Sonar Kella (1974) User Reviews

Another example of Ray's versatility.

[shanfloyd · 8/10 · 2 September 2005]

First of all, I think I'll add a short introduction to Feluda stories. Among over two-hundred novels and stories Ray had written especially for teenagers, the detective stories of Feluda are by far the most popular. With calculated amounts of wit, suspense, action and humor, the stories are considered classics of modern Bengali literature. So it was not surprising that he would make one of them for the screen.

As a book, "Sonar Kella" is one of the all-time bestsellers. Now I have seen the film about ten times and what fascinated me is how Ray changed the whole structure of the book while making this film. The novel is a fantastic detection story with sharp plot twists. But Ray thought the concept of detection as a theme in this film will not make the viewers see it more than once. So he makes it more like a modern thriller -- he showed the crime and criminals at first and now the theme becomes how Feluda unfolds it. That's why crime and detection is not the only theme of this film. There is plenty of humor and excellent visionary of Rajasthan too. Ray primarily directed the film to his readers but also made sure it satisfies all kinds of audience.

Another point I want to make: if the viewer doesn't know Bengali and relies on subtitles, he/she misses a good percentage of its fun. That part lies on its extremely witty screenplay where often Ray literally played with the words. Among the actors, Soumitra Chatterjee is quite good as Feluda, at least he was the best for this part in that time. Santosh Dutta virtually created the character of Jatayu. It became his trademark role. And one must mention the flamboyant and passionate performance of Kamu Mukherjee as the villain Mandar Bose.

The film features all of Ray's trademark styles -- in artwork, in script, in the camera angles and original music. And it remains an all-time family classic in the history of Indian cinema.

A brilliant adaptation of Ray's own novel.Watch it for Feluda and Jatayu.

[nagsaptarshi · 9/10 · 27 November 2008]

Well those who are not aware of who Feluda the protagonist of this movie is won't be able to get the real flavor of the flick.But for a Feluda fan like me Sonar Kella is truly a masterpiece.Feluda, a private investigator is one of the most underrated detectives in the world of fiction but perhaps one of the most interesting characters of Indian novels and stories.Sonar Kella is one of his early adventures and it is the story where he and his cousin meets the brilliant Jatayu, the comic element and an author of detective stories.The greatness of the movie is that it successfully portrays the original characters so much so that you just wonder which was made earlier,the story or the movie itself,very much like The Godfather.Hardly you will come across such a successful adaptation of a novel.Soumitra Chatterjee as Feluda and Santosh Dutta as Lalmohan Ganguly(Jatayu is his pen name)are simply amazing.The supporting actors too have done a commendable job.It is not a flawless film.Still that can be forgiven as its target audience were the kids.Cinematography was brilliant,so was the selection of the locations in Rajasthan where most of the film was made.Watch it not just for its director but for its lead actors and its brilliant screenplay.Don't forget to show this to your kids.Jatayu is gonna make them laugh for sure.Good work done.

A young boy has memories of treasure from his previous birth. A few "dustu lok" want the treasure for themselves . Can feluda nab the killers in the deserts of Rajasthan?

[pratitingkb · 9/10 · 31 May 2017]

The movie begins in Kolkata and takes it's course through Rajasthan. Feluda is a a private investigator and is appointed by Mukul's father to protect him from the greedy people who want to kidnap him for a supposed treasure. Feluda and Tapesh set out Rajasthan, and in their way meet Lalmohan babu. If they are successful in finding the "Sonar Kella", and nabbing the killers forms the crux of the story.

The film is shot beautifully but cinematography is not overdone.The barren landscape forms a great backdrop for the movie. The direction is on point and perfectly synced for a children's film.

The acting is superlative .Soumitra Chatterjee as feluda is a casting masterpiece but Santosh Dutta as Jatyau is also on point. Siddartha Chatterjee as topshe and Kushal Chakraborty as mukul are also very good.But the real win of the movie is Kamu Mukherjee as the globe trotter Mandar bose.

Many of the scenes are superlative, but two of them really stand out. Jatayu's introductory scene and the scene in the taxi where they talk about camel's diet. These scene are so well timed and bring such a amazing kind of humor, one cannot help but appreciate it's brilliance.

The music, including the feluda score is not only amazing but also leaves a deep impression on the viewers mind.Probably it is the most remembered and plagiarized theme composed by Ray.

