Shesh Anka

It was a time when I was of that age that movie watching was a privilege to me and so it surprised me when my parents insisted that I watch this one telecasted in Doordarshan (DD1 I think). My mother had a love of mystery movies and my father also shared the same sentiment. So while watching this movie for the 1^st time I was prepared to watch something of a suspense sort following the clear cut format of a case presented to a detective and the way he solves it through clues collected from odd places. That the same can be done in a completely different way with the viewers baffled as not only to the identity of the criminal but also to that of the investigator shows the ingenuity of both the story writer Raj Kumar Maitra and the director Haridas Bhattacharya. So when my mother presented this movie to my father as a birthday gift we were also equally thrilled to shelf this permanently in our house.

The story starts with the marriage arrangements between the wealthy Sudhangshu Gupta, a handsome but widowed young man and Soma Roy, the only daughter to Sir Haraprasad Roy, an honoured citizen of Calcutta. Parallel to that it is also shown that the butlers in Sudhangshu’s and Haraprasad’s house with an apparently fishy dealings with a Mr. Samaddar and Ms. Lata Bose. Samaddar seemed to possess more than one identity and appears to be the leader of the team who continuously instructs the three and also steals some documents from Sudhangshu’s house. Also in their conversation Burma and Imphal is mentioned very frequently and it is cited that both Sudhangshu and Haraprasad’s family had once been either the residents or had visited at least one of the two places. As the preparation of the marriage proceeds Lata is seen to appear in the guise of a distressed Kalpana Gupta and gets herself admitted to a cheap hotel very near the resident of an expert veteran criminal lawyer Suren Bannerjee. On the day of the marriage, Lata receives an anonymous letter, already a pre-planned move of Samaddar and reading it, rushes to Suren Bannerjee’s chamber where Samaddar was again present in the guise of Bannerjee’s client. The next scene takes us to the place of the marriage and as the rituals are about to be started Bannerjee enters and orders it to be stopped claiming that Sudhangshu’s 1^st wife is not dead and brings forward Lata adorned with Kalpana’s ornaments and asks Haraprasad to look into the matter. Samaddar too manages to involve himself in the confusion and insists the marriage to be stopped immediately. A rapid informal query ensues and the ACP, a close associate to Haraprasad is called. He soon finds that some ornaments from Sudhangshu’s house is missing but the post mortem report, death certificate and inquest report of Kalpana’s death is still present. But the Kalpana’s photographs and diaries have been replaced with Lata’s photographs and diaries whose handwriting does not match those of Kalpana. A terrible confusion ensues and a case is presented in the court against Lata’s claim and also charges of theft and illegal entry is brought against her. Samaddar finances Bannerjee to take up Lata’s case while Haraprasad employs another expert, Mitra against her. Curiously as the case proceeds, it becomes increasingly difficult to disprove Lata’s identity while shadows of doubt seems to form between Soma and Sudhangshu. As a final measure the distressed and apparently crestfallen Sudhangshu suggests, Kalpana’s brother, Debesh be called in. But before Mitra could ask for the permission of seeking Deben, Bannerjee surprises them by asking the judge to give them a week to call Deben as a witness on the defendant's side. In this situation the audience awaits in true suspense what happens when Deben comes but I assure you something dramatic await them as the movie closes. This outstanding movie seems to be based on the English film, “Chase a Crooked Shadow” but be it a adaptation the excellent acting gives the viewers more than a two hours entertainment.

Bikash Roy (Samaddar), Uttam Kumar (Sudhangshu) both are excellent and so are Kamal Mitra (Suren Bannerjee), Sabitri chattopadhyay (Lata) and Tarun Kumar (Deben) in their shorter roles. Pahari Sanyal (Haraprasad), Sharmila Tagore (Soma) and Utpal Dutta (Mr. Mitra) are also equally well in their characterization.

