police dumbfounded and the law at a stalemate. It again remains on Kiriti to solve but though a fantastic mystery was woven but the solution with an even more fantastic coincidence makes it a touch unrealistic and quite definitely robs it away of its charm. The short story Mrityubish, on the other hand, is a regular mystery story which starts with a tragedy of death of twin children. Written from the perspective of Subrata, the deaths are though confirmed to be case of poisoning but there seemed to be no clue to the perpetrator and the mode of poisonings. The case was presented long after the last rites of the body and so armed with only the police snaps of the deadbodies, the clues are unearthed and criminals apprehended. The other story Padmini again starts with a promise of mystery but its final pages actually do not complete to solve the mystery but only to close the story.

Recommended for its thriller like plots the mystery lovers may feel a bit disappointed though the classic edge of the stories will have to be acknowledged.

Rusty Comes Home

Rusty returns home from London to settle while carrying out his writings. His beloved hills and the country has in store for him several interesting adventures that he narrates to his readers. He yearns to return to his hometown to see how the cosy nooks have changed. In the process he meets several characters like a disabled child, a poor and frail boy, ladies from the hills, the eccentrically evil uncle, the boy who leaves with his family in his old house, a jinn who can extend his arms as long as he wishes. Behind the curtains, the author weaves some wonderful tales of pathos tinged with humour where the losses are depicted such impersonally that the readers will feel the melancholy mood yet will stay captivated by the lucid flow of words. There is an instance where the author narrates the tale of a tiger to a young lad while asking him to complete after he stops. The most invigorating part is, the author weaves the story with several reliefs in between that too are so gripping yet he disallows the central plot to be shifted at all. He leaves the story with a hint towards its finish. But the listener makes an optimistic twist literally keeping the life of the story still beating as it completes. Filled with several such awesome stories the book is made even more lively by the illustrations of Archana Sreenivasan. Breathing puffs of fresh air the book will complete with a longing for more.

Raater Gaari

The enthusiasm that it brews in the opening chapter quickly turns rather mundane as the mysterious element vanishes fast. This can best be said to be a suspense novel where it remains to be seen how the plot converges. Gupta in his signature style uses his artistic skills to mix suspense clad in the armour of the riches with a touch of the English aristocracy which had found appeal till some times back with its subtle remnants holding still.

A man regains his lost memory of his earlier days that torments him of the injustice he was subjected to. As he returns among his old acquaintances in disguise he plots revenge. But an innocent life is at stake. It forces him to use a curiously ingenious approach. It required lots of  money but which he already had in his new life has presented him with. So it remains to be seen whether he succeeds in his ploy. The story is woven fine but with some Gupta type flaws where it seems the protagonist is miraculously aware of the minds of the evils, coincident help the suspense like some badly directed film. But the best part is the story converges realistically that is melancholy yet satisfying.

Wrin

A rich heiress gets murdered at her own residence after giving a party on her return home from America. She was stabbed with knife twice. The murderer breaks several perfume pots to confuse the sniffer dogs. Thousands of dollars are stolen from her purse.

But was theft the only motive? Was it not revenge by her divorced husband who had been insulted long time back and now is the sole custodian to the immense wealth by quite a curious turn of events? Or is it the cousin, the next of kin, a shy lady who apparently inherits the riches suddenly.

But as Sabar investigates several important points turn up. The dead father seems to have a secret of his own. The diary of the victim seems to provide more insight to her thoughts as it changed over the years. There is also a seemingly comic friend, a characterless yet avid womanizer, who seemed to have some feelings for the victim. There is also a lover with whom she eloped at the prime of her life but did not continue. Finally there is a mysterious lady who was seen with many but nobody seems to know her correctly.

A thrilling suspense based on human psychology that is smartly woven but a snag remained as to how the identity of the mysterious lady was converged as there was never any clear way to establish whether it was one lady or two ladies.

But it is really a satisfying novel from an author less knows for mystery fictions. After completing it there will surely be yearning for more like it.

Hemendrakumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXVIII

With a collection of short adaptations for the young, non-fictions, humourous accounts, eerie tales and detective short stories, the main attractions are the article and historical anecdote sections. Mining from old ‘Mouchak’ volumes, several collaborators have put forward their sincere efforts in the making of this compilation who are acknowledged by Gita Dutta, the editor at the very beginning. Most of the articles contains references to the original publications of the pieces. The collection is categorized as

·        Galpo

§  Ati-Chalaker Kahini

§  Rip Van Winkle

§  Chobir Guptadhan

§  A(n)dhar Raater Atihi

§  Batabi Lebur Kirti

§  Jujur Bhoe

§  Parvat-Dahan

§  Surya Devatar Purohit

§  Bagher Chokh

§  Buno Galpo

§  Jayatu Jayanta

§  Bahadurer NIrbasan

§  The Outcasts of Poker-Flat

§  Kistimat

§  Dulur Bulu

§  Raktapanja

§  Kaler Kabale

§  Agantuk

§  Romanchika

§  Bajle B(n)ashi Kache Ashi

§  Bank Dakati

§  Agantuk

§  Jagrata Hritpinda

§  Jesa Deoge Tesa Paoge

§  Chelebelar Ekdin

·        Prabandha

§  Amar ‘Mouchak’

§  Natun Banglar Natun Kobi

§  Jagannathdever Guptakatha

§  Hollywoode Takar Pahar

§  Kalo Ghushir Bahaduri

·        Aitihasik Upakhyan

§  Rakta Patharer S(n)ataru

§  Mriganayan Mahishmardini

Another very interesting aspect that can be seen is that Hemendra had narrated tragedies in such a way that children can accept it without compromising on the seriousness of the events. He conveys his intense abhorrence to historical wrongs but these seem incomplete as basically being anecdotes for the young readers, the author has kept the references at a bare minimum.

