Jato Kando Kolkatatei

Topshe turns Feluda in this hunt for a mysterious treasure that traverses Kolkata, traces a few steps back in Bangladesh and touches Darjeeling and Kurseong as well.

Saba from Bangladesh arrives at the Roychowdhurys in Kolkata with the story of a lost lineage - the story of her maternal grandfather. Queerly enough, a letter, very important but lost accidentally from the Roychowdhurys, traced its way back to the mansion, roughly simultaneously. The letter embeds a message via a deceptive riddle that hints at a mysterious treasure, hidden in a secret recess.

The adventurer in Saba is immediately aroused. But she needed a guide. So enter Tapasmitra aka Topshe, a seeker of old history by passion. Thereafter, starts their quest that attempts to solve the strange case of a disappearing couple, recover a secret treasure and in the process, stumble upon yet another mystery of a murder from the past, which was never really solved. Bonding over their common admiration of the great Ray and advised by Bodhida (their very own wise old Sidhujetha), a retired cop, erudite but sadly crippled, Topshe and Saba dives deeper through the past while averting threats to their present! With a motive to crack dormant mysteries, the journey puts forth unforeseen twists.

Anik Dutta weaves a tale with tribute to Satyajit embedded. Touching several Feluda novels and references, the screenplay (Dutta and Utsav Mukherjee) is fast and pleasant. The theme is further augmented by the opening score of Debojyoti Mishra that blends Mozart with Ray and sets the mood readily from the initial moments. But, somehow the grip is lost midway, maybe due to certain forced dialogues and events that appear to be less rational but only being nicely coincidental. However, Abir Chatterjee is brilliantly refreshing and imbibes correct enthusiasm almost throughout the movie as the theme demands with his spirited act. Ably supporting are Mithu Mukherjee and Dulal Lahiri with their performances, characteristic of seasoned veterans. But the sweet composed role of Aparajita Ghosh Das deserves a special appreciation for her emotionally correct composure in a role that she played with the perfect poise and balanced dignity.

The movie is thus a good choice to watch but falls short of being remembered and though suitable for the young adults but parental guidance will be advised for the audience comprised of the mildly matured batch.

picture: Arghya De

The Eken: Benarase Bibheeshika

After Ray penned Joy Baba Felunath and quickly crafted a movie based on the novel, the sacred city of Varanasi turned to a city of mystery for the Bengali readers and the addicts of Bengali films.

So much so that Arindam Sil relocated his adaptation of Bahnni-Patanga to Benaras in Har Har Byomkesh, a marked difference from the original as penned by Saradindu Banyopadhyay. Thus we had both Feluda and Byomkesh solving a case apiece in movies at least here, reaffirming the status of the place as a city where mystery brews.

Following the tradition, Joydip Mukherjee takes Ekenbabu through the city this time to solve mysteries. With a tribute to Ray and his creations and with apparently a subtle Byomkesh touch, the case surrounds a plot that endangers the city.

Based on the story of Sujan Dasgupta and scripted by Padmanava Dasgupta, the thrill starts early with a blast that rings alarm among the police while grips the heart of the audience with suspense. As the blast is traced back to Belal Mallick, the infamous crook, the authorities anticipate further strikes. As his presence is felt in the city, the police and the agents of the Special Task Force start to sieve through each avenue to apprehend Belal, feared for being an explosive expert and famed equally for being a skilled specialist of disguise. 

As the moments gradually turn tense, Ekenbabu and Bapi accompany Pramatha to Benaras on a sudden invitation of Pramatha's friend, Subimal. Subimal eagerly invites the trio to their mansion that he shares with his uncle, Bireshwar but their visit seemed not too cordially accepted by Bireshwar's very young wife, Damini.

A collector of rich antiques, Bireshwar perceives that he is being robbed of his prized possessions and wishes Ekenbabu to look into the matter. But his frequent loss of memory, resulted apparently due to the aggressive treatment of his cancer and a sense of secrecy that he maintains, prevented him to elaborate on his ideas.

Smelling a scent of something fishy and hot on the trail of smuggled artefacts, Ekenbabu curiously gets embroiled in the search for Belal and gets to peek in the case of the bomb blast as well.