Therefore it is a amazing movie but again it is untranslatable, like Ray's other children's movies.It's strength is it's dialogues and one has to know Bengali to enjoy it completely.

Postscript: I have been to Rajasthan long before I could read properly, but my memories distinctly hold a place for the Jaisalmer Fort.I may not remember it's yellow sandstone , but clearly remember my parents and grandparents calling it "Sonar Kella".That is the power of the movie.It was changed the imagination of a entire generation of Bengalis.

The Golden Fortress is an example of a classically made thriller movie with the suspense never ebbing in iits entire duration

[paramanandac · 10/10 · 27 January 2013]

Among all the movies of the "thriller" genre, I would alsways rate this movie as amongst the top in India. Having watched it many dozens of times, I have observed that the movie and Ray's treatment of his story is unique in many ways. Firstly, given the exotic locales in the story, any director would lap up the opportunity of using stunning angles for shots around the various forts (of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer in this case), let the camera hover around the desert horizon with the sun setting or the static ripples of sand on a dune. Never for a moment had Ray let the camera linger on any stunning backdrop outside the context of the film. Even in the sunset scene at Ramdeorah railway station, the camera does not lose the subject, that was 'jatayu' loosening up after an arduous camel ride. Even more interesting is Ray's ability to stay focused to the story line again given that the climax inside the Jaisalmer fort, a classic fort with a town inside. It would be easy for any one to yield to the temptation of extending the final moments of the film in the fort in its numerous small streets that wind around the beautiful houses of the town within the fort. However, Ray stuck to telling the story as it was in the book (with some changes of course) where the "Golden Fortress" itself occupies a few minutes of the 120 minute film. The result has been a crisp story where the suspense ramps up from the first scene and never ebbs in the entire course of the film.

A masterpiece

[siddharthasankarjana · 10/10 · 9 January 2012]

"Sonar Kella" (Golden Fortress ) , these words evoke a lot of sentiment in not only me , in any average Bengali . Lot of us grew up reading this story and knew the story by heart. So Satyajit Ray must have a tough time adapting this story for his film. But it had been done perfectly, the way only the genius like him could do. Soumitra Chatterjee , the brilliant actor he was , portrayed " Feluda" with implacable perfection . Santosh Datta made the role "Jatayu" (Lalmohan Ganguly) of his own. He was so good in his role that Satyajit Ray started to sketch "Jatayu" resembling him in his Feluda stories. Kamu Mukherjee as Mandar Bose also acted brilliantly in his evil character. But I don't know why nobody talked about Siddhartha Chatterjee in his role of Topshe. After Sonar Kella and Joi Baba Felunath, number of Feluda films , TV series were made , but no one could compete him as "Topshe". For me, he had born for that role. The film is set on the backdrop of Rajasthan . It is present in the film in its full glory. The local music is also used by the Satyajit Ray . Rajasthan's sand, music, camels , forts and people helped this film reach a level which Bengali audience rarely got to see in films. The primary target audience of this film was kids. But Satyajit Ray , knowingly or unknowingly, somehow managed to remove the invisible boundary between Adult and Kid worlds and created a magical form of art which is acceptable to all.

one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen

[nilu · 10/10 · 7 October 2003]

This is an excellent film. Satyajit Ray's genius is evident in each and every scene. The characters are portrayed beautifully. Soumitra Chatterjee is superb as 'Feluda'. One of my favorites is Kamu Mukherji as Mandar Bose. The range of emotions shown and the comic touch in his actions and dialogue are excellent. The change in his facial expression when he is trying to match Mukul's face with his photograph in the train is amazing.

Of course, everyone's darling Santosh Dutta as "Jatayu" is very good too. He portrays the average Bengali babu's role to perfection. "Topshe's" role as a eager and jovial teenager is well suited too.

The transitions between scenes are very nice - they help maintain the pace of the film. The background music leaves a beautiful impression. You may need to watch the film more than once to notice the subtle connections between certain dialogues and visual clues.

The dialogues are crisp and delivery is fantastic. Unfortunately, you would need to know the Bengali language to fully enjoy their impact - the loss in translation is inevitable.

Not one moment in the film is boring - if you want to be entertained as well as intellectually stimulated - this film is for you. Needless to say, I have watched it many times and I have a copy in my personal collection.

