Saradindu Omnibus Vol I

It was with a thrill that I took up this volume as I was trying to find some stimulant to freshen up my damped mood. It was neary a decade that I re-read the stories but as usual it was a pleasant experience.

The content, as all the fans of Byomkesh and the author know by heart, runs as
1. Satyanwesi
2. Pather Kanta
3. Seemanta Heera
4. Makorshar Rash
5. Arthamanartham
6. Chorabali
7. Mrityuban
8. Upasanhar
9. Raktamukhi Neela
10. Byomkesh O Barda
11. Chitrachor
12. Durgarahasya
13. Chiriakhana

The super-sleuth (as Shri Sukumar Sen has aptly termed him in the introduction) of Bengali crime-fiction saw its culmination in Byomkesh Bakshi, the best detective ever created by a Bengali author, in my opinion. The thirteen cases penned by his companion Ajit Bandyopadhyay takes us through some exciting puzzles and murder mysteries that required the super brain of Byomkesh to solve. The author Saradindu Bandyopadhyay has never tried to portray his most famous creation as a superman but Byomkesh has been projected much like an ordinary Bengali guy but with a keen intellect that distinguished him from the others. The Byomkesh stories were woven on the fabric of the Bengali social structure and so never had it lost the realistic touch. Also the author has never compromised to use his literary talents to enrich the text but never for once had he been carried away and left the reader miles from the actual plot. The simpleness of the story telling and the distinctive features of the crimes have made these jewels of both crime fiction and Bengali literature as a whole.

Hari Koreche Pratigya

A drama by Sandipan directed by Kajal Chakraborty who also plays the part of the chief protagonist of the narrative.

The story is about Hari, who under the guise of domestic servants is always on the lookout to steal his master's jewelleries for his sweetheart Kusum so as to win him over from his rival Jata, another wooer of Kusum. But Kusum's craving for jewellery is neverending and so Hari is found to switch his job and his name to meet Kusum's needs. But Hari's inner self begins to protest and finally we find him at the crossroads where he gets confused to choose between the life of a common thief and the ascetic.

The chief part of the drama is humorous but the problem is that the entire presentation is marred with a very feeble direction, and loosely woven sequences. Added to this is the inadequate use of background score and stage lighting. The entire performance can only be labelled as average though the individual acting of Mr. Chakraborty as well as the persons playing the role of Janardan and Panu (& the eununch) are excellent.

Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam

A situational comedy starred by a fascinating cast of Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon, Rahul Bose, Mallika Sherawat, Zakeer Hussain, Tanaz Currim and Pawan Malhotra about how a drama company going by the name of Kalakar Natak Company saves a city from bomb blasts under the supervision of a RAW Agent, Arjun Rastogi.
The story revolves around the central plot of preventing a severe bomb blast masterminded by an underworld Don operating from Dubai. As RAW gets the information they starts immediate action but a blow to them comes when they discover that the agent appointed for the case is actually a double agent and is helping the terrorists. Then it is upto Arjun who uses the members of Kalakar Natak Company to help him protect the city.
Paresh Rawal is fascinating in his role as Udayshankar Mazumdar, the lead actor and a timid person in heart who rises to the occassion to take responsibility at the risk of his life to save his country. Kay Kay Mennos is also wonderful in his role of a gazal singer cum double agent and though his appearance is brief but he too breathes life to the movie. Mention must be made of Tanaz Currim who, with her distinct dialect, adds a special attraction. Pawan Malhotra is also nice, playing the part of a local goon and playing it correctly while Zakeer Hussain also plays his brief part succinctly. Mallika & Rahul, they are good, but it could have been better still!

Hijack

A hollywood style action packed drama reminding of 'Executive Decision' during the early parts and starring Shainey Ahuja and Esha Deol.