Stree

A classic movie with a difference with a star cast of Uttam Kumar, Soumitra Chatterjee, Arati Mukherjee, Tarun Kumar, Bhanu Bandyopadhyay, Jahar, Sulata Chowdhury and many others. Studded with some memorable numbers by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Manna De, including duets of these legends, the movie will touch everyone’s heart.
The story starts with a freelance photographer, Sitapati, losing all his property to the conspiring uncles and living in the shelter of his beloved cousin and brother-in-law, earnest in his search for a permanent job. In this moment of his crisis, he was appointed as personal photographer by the whimsical Mahesh Dutta, one of the last few nobles existing in the final years of the British regime in India. Thankful to his generosity, when Sitapati began his career he was exposed to the peculiar character of his lord. He found that being an womaniser and alcoholic, Dutta loved himself to be surrounded by sycophants and didn’t care to look after his property which was slowly being exhausted by his lawyers and managers. His belief in his associates was supreme and moreover his prestige prevented him from taking advice from anybody below the ranks. The honest Sitapati did not like this and tried to make Dutta wise of the reality but to no avail. At this point of time Sitapati was introduced to Dutta’s wife Mrinmoyee and it stunned him to see that she was no other than his lost fiancée. Following this, Mrinmoyee secretly started to meet Sitapati from time to time and confided in him, her life of misery that was devoid of husband’s love. This caused much trouble in Sitapati’s mind as on the one hand his principle checked him from possible elope with Mrinmoyee that the later earnestly wished for and on the other hand his love for her prevented him from getting away from the Duttas. The drama turned to a series of misunderstandings climaxed in a classic scene with death coming as the saviour to the characters.
Salil Dutta’s direction and Nachiketa Ghosh’s music makes this movie unforgettable as do the acting of Uttam Kumar, Soumitra in the lead roles and Tarun Kumar, Arati, Bhanu and Jahar in the side roles. That a rude and negative character as that of Mahesh Dutta can invoke sympathy of the audience is once again proved by the brilliance of Uttam Kumar's acting and the meek but principled Sitapati has been portraied to perfection by Soumitra. Tarun Kumar and Bhanu are irreplacable in the side roles and Jahar also delivers anm unforgettable performance in his short role. As an afterthought, I must acknowledge that this picture would have never been possbily seen by me, were it not on the insistence of my wife for which I really am grateful to her and it truly baffles me that though her choice of movies are most of the time more than correct but I don't know why I can never have enough confidence during the time of purchase.

Jhinder Bandi

Based on the novel of Saradindu, which is again based on Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda", Tapan Sinha directed this gripping drama of love, betrayal, lust and glory featuring Uttam Kumar, Tarun Kumar, Radhamohan Bhattacharjee, Dilip Roy, Arundhati Mukherjee, Sandhya Roy and surprising everybody with Soumitra Chatterjee cast as a villain for the 1st time. I'd bought the CD just last week and watched it just on the day following the one that saw the end of an era of classical music by the Sarod Maestro, Ali Akbar Khan who was coincidentally the music director of the film.

The story is peculiar yet the concept is remarkable. Sankar Singh, the would be king of Jhind (in Madhya Pradesh) was abducted before his coronation ceremony by his brother Udit and his ally the crooked Mayur Bahan. To prevent the cruel Udit to occupy the throne, the news is kept a secret and a trusted few are send throghout the country in search of Sankar Singh, who being a connoisseur of wine and women was a person to be easily lured to remotest of places. During this search one of the Royal guards spotted a Gauri Sankar Roy, a young man from Calcutta, who had remarkable similarity with Sankar Singh. Hearing about the complications that clouds Jhind, the adventurousGauri Sankar accompanies the Sardar to Jhind and there he was crowned the king much to the chagrin of the villains. The baffled Udit and Mayur Bahan devises several counter attacks to destroy Gauri Sankar. But thanks to his courage, Gauri Sankar manages to evade the dangers with the help of the diplomatic Sardar and Dewan and the brave Rudrarup. But problem of a different kind arises in the form of the queen Kasturibai of the neighouring kingdom Jharoa who is betrothed to Sankar. Gauri Sankar was here too forced to pass himself as Sankar during the engagement ceremony with Kasturibai and the dazzling personality of Gauri Sankar easily wins Kasturi's heart, who was more prepared to behold the disreputed Sankar Singh. But Gauri too finds himself leaning towards Kasturi and thus feels guilty of his weakness. Meanwhile the search of Sankar Singh continues and news of his wherabouts reach Gauri, Sardar and the rest. But this was the time Sardar reveals to Gauri a curious story that links his lineage to the Royal blood which proves him to be a deserving candidate for the throne. Thus it is left to be seen who actually gets to the throne and how the evil plans of Mayur Bahan is countered by Gauri.
The movie is fascinating watch and Soumitra as Mayur Bahan surpasses all the others in acting.