BLEND OF INTELLIGENCE AND ELEGANCE

[aparajitadas-21309 · 10/10 · 8 August 2020]

A masterpiece for any Feluda fan out there like me. The legend Satyajit Ray's generosity is evident in each and every scene packed in each nutshell of directory. The characters are portrayed beautifully. Soumitra Chatterjee is superb as 'Feluda'. One of my favorites is Kamu Mukherji as Mandar Bose. The range of emotions shown and the comic touch in his actions and dialogue are excellent. The change in his facial expression when he is trying to match Mukul's face with his photograph in the train is amazing.

Of course, everyone's darling Santosh Dutta as "Jatayu" is very good too. He portrays the average Bengali babu's role to perfection. "Topshe's" role as a eager and jovial teenager is well suited too.

He has a strong knowledge of the rest of India, it's history and geography, which is how he's aware of the deserts of Rajasthan. He solves problems in an intelligent way as if it were a mathematical problem. The joy of arriving at a solution is just the same. Ray's strength was his brilliant craftsmanship. He made films, drew storyboards, scored music and most importantly, wrote stories. Proper stories, not autobiographical reminiscences. He also had remarkable interest in varied fields just like a quiz buff would have. It means that if anyone is open to this vast source of knowledge, some of his lesser-known films become joyous experiences.

Outstanding!

[sudasgup · 10/10 · 16 November 2005]

Satyajt Ray has always been revered at home and abroad as a true maestro but (especially in the West) it has been his serious cinema that have been the focus of all adulation and admiration. It is little known outside of his native Bengali community his equal brilliance at writing short stories and novels for children, including the creation of two of Bengali modern literature's most loved characters - Feluda and Professor Shonku.It is in this first screen adaption of one of his popular Feluda stories - Sonar Kella, that we see how far the man's creative dexterity really extended. I remember seeing this film when very young and till date it remains evergreen in my memory, so much so that when I think back on the very many memorable moments from it, my subconscious extracts images from how it appeared on the cinema screen, rather than on TV - this in-spite of numerous repeat viewings on broadcast,video and now DVD. That is saying a lot for the indelible first impressions that this movie made on me.Like most great directors, Ray was blessed with a special empathy and "connect" that enabled him to extract remarkably natural performances from children, even very young ones - this is never more manifest in any of his other movies(with the notable exception of his first - The Song of the Road), especially in the scene when a child actor, playing a bit part, recounts his experiences while being mistakenly kidnapped and held captive instead of the main protagonist - completely mindblowingly natural. Apart from the great background score (composed by ray himself),technical polish,perfect casting,great performances,superb editing and cinematography, this film stands out for the outstanding,larger than life portrayal of the state of Rajasthan(almost like a character) and it's unique natural beauty and romanticism,characterized by deserts,camels,forts,peacocks,steam engines,mystery men and vibrant colours. This lent the movie a Hollywood summer blockbuster action/adventure sheen, which has never before or since been achieved in Bengali cinema. Brilliant!!!

Nostalgia

[shriyaniit · 9/10 · 23 February 2022]

I have watched this movie after 2 decades I guess. When I was a kid for obvious reasons I liked it. Didn't know that I will enjoy watching this even today when I'm all grown up and surrounded by picturesque movies and series.

There was nothing to complain about such as this composition. Truly timeless.

The other Ray

[vogonify · 6/10 · 6 July 2010]

Satyajit Ray, if you were to believe a significant number of serious film watchers, made Pather Panchali, completed the Apu trilogy, added Charulata and Jalsaghar along the way to finish with five films worth talking about; his other films are just too embarrassing to be discussed, when there is "so much Bergman and Antonioni around". After watching The Middleman I was certain that there was more to Ray than you'd be allowed to believe. I have great respect for any film made about half a century ago which can still impress fresh viewers and Middleman was one such. More than anything, that film made it easier to have a look at other, more diverse works of the director. One such I got hold of was Sonar Kella (Golden Fortress). A boy's memory drifts into his past life and he inadvertently becomes target for a smart set of thieves. Only the legendary Feluda can save him. Ray used many elements that he commonly wrote about in his short stories: magic, detectives, parapsychology. The film is far from perfect, with the basic premise of the boy's past life seeming like an excuse for some indulgence. But it's the whole search angle which has a distinct stamp of authority. Feluda is like the other famous Bengali detective, Byomkesh Bakshi, cool, intelligent and enterprising. Unlike him, he smiles a lot less and doesn't indulge the novelist in the film the way Byomkesh would have. Why you end up liking the detective is because he is not just a detective from Bengal. He has a strong knowledge of the rest of India, it's history and geography, which is how he's aware of the deserts of Rajasthan. He solves problems in an intelligent way as if it were a mathematical problem. The joy of arriving at a solution is just the same. Ray's strength was his brilliant craftsmanship. He made films, drew storyboards, scored music and most importantly, wrote stories. Proper stories, not autobiographical reminiscences. He also had remarkable interest in varied fields just like a quiz buff would have. It means that if anyone is open to this vast source of knowledge, some of his lesser-known films become joyous experiences.