The story starts with the news that a terrorist group under the guidance of the mysterious Abdullah is will be trying to recover Rashid, another con man who had been captured by the police earlier. For this the terrorists stage a skyjack and in the process holds several people as hostages and starts killing them one by one as time passes without the Govt. avoiding their demands. Among the hostages was the little Priya, the daughter of Vikram Madan, the ex-pilot, now a demoted chief of maintenance, who had eralier lost his wife in another air-hijacking. Coincidentally the hijacked plane lands in the port where Vikram was currently stationed and thus began Vikram's ploy of rescuing his daughter and ensuring safety of the other passengers. In this, he is assisted by Saira, the air-hostess and together they carry out their plan to save the passengers and Priya.

The movie contains a good twist near its end and the first half is really quite exciting but the end is abrupt and oversimplified during certain sequences. Also it contains certain unnecessary songs that dilutes the main flow of the movie.

Via Darjeeling

A new concept, an unique last scene, 'down-to-the-audience' (coined the phrase to drive the meaning home) acting, these are the phrases I will choose to describe the classic. Added to this are the excellent acting of Vinay Pathak and Kay Kay Mennon! What more can you ask for?
The story starts with a police inspector, Robin, earlier posted at Darjeeling, now at Calcutta narratting one of his very curious experiences in Darjeeling at a gathering of friends. It was about a couple on their honeymoon at Darjeeling where the husband suddenly vanishes from their hotel room hours before he was to board the return train with his wife. The wife, who was at the bathroom, at the time of the dissapearance, consults with the hotel manager and calls the police and it was Robin who was given the charge to find the missing man. But Robin, after interrogations and investigations failed to find any trace of the husband.
The story serves as the prelude to the drama in which each of the friends in the gathering tries to find an answer to the mysterious dissapearance and though some of them go astray in their explanations, others manage some logical conjectures.
There is apparently no real climax in the story but the novel concept will keep the audience glued to the seat and the audience may identify their thoughts with that of the characters.
So I again say that those who like to experiment with their imaginations can enjoy the story as it not only is an excellent watch but also provides food for the brain.

Phoonk

My primary motivation to watch Phoonk came from a leading weekly magazine where the director Ramgopal Verma was quoted as saying he will give Rs. 5lakh to anybody who can watch the movie alone in a cinema hall. If my memory serves me correctly, the same type of award was promised to the lone watcher of the Hollywood horror movie Exorcist during its release. So it was with an exciting frame of mind that I bought the tickets for Phoonk!

Well after the movie the movie ended, I felt that Mr. Verma is going to lose several lakhs if his offer is really true. I was not only dissapointed but I just can't justify the classification of it in the 'horror' category.

Mr. Verma's signature sepia tones and close-up shots, this time could not bring back the suspense that we felt in 'Bhoot'. The story is loosely woven and the entire 2nd half is wasted on how an atheist is gradually converted to a believer in the Almighty and the sueprnaturals.

The story revolves around the little Raksha (Ehsaas Channa), the daughter of Rajiv (Sudeep), a construction engineer and a non-believer in God and religion and various rituals. But his philosophy is tested when Raksha suddenly started showing unnatural behaviours that is interpreted as the effect of Black Magic by Rajiv's aged mother (Jyoti Subhash) and explained as a psychological abnormality by Dr. Seema (Lillete Dubey). But Rajiv's concern grows as Raksha doesn't show any sign of improvement after being subjected to medical attention and gradually he gets converted into a believer. The story then turns to a good vs evil battle in which the followers of God wins over Satanic forces. The story is simple but the plot lacked the suspense that was characteristic of Ramgopal Verma.

Zakeer Hussain, the little Ehsaas Channa and Ganesh Yadav are the ones whose acting may be regarded as the only gifts the movie has produced.

Medical Murders

When the masters of their trade try their hands on heinous crimes the evillness surpass the ordinary sins and we witness horrible misdeeds taking place on helpless victims. Jonathan Goodman has portrayed some such incidences in this book where all the criminals have background of medical education.