The movie blends adventure with mystery and starts at a happy pace but climaxes a bit too abruptly with several ends, let quite loose and very vaguely explained! Joydip Mukherjee directed the movie for the young adult and the age beyond but a little more detailing and critical thinking would be advisable for future projects in the franchise, which will be hopefully continuing! But the best part of the picture is the superbly synchronized acting of the trio Anirban Chakrabarti (Ekenbabu), Suhotro Mukhopadhyay (Bapi) and Somak Ghosh (Pramatha), who keeps the thrill intense while providing ample refreshing snippets with their perfectly tuned timings during comic sequences. Saswata Chatterjee (Belal Mallik) is a surprise disappointment along with Biswanath Basu, both of whom perform well below than what we expect of them! Gaurav Chakraborty (Subimal), with his natural gracefulness, fits in well in a character, which essentially demands just that. However, Sagnik Chatterjee plays another fine support though with a bit sterner look than required, at places, but would like to welcome his appearance that eagerly commits to the character that he portrays. The other person who is equally committed to her role is Ishaa Saha (Damini) with her accent convincing of the lineage meant for her character, a feature that Sagnik slightly lacked and she played a correct support to the suspense that the narrative with so many angles quietly needed.

Thus, in a nutshell, the movie is a pleasant watch for the summer holidays but surely had the potential to perform far better!

Chaalchitro: Canvas of Cruels

Based on a police thriller, the movie grippingly starts on a high note but falters as the thrill peaks. Written and directed by Pratim Das Gupta, the story might have been better crafted and less tersely edited (Antara Lahiri), as the pace of the movie is inherently quite fast.

A serial killing spree grips the city when women are found killed and the bodies pinned up in the manner, reminiscent of a series of murders that happened long ago! With the earlier killer already serving his sentence, DCP Kanisha Chatterjee (Tota Roy Chowdhury) and his investigating squad are baffled as the killer strikes again. With the only common factor being that all the victims had broken off their marriages prior to getting killed, the police starts keeping vigil at probable targets. But as collateral wrenches the heart and the body count grows, the police must act fast as the murderer gets desperate!

A narrative like this was meant to top the charts, while picturised, but was marred by sequences that were fast, unnatural and unreal.

However, this movie should be watched at least once for three reasons.

The acting of the supporting actors who just overshadowed the main cast. Anirban Chakrabarti was precise and sober, Ziaul Faruq Apurba dominated with grandeur in his curt presence and Tanika Basu was simply outstanding. No word will suffice to describe what she achieved in a role that I feel, will be most difficult to play at any time by anyone!

The next best thing to be noted was costume design by Sabarni Das. The dresses were plain and simple mostly, and fitting and realistic for the occasions captured.

But the best of everything will be the music by Debojyoti Mishra that soothes the senses and gives the movie a much needed grace in the midst of too much gore.

With content fit only for the matured, the movie will be a mostly enjoyable watch!

Tekka

A kidnapping kaleidoscope with situations escalating to crazier heights, the feature film is sure to entertain with a ride, albeit jerky, of thrill and suspense. I would love to have termed the ride gripping had it not been for the intermittent sequences racing to a peak of tension but followed by a quick release that awkwardly cuts through a rather bland consequence. Whatever may be the nature of the pace though, the thrill is sure to be appreciated.

When Iqlakh, the sacked janitor of a corporate house captures a school girl and holds her hostage at gunpoint right inside the building where he was earlier employed, the matter immediately attracts the attention and concern of the police, the corporate house and the mother of the little girl. While demanding that his job be given back, his demand of the owner being present to confirm his appointment irks the authorities. what complicates matter is the fact that the owner of the firm was a prominent political figure! The negotiating ACP thus faces a frighteningly difficult task of convincing Iqlakh of the situation that develops behind. A media team, accidentally present at the very site, leaks footage of the drama that unfolds inside. As Iqlakh shows no intention to compromise, the adamant owner of the firm, Anubrata Adhikari likewise refuses to dance in the tune of the kidnapper by appearing physically as demanded. The situation worsens as the determined mother takes a drastic step. What happens after this is a breezy ride through a maze of strategies, which needs to be seen to be enjoyed that culminates in a revelation that awes.