An Indian Road Trip Movie from the 60's.

[andrew-manavian · 8/10 · 18 August 2012]

This is an Indian Road Trip Movie, from the 1960's. The story is solid, and the pace is appropriate.

If you do not understand Bengali, you will definitely miss a lot of the innuendos, and the subtitles will not help you out with their literal translation! The young child is an excellent actor, and I wasn't surprised to see that he is now a very successful actor in Tollywood movies (Bollywood is the Hindi movie industry based in Bombay/Mumbai, Tollywood is the Bengali movie industry, based out of Tollygunj in Kolkata).

The cinematography works well, and does present an evocative view of India 40-45 years ago.

The DVD print isn't great for the night scenes...that is the only drag on an otherwise excellent movie.

"narrative was changed from a whodunit.. to a cat and mouse chase"

[smkbsws · 6/10 · 16 September 2020]

Based on Ray's own super-famous sleuth, Feluda. The narrative was changed from a whodunit - the book - to a cat and mouse chase - the film - here. Even though the role was a comic relief, but the scenes of Santhosh Dutta are very much well executed to remember any time. The outdoor of Thar desert is another treat in this movie. And we get a cool Feluda theme music too.

Khan Review

[zkzuber · 2/10 · 28 July 2021]

Another disappointment by satyajit ray, a childish film with a stupid doctor, villian and equally stupid detective. Not expected from some one of Ray caliber. Avoid it but if you are in league of those who feel intelligent by watching Ray film go ahead and waste your time.

Another Masterpiece From The Legend SATYAJIT RAY...

[manojitbaidya · 10/10 · 20 July 2021]

A brilliant adaptation of Ray's own novel. An Indian road trip movie from 70's. The story is solid. Background music is awesome and the locations are fantastic. This film is 💯% perfect in every category. The acting performances are mind blowing, specially the iconic actor 'Soumitra Chatterjee' and the child actor 'Kushal Chakraborty'. This film proves how much versatility Satyajit Ray had. The legend director and the legend actor, together they made this film an 'Evergreen Movie'.

Masterpiece

[avik3599 · 10/10 · 17 September 2018]

It's Ray's film. What a work of details even in children character! Not much technological support or budget, yet a hard-won art!

A masterpiece by Ray

[ayushpal-74879 · 10/10 · 24 April 2022]

Satyajit Ray is a legendary director and author. His Feluda series is perhaps the most popular and loved detective series in Bengal. Like the books, the movies too were excellent. One of these is "Sonar Kella". It is the story of a boy named Mukul who is supposedly a "Jatiswar". With Dr. Hajra, Mukul goes to Rajasthan, in the hope to identify the Golden Fortress Mukul mentioned frequently. Feluda is appointed by Mukul's father to ensure his safety. There are 2 smart criminals, who followed Mukul in the hope of getting the location of the Golden Fortress and the treasure (which was actually a misunderstanding as it later unfolds). Feluda must save him from them.

I tried to keep the summary short. Now coming to the review. The plot is crisp with no unnecessary elements. There is a proper blend of detection, mystery, thrill and humour. The direction is superb and the scenes are well shot and arranged, given the time when this movie was made. Feluda was played brilliantly by Soumitra Chatterjee, and the villain Mandar Bose was also properly portrayed. All the actors acted so naturally, that it blurs the line between reality and fiction. All is all, a complete package of entertainment. Go and watch it on any platform (like Amazon Prime or Jio Cinema). I am sure you will enjoy every minute of it.

Excellent work done !!!

[ankitchowdhury-99067 · 10/10 · 5 July 2021]

Satayajit ray is known for finest work in any field... it's been cinematography or been plot planning , etc... he is best director at that time .....