The content is as:
1. The Jigsaw Murder Case by Jonathan Goodman
Here we find Dr. Buck Ruxton who killed his wife and her nursemaid (assumed to be the witness to the murder) and cut up both their bodies to pieces and bundled them away from home. It was probably the first time that an anatomist was brought in the murder case whose ingenious method of superimposing the X-ray images of the deadbody parts on a lifelike image of an actual photograph of the supposed victim identified the corpses.
2. The Wives of Dr. Bowers by Edward H. Smith
Dr. J. Milton Bowers poisoned his wives for the sake of money though some curious happenings forced the law to release him after more than three years of legal battle.
3. Poison of One Kind or Another by Harold Eaton
Dr. George Henry Lamson administered aconitine to get rid of his immediate crippled in-law to pave his way to his wife’s fortune but could not escape justice and was dragged to the gallows after being caught.
4. The Murder of Marilyn by Joan Lock
Dr. Sam Sheppard was held responsible for the murder of his wife who was battered to death by thirty-five blows to the head. Though it could not be proved but the various indirect evidences that had been put forward shows his participation in the crime. He got a release after serving ten years and died a natural death. The mystery still remains unsolved as to who was the actual perpetrator of the crime.
5. The Fatal Gambles of William Palmer by The Reverend Evelyn Burnaby
William Palmer was brought to trial for the murder of John Parsons Cook, a racehorse owner. Though the court verdict in his case was murder by administration of strychnine but the murderer, just before his execution, on his reply to the Governor, denied that he used strychnine and never revealed the actual truth. As a background it may be noted that in his early life Palmer had forged his mother’s signature to get hold of her money in the bank.
6. The Smethurst Case by Richard D. Altick
Dr. Thomas Smethurst, a retired medical man and a beneficiar to his late wife’s newly made will, was charged with the willful murder of his wife by poisoning. Though his trial was full of obstacles including the fall from grace of a renowned medical expert, but ultimately he was proven guilty of the grave crime.
7. Dentist in the Chair by Richard Whittington-Egan
The story of a psychopath, Arthur William Waite, a dentist by profession and a charmer by every other inches who poisoned his parents-in-law and cleverly managed to convince his wife of her mother’s apparent last wishes to be cremated instead of being buried. But he was not so successful after he murdered her father and was arrested and was directed to the electric chair at the age of 29.
8. Murder for Lust of Killing by F. Tennyson Jesse
The author here describes a typical class of murderers, those who loves to kill like Neil Cream who chose his victims among prostitutes and was caught due to his clumsy blabbering and his nature of sending letters to people at random accusing them of the murders he committed. In these letters he usually chose some random names and never followed them up. He was found guilty and was executed though he never confessed.
9. Doctor Satan by Rayne Heppenstall
Dr. Marcel Petiot was charged for the murder of 27 persons most of which he concurred by saying that he and his acquaintances, whose name he never mentioned, executed them in the name of the Resistance. He was found guilty and also he never could prove his alleged involvement to the Resistance.
10. The Polite Dr. Pritchard by H.M. Walbrook
Once again the case of poisoning, this time it was Dr. Edward William Pritchard who poisoned his mother-in-law and his wife to get hold of the former’s possessions. But he too was caught and hanged to death in the last public hanging at Glasgow. The author adds that even though Palmer was a murderer but his public image that he showed in court and during his execution was that of a philanthropist.
11. Mr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde by Thomas M. Mcdade
Dr. Bennet Clark Hyde got the benefit of doubt after series of mistrials following the charge against him of killing two of the family members on his wife’s side and planning to take over three million dollar estate by inoculating the whole family with germs of the typhoid. But he was set free and was stricken with cerebral haemorrhage and died in 1934.
12. Suddenly at a Nursing Home… by Fenton Bresler
Nurse Dorothea Waddingham and her lover Ronald Sullivan killed an aged lady and her spinster daughter who were kept under their care in their apparent ‘nursing home for the aged’ after the victims were manipulated to leave their property to them in their will. Waddingham got the death sentence but Sullivan was acquitted. He shared the property with the victims’ next-of-kin.
13. The Janitor’s Story by Albert Borowitz
Dr. John White Webster was charged with the willful murder of Dr. George Parkman over the issue of a loan that the latter had advanced to the former and was found guilty mainly on the evidences brought to light by the discovery of the body by the college janitor Ephraim Littlefield. Controversies still rage at large of the correctness of the verdict and the janitor's story but now they seem pointless as the convict got a death sentence though he never confessed of the crime.