With a splendid storyline (Bhaskar Chattopadhyay) having multiple twists, the screenplay (Bhaskar Chattopadhyay), however, will disappoint slightly, thanks to the slurry of slangs that mingles a bit too unnecessarily in the dialogues (Srijit Mukherjee) that again gets carried away, at times, while framing perfectly critical yet irritatingly irrelevant messages. Dev Adhikari, however outshines, as is most often the case, I have noticed, when Srijit Mukherjee directs, with a superb display of emotions that fits accurately with the character that he portrays on screen. Loknath Dey is another actor, who is naturally brilliant, but remains completely under utilized in the imperfectly woven script. But considering these shortcomings too, the movie is a genuine entertainer that will be enjoyed by all if the coarseness at places is ignored in the script and the central theme is assimilated maturely.

Nayan Rahasya

After Hatyapuri, the fresh chemistry of Indranil Sengupta, Abhijit Guha and Ayush Das return to solve mysteries as Feluda, Jatayu and Topshe respectively on a new adventure that spans across a part of the country. This time the plot centres a little boy, Nayan, who apparently can see decimal digits in front of his eyes that helps him to correctly answer any numeric question posed to him by anybody.

Identifying the paranormal trait in his son, his needy father takes him to a budding magician, Sunil Tarafdar, who immediately assures to include Nayan in his stage shows against a monthly allowance to the father and providing upkeep for the boy. With his position becoming regular in the magic shows, Nayan instantly attracts attention of many with varied interests. There are some who would like him to assure their gambling wins while others would want to showcase his abilities worldwide. Again there were others who would want Nayan to reveal their forgotten passkeys while there would be obsessive collectors lurking, ready to stoop low enough to snatch Nayan away from his free life and place him among their prized collections. Everything happens as Tarafdar gears up for his South India tour, backed by his mysterious sponsor, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Soon a kidnapping attempt on the boy right from the residence of Tarafdar follows. The worried wizard seeks the help of Feluda and Co who offers to help by accompanying the boy and the magic party through their upcoming tour. But the task of protecting the boy becomes difficult as, thanks to Tarafdar, media is briefed of the tour well in advance who publicizes the event much before the tour begins. Also, Feluda is forced to take another case of a businessman, allegedly fearing for his life. Thus the stage is set for a showdown as threats pile up while protecting both his clients.

The original novel had never been my favourite as fantasy prevailed over mystery but it seemed on afterthought, that the novel had the ingredients for a commercial movie with magic, action, paranormal, theft, murder and the climactic twist. Curiously however, all these being shown, but the actual essence of suspense and tension is missed somehow. The entire presentation thus becomes bland and only fit for the less matured. The background score was insufficient and the direction was not up to the mark. Infact, pondering over whatever the film offered, the editing will also be held responsible for the less crisp finale. Thus, Sandip Ray gives us something that the entire family may watch together but the refreshing Ray touch is disregarded entirely.

As to the acting, two persons stand out among the flock. They are Abhinav Barua as Nayan putting up a splendid show, perfect and naive, just what the character required and Supriyo Dutta as the crazy collector, T N T. Indeed, Dutta steals the limelight in most of the scenes he features and breathes the much needed energy and relief in the otherwise impassive settings with his animatedly menacing gestures and spontaneous playacting. Frankly speaking, I have liked Indranil Sengupta with his natural smartness and humility as Feluda and if he could manage to improve his dialect, he will indeed be a better Feluda, given his characteristic inclination of not copying the style of any of his predecessors. Ayush Das complements well as Topshe and devoid of any street smartness, might shine as a better successor if he matures in the line that the character demands, the subtle apprentice and the primary admirer of the sleuth. Abhijeet Guha is another person who understands Jatayu better than many and thus we get a happily comical Jatayu, in a more responsible role this time, instead of a jester that many had previously and of course, mistakenly, characterized.

In summary, similar to what Feluda advised to Tarafdar about the missing splendour and grandeur that his neat magic show demanded, we can reiterate only similarly the need of a bit of intellectual sparkle in future Feluda movies to augment the appeal of the uncomplainingly compact version of the silver screen release.

The Eken: Ruddhashwas Rajasthan

Ekenbabu is back in the big screen, and this time in the majestic Rajasthan! Rides on camel, visits to palaces, desert tours are there as are tasting the local cuisines, a necessity, according to Ekenbabu, to have a complete feel of a new place. With Bapibabu and Pramathababu as the usual tour mates, the holiday is all set for a joyride. But alas, where there is a detective, there ought to be at least a crime and the audience will be rejoiced, riding the merry wheel of adventure, wrapped in mystery.