Saptapadi

My wife presented me with this evergreen and intensely romantic movie based on Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay's novel that was superbly directed by Ajay Kar. I don't think the movie needs much of an introduction as it is surely etched deeply in every Bengali movie lover's heart.

Krishnendu, a brilliant medical student in the National Medical College, Calcutta, in the pre-independence period and an avid atheist falls in love with Rina Brown, daughter to a Christian father. As Rina's father successfully convinces Krishnendu to change his religion, the fanatic Hindu in Krishnendu's father begs Rina to leave Krishnendu for good without disclosing to him the reason for this sudden flight. Though both the lovers part but Providence again brings them nearer in a miraculous way. The chance meeting reveals the silent adoration that each still felt for the other but again the promise to Krishnendu's father gets the better of Rina and she leaves Krishnendu once again. But the Almighty seemed to test these loving souls when a letter to Krishnendu from his repentant father arrives, revealing the secret to him with Rina still untracable. Meanwhile WWII breaks in and both Krishnendu and Rina, by a curious turn of fate, arrives at a Red Cross hospital at Assam at almost the same time. The audience is left breathless till the last moment and the intense drama of the movie makes it an all time classic.

The romantic duo of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen seems to attain a new height in this film while in the side roles Chayadevi excells with her muted expressions and Chobi Biswas is just perfect for his role. The photography, cinematography and overall direction are excellent and Hemanta Mukherjee's music direction blends just to well with the variety of emotions that the film exhibits. Utpal Dutta lends his majestic voice in one of the unique exhibitions of drama in silver screen that enriches the movie even more.

Bhrantibilas

It had been qutie some time that I again watched the Bengali classic based on the story written by Shri Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors". Though a very old movie but this classic piece of art can be relished again and again without getting bored. The main caste includes Uttam Kumar and Bhanu, each doing a double role and Sabitri and Sandhya Roy.
The story is about a family having twin sons both to the master and to the servant. In their childhood, the twins were detached from each other during a great flood where the boat containing the master with one of his sons and one of the servant's son was seperated from the other carrying the mother with her other son and the other son of the servant. Each of the sons became well established in life and one of them got married. His brother became a businessman. But both were unaware of the other's existence till fate brought them together in the same place. It was the businessman whose job brought him and his servant to the town where their brothers lived. Thereafter it commenced a hilarious series of misunderstandings where both sets of brothers got crazy in the muddled mix-up and the rest got annoyed in their apparent misbehaviours. In fact their nicknames being the same (Chira in the case of both the brothers Chiranjit and Chiranjib and Kinkar in case of the twin servants Bhaktikinkar and Shaktikinkar) added more laughter to the innocent comedy. These continued through the major part of the movie and ended in a happy note where the brothers were again united.
The movie illustrates the comic genius of Sabitri and Bhanu, who play their parts to perfection. Tarun Kumar is again marvelous in an important side role and Uttam Kumar is outstanding in his role as the twin brother with opposite characters.
The story, though an adaptation, but not for once does it settings seem outlandish due to its elegant 'Bengalification'. The detailing have been outstanding and the sequences were just perfect. This age old classic once again proves the proverb 'old is gold'.