The Godfather

As I started reading the novel for the 1st time, I just couldn’t help comparing it with the film version that I had already viewed innumerable times. So everytime I came across the characters of Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone, Tom Hagen, etc. I just couldn’t keep my mind searching for the image as portrayed respectively by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, etc. This continued till I came to Book III of the novel where I could tear myself from the comparison and could really concentrate on Mario Puzo’s creations.
The story revolves around the family of Vito Corleone, an underworld Don of New York who was forced to escape from his hometown at Sicily at a very young age following the murder of his father. In New York he took refuge in a rented home and started a family of his own. But fortune prevented him from a respectable living as he was forced to leave his job by a local underworld lord. Pretty soon he met the daring Peter Clemenza and the shrewd Sal Tessio and they introduced him to the world of smuggling at a very early age. Vito took the job in a fearless heart and very soon felt that the entire operation lacked proper organization. Meanwhile the local don intervened and tried to put a tax on their earnings. This infuriated Vito and very cleverly he staged the don’s murder and earned the respect of the entire area. This proved to be a turning point in his career as once the murder was committed he automatically managed to instill fear on the minds of his acquaintances. Thus began his illustrated career as Don Corleone in the underworld that culminated in his being held as the undisputed Mafia boss of the New York gambling circuit.
But problems arose in the form of mob war that included the infamous Five (Mafia) Families and the Corleones in their dealings with the upcoming illegal trade of narcotics, the future of smuggling. As Don Corleone refused his help in its introduction, attempt was made on his life that sparked the mob war which led to several members of the Corleone Family including Sonnie, the eldest son of Don Corleone getting killed in the way and Michael, the youngest son, being forced to leave New York. Thus Don Corleone was compelled to come to an agreement on giving security to the narcotic trade and made the return of Michael easy enough though a further attempt on his life could not be prevented that cost Michael to lose his first wife and sealed his destiny to become the next Don, inheriting his father's business. With Michael’s return the Corleone family started consolidating on their massacred empire and in the process many new faces like Rocco Lampone, Al Neri were given more responsibilities. Once the groundwork was done the family planned to move to Nevada and thus the strategist Michael planned for a deathly blow to the enemy. Traitors were identified and killed. The structure of the family was given a new shape. The security was strengthened and Michael was directed by the great Don before he himself passed away. Thus the Corleone family was once again on the verge of supreme power and the readers are kept glued to the words till the very climax.
The author has not only excelled in his description of the operation of the underworld but also the few places where he had detailed the gruesome murders, keep the reader horrified at the brutality of the underworld. But amidst the cruelties of the Mafia world, strangely the Sicilian’s love for their family makes a surprising contrast to this gory atmosphere and I nioticed that families have been given the 1st priority in any dealings. This shows the bondage of the members of the Sicilian Mafia families and their aim of a secured and powerful community for their children.At places, the author has introduced sub-plots involving Johny Fontane and Nino Valenti, Lucy Mancini and Jules Segal, Al Neri, who were closely related to the Corleone family, and in some of these the reader may find a bit disracted. Also portions revealing the more personal life of the characters could have been shortened, if not omitted altogether, that wouldn't have caused any harm to the actual theme.