The ever fussy Ekenbabu is no exception and Rajasthan, a hunting ground for Feluda, now seeks the chubby detective to look for stolen artefacts, missing persons and solve murder!

With a pace that will never feel unnatural, the movie is a thrilling ride of suspense and fun. Blending humour in just the right amount, the central theme is very much focussed. A museum curator with a queer interest in replica, an alleged professor of archaeology who drops in uninvited and a chemistry professor with an interest in lost antiques, the list of suspects grows equally diverse. Thus it remains to be seen how Ekenbabu handles the confusion and solves the puzzles and fights against a vicious villain, rumoured to gulp his opponents, without leaving a trace of the body anywhere.

Joydip Mukherjee directs the thriller and trims it perfectly for the old and young to enjoy together. The audience packed halls easily indicate the growing popularity of Ekenbabu, much of whose credit must be given to Anirban Chakrabarti in keeping the character consistently lively. Playing the satellites and supporting the irritatingly clever sleuth, Suhotro Mukhopadhyay as Bapibabu and Somak Ghosh as Pramathababu enhances the chemistry between them and Ekenbabu in styles, which are fascinatingly unique for each yet contrastingly comic, completing the package of smart entertainment. Another notable cast is Sudip Mukherjee as the local police chief and a training mate of Ekenbabu in the start of their career, whose appearance and dialect were so astonishingly perfect throughout that I held him as a Rajasthani actor for the initial few introductory sequences, at least.

Echoing a creepily crooked concept from Elementary, the film is a fantastic entertainer but will fall short of critical applause due to the coarse commercial inserts that felt way out of the context and appeared childishly scripted, given the flurry of tributes reserved for Ray and his subtleties in Sonar Kella, Joy Baba Felunath. Thus, the movie will be appreciated for the uncompromised suspense that it gifts but will be appreciated less for the lack of finesse it serves.

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.

Har Har Byomkesh

Undeniably the best Byomkesh after a very long time. Cool and composed, this Byomkesh is more intellectual than active. His activity is centred around his investigations rather than intuitions and thus a logical course follows along the entire movie making the thriller an exciting entertainment.
Based on Saradindu's Bahni-Patanga, the original story has been relocated from Patna to Benaras. The place, the naming of the story and the final sequence seems to be a tribute to the master director who had made both renowned Bengali fictional detectives appear in cinemas.
Though there are several changes in the story which doesn't make the basic plot different from the original but two instances could have been kept unchanged. The first disappointment is at the climax whose prolonged run has taken away much of the suspense. The second mistake however could have been easily avoided. While solving the plot it is revealed that one person, except those who took part in the actual crime, knew the truth all along. The question therefore remains as to the cause of the silence but it remains unjustified throughout.
The acting of everybody in the film is superb devoid of any loquaciousness which really makes the whodunit  a classic hopefully. Special mention must be made of Ritwick who blends the character of Lalmohanbabu as well as Topshe with the characteristics of Ajit thus giving rise to novel yet pleasurable relief sequences.

