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Mom (2017)
A daughter is raped. The perpetrators are out in the open but the law fails to punish them. Hence a mother decides to take things into her own hands
Mom is Sridevi's second movie after her comeback and just like English Vinglish it is a hell badass performance. Her powerpacked role is the true highlight of the movie.
The other masterful thing is the cinematography . The way the movie is shot truly showcases the pain and anguish of the characters.
The film is tight and gripping and is well placed.
I did like Mawaz's performance but it is not his best.
Akshay Khanna as the police officer is perfectly cast and he shines in his parts
Overall a good onetime watch
Nayak (1966)
A hero of popular movie has to go to Delhi, but he does not get a flight reservation. Hence he has to travel on a Indian train.Whom will he meet? What will happen?
Nayak is the first movie Ray made based on hos own story. Seeing the movie one gets a sense of how great a writer he is.
The title literally means Hero and the biggest strength of this movie is the casting. For generations of Bengali(including me) Uttam Kumar is the ultimate hero. Hence who better to play the Hero?
Sharmila Tagore as the aloof, inquisitive journalist is perfectly cast and she is compliments Uttam Kumar's grief and his loneliness.The movie is almost like a poetry where we hear the hero become human.
The side characters may seem unnecessary but they are so masterfully crafted that we are intrigued by them. I especially liked Kamu Mukherjee as Sarkar. It is these small roles that made him such a necessity in Ray's Oeuvre.
Agantuk (1991)
A long lost uncle visits his married niece's house after 35 years. But is he who he claims to be? Or is he a impostor
17 minutes into the film, Utpal Dutta's character sings a song, a bhajan really and just as he started singing it was unmistakably Ray's voice.This scene gave me chills as it made me aware that this is probably one of last times his voice was heard.
I had read the story long ago in one of Ray's short story collections. I was also made aware that there was a film based on this book. But the story itself may be good but not fascinating enough for me to seek out the film immediately. The movie is infinitely better and would make anyone seek out the book. The title of the book was Atithi meaning the Guest .On the other hand the movie is called Aguntuk meaning The Stranger.This changes the dynamics of the movie and also gives it a kind of intimate depth.
Utpal Dutt's performance is the highlight of the movie.His dark looks, deep knowledge and measured performance light up his indoor film it glace and elegance.
The movie is an indoor one but Ray has immense control preventing it to being play-ish. The final sequence in Santiniketan is beautifully shot.The final scene is almost poetic as the Stranger leaves home we know that his creator has also left never to return.
Sonar Kella (1974)
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?
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.
Joi Baba Felunath (1979)
A precious statue of the elephant god is stolen .Feluda is called to help. Will he nab the thief in the holy city of Benaras?
As a young Bengali girl , I came to know feluda through cinema and books.The books culminated a lot of my pre-teen years and will always be a foundation for my Bengali education. Hence Joy Baba felunath will always be special.
The story starts with the trio arriving in Varanasi for a holiday during the days leading up to Durga pujo. A precious statue is stolen from the Ghosal residence and feluda is called to help. It is soon revealed that Magalal Meghraj, a notorious smuggler is involved in it and thus begins Feluda's quest to nab him.
Ray is widely known for his serious cinema for adults but few beyond Bengal know about is amazing plethora of children's movies. Joy Baba Felunath is one such movie. The style is distinctly different from his "for adult movies" as unlike them the dialogues for this movie and his other children's movies are distinctly Bengali and untranslatable.
The performances are superlative. Soumitra , "the actor of parallel cinema", stands tall as feluda but is obviously overshadowed by Santosh Dutta as Jatayu and Utpal Dutta as Magalal Meghraj. Siddhartha Chatterjee as Tapesh is good as well.
The camera works is great but Ray never lets that take center stage.The scenes especially the one with the blind knife thrower and the climactic shot is one of the best in Indian cinema.
Therefore this is one of Ray's best work , but you may need to know Bengali to enjoy it.
Postscript
I had read the book long before I have seen the movie , yet the movie so engaging, has culminated my imagination.It is now difficult to disgust between the book and the movie.
Charulata (1964)
A lonely wife in the Calcutta high society in 1890s .Enter her effervescent brother in law intricacies of love , misunderstanding and heartbreak.
Charulata begins with a long shot of Madhabi Mukherjee searching for a book of Bakimchandra Chattopaday. In this one shot not only Ray conveys the premise but also the the themes of loneliness and desperation.
Growing up in a Bengali household ,I have always heard about Charulata being a instant classic.I have watched other Ray classic but the treatment of the material is so unique, yet so familiar that this may truly be a complete movie.
The first half as a kind of effervescence that you least expect with a movie of this kind.Ray has superlative control over his music and background score .He very cleverly uses Rabinrasangeet with Western influences , instantly lifting this to the levels of International cinema.The sequence with "Ami Chinigo Chini tomare" is a superlative montage that is so rarely seen in Indian movies
The second half is very different from the first half but the transition does not feel drastic. Amal matures and Charu is left heartbroken ,but the most superlative scene is when Bhupati understands the truth of their relationship.It is superlative scene played with nuance.The final scene is a utter celebration of cinematic celebration and is a rarity in Indian cinema.
Charulata is the cameras ultimate triumph .Shots and sequences are itself a part of storytelling and have enhanced the conflicts manifold times.
Hence this movie may or may not be Ray's best but it is surely the greatest celebration of Bengali culture
Forooshande (2016)
A couple move to a new apartment. One night the husband is late and wife opens the door thinking it is her husband. It's not.She is attacked and all hell break lose
The Salesman This movie begins with a disaster , an earthquake that rattle our protagonist from their home and ends with another disaster that rattle them out of their lives. The story in between is quite, sublime unfolding of disaster.
Rana and Emad are a modern day couple living in Tehran , who are performing together in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman".Their house collapses , they move to a new house and something very bad happens.the redemption and the revenge form the crux of the story.
The movie is slow , but unlike in more popular movies that is its strong point.It dwells slowly in the unfolding of human emotion through a series of devastating events. Asghar Farhadi's biggest strength is ambiguity.Throughout the story he leaves the viewers in a blur where they have to to make their own assumptions to move forward.
The final act like those in his other movies is deeply moving and slowly devastating. Farhadi gives us a very universal interpretation of the emotion of men and women, where the man wants revenge and women wants to forgive and forget. He also uses the character of Emad as a metaphor for 'The Salesman" in Miller's play and intricately shows his gentle yet urgent desperation.