Khela

A Rituparno Ghosh directed film on a fresh and original storyline with a fitting cast of Prasenjit, Raima Sen, Manisha Koirala and the little Akashneel Mukherjee with an appropriate guest appearance by Rupa Gangopadhyay. Though the story is a fresh one but its effects are only volatile and although the audience won’t feel bored during the viewing of the movie but will refrain to bring it as a part of any serious conversational topic.
The main story is about a movie director, Raja Bhowmick, who apparently can go upto any extreme to recruit his ideal cast. This is made evident by the fact that even though the production finalizes on the child actor to play the lead role in his next movie, Raja carries on his search for a better and a more ideal person. Thus he meets Abhiroop, a primary school-goer whom he feels can play the character correctly but is met with the obstacles while convincing the parents. But fortune favours him as Abhiroop, obviously thrilled by the idea of casting in a movie, hatches a plan of his own kidnapping and requests Raja to take him away fro the six-week long shooting. Raja is at first not so convinced but his perfectionist mind get the better of him and he carries Abhiroop from the his school to the movie site though assuring the child leave a note to his parents about his plans.
A sub-plot also evolves where we find Raja leaving his wife, Sheela, at his sister’s house for the sake of the movie. Here the selfishness of Raja is felt clearly as we find that though Sheela craves for a proper family life with children but Raja always shies away by the mere thought of it.
Thus begins the sequences of film shooting interspersed with a series of flashbacks featuring Raja and Sheela’s married life. These episodes end with the boy running a high fever towards the end of the shooting schedule and the simultaneous arrival of Sheela’s draft for the divorce suite with Raja. Thus as the shooting crew leaves for home, Raja is left alone with the bed-ridden Abhiroop and the decision for his future conjugal status. Though the film ends in a happy note but certain small details remain unexplored.The little Akashneel plays a very jolly role and deserves special mention as also Manisha Koirala in her touching characterization of Sheela Bhowmick. Raima Sen also plays her part nicely though the requirement of her role remains a mystery to me. The best point to note is that Prasenjit, if can be handled by a good director, can portray a very realistic image of the character he plays.

Apsara Theatrer Mamla

A not so very well known but quite intriguing Satyajit Ray’s Feluda story based on mysterious disappearances and murders of stage actors tuned to the rhyme of today’s scenario by Charbak and directed by none other than Sabyasachi Chakrabarty who plays the lead character of Feluda. The play may be thought of as a tribute to the golden days of the Bengali theatre projecting the devotion of the artists as a part of its theme. Though the essential facts remained the same as the original story but sub-plots relating the producer’s desire of selling up the Apsara Theatre to an estate promoter much against the determined wishes of the performers and the director has been added, as has been the inclusion of female characters in important roles, a rarity in Feluda stories.
The main theme is a sudden disappearance of the lead actor of the Apsara Theatre followed by a murder of the replacement after three months thus considerably jeopardizing the proposed show schedule. Several motives evolve and Feluda is held in confusion to the real identity of the criminal. I won’t give away the story but will surely point out that two equally significant motives have been introduced that was not in the original story. The play is not only an entertaining watch for the Feluda lovers but also serious critics may find in equally enjoyable. Special mention must be made of Kheyali Dastidar, who not only plays a character that was not in the original story, but plays it better than all the others. Sujit Ghosh, playing the character of the greedy producer, is also a new addition to the plot but he also is superb in his role. The third best performance, according to me, is by Subir Roychoudhuri as Jatayu who excels in his role and I think Sandip Ray can now think seriously of casting him as Lalmohan for any upcoming Feluda movie. The stage and the scene plans are also superb that is best noticed in the scene where the murder takes place in a dark lane in front of a taxi. Light has been expertly used to project the various moods of the story as it progresses. On the whole, a pleasant watch and a nice tribute to the golden past of the Bengali theatres.