Arjun: Kalimponge Sitaharan

Rating: 7.5/10
Arjun, the young sleuth created decades back by Samaresh Majumder premiers on the silver screen as he is mentored in the quest for truth by the nicely attired and insightful Amol Som and accompanied by Major and Bistu Saheb which promises a thrilling entertainment in the summer holidays not only for the school-goers but the final twist reserves an attraction for the elders as well.
Introducing one of the younger sleuths of Bengali detective fiction Prem Prakash Modi promises more in the line of the Byomkesh-Feluda genre with his Arjun: Kalimponge Sitaharan. Adapted from Majumder’s stories Khunkharapi and Sitaharan Rahasya, the main plot has been modified almost entirely that maintains the thrill and keeps the suspense alive for readers of both the stories due to the novel climax.
Arjun, son to a widowed mother, tries hard to get a job after college just like any other ordinary Bengali youth but cherishes the dream of an adventurous career accompanying his idol, the private investigator Amal Som in solving challenging mysteries. Chance comes almost unexpectedly as Som asks his assistance in a case that apparently seems a simple one. All Arjun had to do was to watch over Sita, daughter to the prosperous Mr. Sen in Kalimpong. It was alleged that Sita got herself involved in bad company during her stay in the US and her father was afraid that she might be kidnapped by them. So he requested assistance of Som and thus Arjun was instructed to guard Sita at Sen’s residence under an appropriate guise. But it seemed that another underlying plot was slowly unfolding. Sita’s grandfather, Taashi Palden, a man of varied qualities, happened to be the chief designer of a vault containing immense riches in a Buddhist monastery. Palden possessed the only imprints of the original blueprints and he hid them in some secret place leaving a trail of riddles, that too planted in veiled locations.  Sen, though not aware of the exact location of the documents, was apprehensive that his daughter’s security may be threatened by the dangerous secret and so sought professional help from Som after employing a governess to look after Sita. But when Arjun turned up in place of Som, Sen was not at all pleased. But supported by the wise and revered Bistu Saheb, Arjun tried to gain his confidence by his sleuthing. Support also came from the jovial Major, a long time friend to Som and relative to Bistu Saheb whose voracious appetite and straightforward attitude immediately cheered up the budding investigator.
But evil struck more than once as Sen’s watchdog was poisoned and one of his long time servants was found dead in the premises. Arjun found himself a suspect to the local police enquiry and felt helpless as Som seemed to disappear from the scenes. As dark sides of several characters came to fore Arjun’s own cover was blown up by none other than Sita. The villains repeatedly struck at this vulnerable junction with a murder and kidnapping Sita.
Will Arjun be able to rescue her and keep the blueprints in safe hands? Where was Amal Som? Why Sen seems afraid of the monks? With whom does Sita’s governess rendezvous at night? Why the psychological patient Wang Di always points to his eyes? And what secret does Major boast of?
To know all these and to share the excitement you have to watch the movie and believe me just the beauty of the landscape will enthrall you and the mystery will seem an added flavor!
Though the story has been extensively modified but credits are due to Prem Prakash Modi for his courageous introduction of a sleuth, who unlike Byomkesh-Feluda begins as an apprentice rather than stealing the centre-stage. Introducing all the major characters of an Arjun novel including his signature motorbike (though my personal disappointment was Habu, Amol Som’s deaf and dumb assistant whose screen time was not enough and portraiture also lacked the intelligence that Arjun stories always depicted), Modi has also prepared the audience for a continuation of Arjun’s adventure. His promise of sequels will thus keep hopes high for enthusiasts of Bengali crime fictions. Also, Modi’s keenness on maintaining chronological sequences - evident as Arjun refers to his first adventure with Amalda at the Khutimari Range - satisfies fans like me to whom it feels unnecessary that certain movie versions of renowned detective literatures seems bend on referring to previous scripts that needlessly points to change in the original sequence. Modi’s direction along with Abhijit Sarkar’s screenplay and dialogue also proves once more that films based on literatures are always a pleasure to watch.
The best point about the movie, as I’ve already hinted at is the choice of locations and Rana Dasgupta’s cinematography. The captivating beauty of North Bengal has been elegantly captured and the greeneries aptly echo the freshness of an honest mind – the fundamental item of a detective story. But one thing clearly disappoints, the music and background score that seems a bit demanding on certain occasions.
Coming to the acting we need to categorize on the seniority. Beginning with the veterans, undoubtedly the lion’s share of the compliments is due for Sabyasachi Chakrabarty who blends into the character of Amal Som just splendidly. Amol Som’s acute observation, sharp intellect, innovative tactics and last but not the least his physical agility has been so correctly presented by him that similar to Soumitra Chatterjee’s Feluda and Rajit Kapur’s Byomkesh, Sabyasachi and Amal Som are bound to become synonymous if the series continues. Portraying the expert in the field Amal Som’s need for a young apprentice, especially where action is concerned, has been just correctly projected by Chakrabarty. With his composed performance Sabyasachi thus is just perfect for each and every scene where he appears. Manoj Mitra as Bistu Saheb balances the mood with the right mix of seriousness and humour and the scripts that he shares with Biswajit Chakrabarty (Major) breath relief to the tense plot. In fact Biswajit Chakrabarty presents the much needed comic angle that never compromises on the character’s intellect and presents the simple and frank Major, reminding ever so slightly of Santosh Dutta’s legendary Lalmohanbabu and making the character intensely lovable. Dipankar Dey plays the distressed Mr. Sen with his characteristic eloquence though his expressions of fright are not so natural. Now coming to the significant female characters, Churni Ganguly in her portraiture of Sita’s governess has been marvelous as she moulds her character and the scenes, swapping her role between the intentionally irritating governess to the lady with her own secret mission. But the find of the movie is Raya Chowdhury whose portraiture of Sita could not have been more fitting. The spoilt but shrewd daughter of the wealthy Sen, frustrated by her arrested movements, doubting each and everyone, seemingly unaware of the dangers looming large and always on the lookout of escape, Sita was gradually turning to a bundle of nerves. Raya not only makes the character fiercely exact but solely her accent makes her the Sita as described in the book. Coming to the debutant Om (Arjun) though he may need to work on his expressions a bit more but his features matched that of Arjun quite well. True that he is not as cool as Feluda or as sharp as Byomkesh and undoubtedly less witty than both of them but the script demands that only! Centering more on his mentor’s activities the film is more about the trainee in Arjun as he turns to a more responsible investigator. Bringing the focus on himself on other scenes, Om correctly plays out of the limelight in presence of Som. His suppressed excitement to be part of Amalda’s team and his contrasting reluctance of a more mundane career makes the character more realistic. Another important character had been played by Anindya Banerjee as the officer investigating the murder in Sen’s premises who makes his short appearance crisp yet enjoyable.
Thus the Mukul Sarkar presentation promises a pleasant summer and the film may well be considered as the first of an enjoyable series.