Colonel Samagra Vol XVI

One of the most boring of the Colonel volumes but for one that is short crisp and just as you begin to guess the criminal, the person is unmasked. Yes this is the story Kaktarua Brityanta that is just as Jayanta tells is completed in a very short time. The next best is the Apeman Rahasya which involves a sighting of a huge ape in three corners of the country followed by violent killings in two occassions and so the daring adventurerer in Haldermoshai start exploring the farthest cities while Colonel takes Jayanta to the nearer one where he expects to draw the curtain. Haldermoshai also holds cue for another incident Andhyakarer Nayak which is too much complex in plot that seems not worthy of the actual mystery that it has in store. A bit similar in complications is Lalgarher Ratnapetika that is narrated by Colonel which interestingly adds to the misery like always. As the Colonel with Jayanta takes on a scientific treachery coupled with murder in Rahasya Jakhan Samudrik it become obvious about the nature of the crime though Jayanta is here a remote observer and not an active member of the adventure.

Rup-Mareech Rahasya

This is one of those books which I read after seeing the detective on screen. Though the couple of stories that are included here is not that is televised still, but it has not been disappointment. Sabar investigates murders in both and solves it in his signature style which is unique than many standard sleuth stories. The analyst in Sabr gathers the intel through his sources but mainly his main emphasis is on the psychology of the crimes which allows him to pinpoint the criminals. The style of the story is again a wonderful variant of the author where dialogues are only used to narrate the story. The sinister ambience is created in a signature style that is not only thrilling but intelligent as well. Infact the first story Rup has a classic twist finally that reveals the human Sabar and the second one Mareech shows how nobly ruthless Sabar can be. A nice volume that will actually prompt the readers to keep up with more sleuthing stories.

The Man in the Brown Suit

The story is a novel that is both mystery interspersed with romance. The signature Christie twists abound but for the finale which actually is a bit disappointment. But the great novelty of the plot is in its storytelling that surpasses any in the series that I have come across so far. Written partly from the perspective of the sleuth Anne Beddingfield it narrates the other part from perspective of another interesting character. What it does is that it kicks in a contrasting humour to the central plot that makes it an enjoyable entertainment. The villain actually proves to be the best part of the novel not only by the character but for the ingenuous way the person evolves in the story. So besides the disappointment at the final chapter the book will be a great pastime.

The plot starts when the adventure loving Anne suddenly confronts a man getting electrocuted at the underground platform which seems a bit odd to her due to something she senses. A second death of a woman nearby also seemed to be linked to the incident that she witnessed. Thus, armed with only a seemingly laughable amount of money Anne embarks on a journey for adventure, career, travel and a thirst to solve the mystery. The dangers that poses in the way will keep the suspense heightened to the extreme. Recommended not only for the story but for collection as it actually has the touch of the classic in it.

Colonel Samagra Vol XI

The volume contains

• Andha Bibheeshika

• Bhuture Baagh

• Operation X File

• Manikin Rahasya

• Neel Saraser Pichane

It mixes some eerie adventures with some curious murders. But in each of them the jolly old man solves them in style. However, the narratives are written in different ways. While the leading one is from the perspective of the third person, the next three are from the viewpoint of Jayanta and the finale is from the retired colonel’s records. Haldermoshai features in some adding the much needed relief but on one there is an unwanted jibe at a critic’s views which compares the trio with various detectives of renown and their associates. This actually cheapens the novel’s value but except this one the others are more or less nice. An uniformity in the protagonist’s behaviours, though depicted from the standpoint from many, is something to be applauded which shows how the author cares on the detailing. But this is contrasted in the use of same dialect for all that seems all the characters to be somehow related. A social shadow is cast on each of the stories that tries to provide quite a realistic touch to each.

Rusty The Boy from the Hills

Once more reading through the early life of Rusty gave a feeling of serene India and her beauty. The boy that grew up with his grandparents mostly, lost a mother to divorce, half lost his life during war, lost his father all of a sudden and almost lost his home, did not ever lose the spirit of life. This is the true essence of Rusty stories where humour and tragedy goes hand in hand which never feels out of place. The love for the land where he was born seems to pull Rusty always towards his home whenever there lurks a chance to draw him out to places far away. In this book Rusty presents a wonderful narrative of how he grew up in his childhood among his nature loving Grandfather, his rationally optimistic father, his eccentric yet harmless uncle and above all his loving Grandmother who made his life complete in his childhood. With them it actually helped the child to grow to a young boy who could be happy with the simple ways of life that infused him with strength as well as hope for the coming uncertain future.

Dwi-Baibahik K(n)ata

If acute loquaciousness is the downside of the story multiple twists at the climax is certainly credit to same. When a case of bigamy turns up corpse in the residence of a renowned businessman resulting in arrest of a salesgirl then it remains upon a cool brain to unravel the knots of the mystery. A fast paced novel with a thrilling courtroom drama leaves all but the prime sleuth in awe. With subtle cheatings during the unraveling, the narrative is supremely enjoyable as well as intensely suspenseful. Interspersing passion with mystery the author presents the anecdote with his signature style and acknowledges an obvious mistake in introductory explanations without which I would have failed to notice it.

A Short History of Nearly Everything

The book had been recommended by one of my very senior colleagues and it proved to be a most worthwhile and enjoyable item. Nowhere ever had I found a more enjoyable narrative of the history of earth and its evolution. With a lucid flow of language some of the most defining discoveries of the world as we know have been described. The events that prompted a finding, the snubbings received by a few, the interpretations of some that may well have been otherwise explained and some actions that obliterated the last of the evidences, these are but a few of the facts penned in minutest detail in this wonderful anecdote of the history of the planet earth. Funny yet serious the book will humour thoughtful readers.