Mere Baap Pehle Aap

Normally a Priyadarshan movie with Paresh Rawal can at once set the audience looking forward to at least two-and-a-half hour of constant laughter. But quite surprisingly fun is not the main theme this time. Priyadarshan’s composition must be given credit as he brings forward a very serious social problem, that of remarriage, and presents it to the audience wrapped up in a package of merriment. Though at places the movie is quite side tracked and main theme unfolds only after an hour but the presentation is nevertheless quite nice. Curiously I can’t say that any of the principle actors have acted wonderfully but the entire presentation is quite good. But even then mention must be made of Nasiruddin Shah who, though makes a guest appearance, but adds to the gravity of the story considerably. Also Archana Puran Singh, playing the part of the lady police officer excels in her role.

Three Men In A Boat

A hilarious novel by Jerome K. Jerome, aptly described by Anthony Armstrong as a comedy full of ‘calculated exaggerations’ in the introduction. This is possibly the most notable contribution of Jerome K. Jerome to English comedy. Actually intended to be a tourist’s guide of the Thames, the humour of the narrative got the best of it and what we received was a priceless piece of literature. It was quite a long time that I re-read the book but the fun seemed more and more fresh as the chapters commenced one by one.
Basically the story centers three friends, George, Harris and the author himself who, bored with their monotonous lifestyle, plans for a fortnight’s boating holiday on the Thames. What follows is a hilarious epic of fun, laughter and mirth that not only freshens the reader’s mind but brings to light the comical side of everyday happenings that remains hidden in the shadow of our apparently serious attitude to life. The beauty of this classical piece is that though set in the background of England, but the theme of the story has surpassed the boundaries of regions and has never gone beyond happenings that are actually quite ordinary and commonplace.The piece is blended with notes of some historical sites along the Thames and vivid description of nature at places adds to the richness of the text.

Jane Bhi Do Yaaro

An enlightening 1983 comedy directed by Kundan Shah featuring Nasiruddin Shah and Ravi Bajwani as two professional photographers, Vinod and Sudhir respectively, trying to set up business in the city of Bombay. But their plan of a successful inauguration of their studio is met with no response from the prospective customers. Thus began their ill lucks in the business till they met Shobha Sen, the editor of a daily 'Khabardar' that is popular in exposing corruptions.
Shobha, played by Bhakti Bharve, appoints them in a covert operation to extract information on the secret dealings between a dishonest builder, Tarneja and the municipal commissioner D'Mello. Also they are asked to keep a lookout for Ahuja, another corrupt builder who is supposed to be a rival of Tarneja. While gathering informations, the photographer duo stumbles upon some snapshots that shows Tarneja killing D'Mello. The duo then launches an investigation on their own but they couldn't locate the corpse.
Meanwhile in a humorous situation we find the coffin containing the corpse is being taken home by the drunk Ahuja while remaining unaware of its actual content. In the meantime Vinod and Sudhir realizes that Shobha is playing for money and so they tries to search for the corpse on their own. But the information of the whearabouts of the corpse reaches all the persons at the same time and it becames the centre of a race where Vinod, Sudhir, Tarneja, Ahuja, Shobha all takes part. The photographers ultimately recovers the body with the others in close pursuit and in order to dodge them, Vinod and Sudhir enters a theatre hall. Situations forces them as well as the others to take part in various scenes of the ongoing drama of Mahabharatha and from thereafter it follows a hilarious episode with the tale of Mahabharatha geting twisted to the great enjoyment of the crowd and at a later stage a part of Salim-Anarkali act being acted in the middle of Mahabharatha.
As police arrives on the scene the photographers explain them about the murder but the end of the movie is a surprise to everybody and it proves to be a classic in the hindi movie world.
At times the humour of the movie seems to be a bit stretched and forced but the clever acting of Nasiruddin Shah and the ever vibrant Satish Shah blended with the natural acting of Om Puri and the finer touches of Pankaj Kapoor, it never is boring and the story & screenplay writers, Sudhir Mishra and Kundan Shah must be praised for the wonderful storyline. This yester year movie is really a cellector's item.