Ascharya Pradeep

Aladin's magic lamp turns up in the heart of Calcutta - the owner in this case being Anilda (note the anagram of Aladin), the so familiar Bengali office goer barely supporting his family of three and sometimes trying to live off the income of his wife. A regular buyer of lottery ticket, never in his dreams had he hoped for fortunes that is promised by the genie. So in his enthusiasm when he gets all that the genie suggests he is yet to learn a hard truth that leaves him the same miserable fellow as he was before the lamp came to his life. Though the finale is a bit predictable with the style followed in works of master story tellers like O. Henry, Satyajit Ray, Roald Dahl, but Anik Dutta once more pulls of a fine adult comedy based on Shirshendu's short story, whose best part is the crisp script. The style being repeatitive of what had been followed in Bhooter Bhabisyat, the charm is monotonous but no less appealing. But the major problem in this Arghya Kamal Dey edited elegant presentation may be categorized in two parts. One being the last song in the movie which have been apt if sung in background and not in Saswata's lips. The second is the use of too many side plots that have been given prominence, notably the auction house sequence and the Haridas Pal sequence, which being the finest comic episodes too, but remains so detached from the main storyline that it seemed forced only. As to the acting Saswata is just magnificent closely followed by Srilekha and Rajatava. The sets are well designed with an eye to detail and Anik Dutta's acknowledgemen to the great Ray is also spelled out again. But use of some common jokes and 'do you know it' could have been done away with for a crisper narrative.

Goynar Baksho

http://calcuttatube.com/goynar-baksho-bengali-movie-review/197849/

Chayamoy

http://calcuttatube.com/chayamoy-2013-bengali-movie-user-review/197847/

Bhooter Bhabishyat

http://calcuttatube.com/bhooter-bhabishyat-2012-bengali-movie-user-review/169894/

Aabar Byomkesh

http://calcuttatube.com/aabar-byomkesh-2012-bengali-movie-by-anjan-dutta-user-review/169891/

Nobel Chor: A study of the stolen wealth!

http://calcuttatube.com/suman-ghoshs-bengali-film-nobel-chor-a-study-of-the-stolen-wealth/160783/

Kahaani

http://calcuttatube.com/kahaani-2012-hindi-movie-starring-vidya-balan-mesmerize-audience-user-review/160727/

Icche

http://calcuttatube.com/ichhe-2011-bengali-movie-user-review/153173/

Delhi Belly

The adult comedy with just that much adult touch as necessary is a hilarious ride through the capital's dingiest of lanes, the poshest of hotels, the messiest of bachelor's establishments and the scummiest of the underworld enterprises! And the cause of all these - a collection of smuggled diamonds that gets replaced with a stool sample.

