Judgement day (Bicharak)

When a director is successful in cooking up a compelling drama out of a small but important event from one's past, he has surely passed the litmus test. More significantly, the screenplay of Bicharak continuously flits in and out of flashbacks constantly whetting our appetite to learn of Gyanendra's secret past. What did he do that makes him continuously weigh his actions? Why is there such an eerie discomfiture between the exchanges a man has with his wife? Why does his mind travel back so much to his past? And most importantly, why is the question incessantly raised as to whether Gyanendra is right enough to decide a man's fate?

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A subtle celebration of love (Chawa Pawa)

When you watch Uttam Kumar romancing Suchitra Sen on the silver screen you suddenly feel a stab in your heart. A piercing pain for something joyous that alas shall never ever be. Such was the beauty of this evergreen pair that reached the pinnacle of success in Bengali moviedom. Such beauty can be only once. And such indelible and deep was the impression of this onscreen couple that no lover of Bengali cinema will be able to give a scope to any duo exuding lesser magnetism or charm.

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Friends in need (Ora Thake Odhare)

There was this niggling urge to title this post "When east meets west". For, that is essentially what Ora Thake Odhare is, from a very superficial level. The 1954 film directed by Sukumar Dasgupta depicts the constant battle between the members of a West Bengali family and a family from East Bengal. Thereby representing the friction between the two communities that has been since eternity. But then, as the minutes elapse, this hilarious movie turns out into a kaleidoscope of emotions that one got to see in the Bengal of yore. How despite all the friction, familes, both from West and East Bengal, were there for each other in times of joy, sorrow and distress. How, no matter how much they fought, they helped each other in every big or small way. And how heartwarming Bengal and its culture used to be. When the film ends, it does leave you with a feel-good emotion, that is not devoid of the tinge of wistfulness for what we have lost from the days of yore...

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When ego tampers with love (Indrani)

I would say that Indrani is a good romance that is seriously ahead of its times. It shows a young girl fighting for her love against her conservative parents, her staunch and mean in-laws and against some inane taboos that rid society those times. She is also the one who voices her feelings first, leading her lover to recognise the feelings deep down in his heart. She is the one who proposes marriage first, a thought that was considered outrageous for women earlier. And yes, she is the breadwinner of the family for a good period of time. At least till the man of the house pulls up his socks and has resolve enough to do something worthwhile in life. In that, Indrani is a total departure from the films that projected the obvious.

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Anand in a different garb (Kalapani)

Dev Anand and dashing go hand in hand. His very name conjures up an image of a freewheeling youngster whistling away in the woods, singing some peppy romantic numbers and wooing the woman in his own charismatic style. He flashes that characteristic smile at every instant to destabilise you, he walks with that swagger reminding you that there will only be one and only one Dev Anand. So, when you see this happy-go-lucky charmer almost transform his intrinsic personality to get into the skin of Karan Mehra in Raj Khosla's Kalapani, it is a surprise for sure.

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The hills are alive (Kanchanjangha)

What a brilliantly multi-layered film Kanchanjangha is. Every frame is steeped in imagery, every dialogue resonating with the inner doubts clouding the characters' minds. Just like the mist that is blocking out the sparkling view of the majestic Himalayan range. But, by the time the movie ends, every doubt is put to rest, every question answered, every nagging dillemma is solved. And with that the mist clears out of Darjeeling to gift us with the breathtaking view of the Kanchanjangha. Albeit through Satyajit Ray's eyes.

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