Well saying these I don't think it will be no short of a spoiler to elaborate the rest that takes you through a riotuous ride where the life of three young men is held between the guns of the goons, unpaid rents, cheat traders, daring journalism, the perennial water problem and a stomach that never seems to get well.

The crisp package directed by Abhinay Deo, written by Akshat Verma and produced by Amir Khan et al focusses on the concept rather than the character and thus produces a fascinating drama of fun and action. Beautifully edited by Huzefa Lokhandwala the film promises enjoyment to the fullest. Vijay Raaz (the smuggler Somayajulu), Paresh Ganatra (landlord Manish) gives their performance the realistically comic touch and the protagonists in Imran Khan (Tashi) and Kunal Roy Kapur (Nitin) backs it up with the most restrained yet professional performance but my personal favourite is Vir Das (Aroop) whose expressions of the warm-hearted and obstinate friend, the cheated and frustrated lover, the annoyed and irritated employee and the daring but comical adventurer easily calls for applause.

Ranjana Aami Aar Aashbona

http://calcuttatube.com/ranjana-aami-aar-aashbona-2011-bengali-movie-user-review/152513/

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Captain Jack Sparrow is back with a new adventure and new characters - the legendary Blackbeard with his zombi henchmen on board the Queen Anne's Revenge, the Spanish Armada, a host of mermaids with the attitude of the vampire and with them comes the old comically sinister Captain Barbossa, this time serving as the privateer in the service of the British with the interfering British fleet, all heading towards the Fountain of Youth and the many secrets that surround it!

As always, plots intersperse and suspense deepens as each new scene unfolds a new secret. After Jack impersonates a judge to save a confused Gibbs from the gallows in the court of London, he is tricked and ushered in the royal dining room where he is charged with rumours of his lookout for a ship for sailing to the Fountain of Youth. A confused Jack, though improvises an escape but is soon being confronted by his father Captain Teague who warns his son about the Fountain's tests. He soon meets his old flame the exotic pirate lady Angelica who was found to impersonate Sparrow and soon she tricks him to join the crew of Queen Anne's Revenge captained by his father the Blackbeard - who uses voodoos and a host lot of magic to terrorize and keep reign over the crew. Blackbeard wanted eternal life and Jack had the compass to locate the fountain and thus they set sail for it.But two more groups were on their way. The first were the Spanish bent on destroying the Fountain as they considered it to be an abomination against God and the British to outrun them under Captain Barbossa who had a secret motive of his own which was to strike revenge on Blackbeard to whom he had lost the Pearl and his leg.

Magic dominates on board the Queen Anne's Revenge and the crew gets a taste of it while a mutiny initiated by Sparrow is turned down mercilessly by Blackbeard. Thus the terrified crew are lead towards the Fountain as both Spanish and Barbossa nears it, the former guided by a map and the later by Gibbs who destroyed Sparrow's map in a bid to save himself from the British and memorized it so as to strike a deal.

The saying goes that the water from the Fountain of Youth was to be drunk by two persons from two chalices of Juan Ponce de Leon and one must contain the tear of the mermaid. The person who drinks from the cup with the water and the tear will gain the years of the other that drinks from the second cup.

Blackbeard sets up a trap for the vicious mermaids and manages to confine one in a glass coffin but one of his prisoners, the missionary Philip falls in love with her and names her Syrena and attempts several futile tries to free her.

Angelica, in the meantime, showed Sparrow that Blackbeard had miniaturized and stored the Pearl inside a bottle and he conspires with Barobossa and leads him to Blackbeard only to meet him at the Fountain as the Spanish army marches in. A fight ensues as always and it remains to be seen what happens next.

The 3D effect was superb, it was only my second view of a full length movie and thanks to the director Rob Marshall, sequences are really intelligently designed for the full appreciation of the 3D. Sparrow's escape from the British Royalty, the climax, the waves, the fights and the sets all are vividly enjoyable in the extra dimension. This is the shortest film of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and though a compact one but seems a bit less on the adventure part as do the excitement during the finishing scenes. However, the sets at Hawaii were fascinating (equally fascinating as the Caribbean sets of the earlier chapters) and the background scores of Hans Zimmer inspires the magic of the franchisee once more and overall this Jerry Bruckheimer production of the Walt Disney Pictures is a must watch for the fantasy lovers.