‘Ota boi noy, ota film!’
“I wonder why Bengalis still have a habit of calling a film as a Boi (book) and not a Chobi (movie or picture)”- Satyajit Ray
20 March,2020
Today is the International day for Storytelling and I could not have found a better day to dedicate my piece of work to a person who is not only a master storyteller but a human with a million extraordinary qualities.
Dear reader, we have spent our childhood, dreaming about the Galis (lanes) of Benares, haunted Havelis and the Aartis on the Dashwamedh Ghat.
Wait! Did you just see Maganlal climbing down from his boat with the silver plate covered in a red shroud? But did he give the plate to Machlli baba in Benares? No, my dear reader, the Macchli baba scene was shot in a studio in Kolkata! (Highly suspicious isn’t it?)
“People who saw my film would never be able to guess the time difference between the two scenes”
Ray’s fascination for the city of Varanasi is evident in his works. Be it his movies or his short stories (such as ‘The Case of Mriganko Babu’, etc.), he never fails to provide his admirers with a piece of info about the city of Temples.
Now, Lalmohan Babu knows that there are Tettirish Koti (33 Crore) temples in Benares. So, next time when you visit Benares, do carry my best wishes to Captain Spark and do not forget to ask Ruku Babu about Mogojastro!
Santosh Dutta’s (Jatayu’s) untimely death had created a large void in Ray’s life. Thus, Sandip Roy continued with his father’s Feluda series. Other than Sabyasachi, several actors have been casted as Feluda, but still Soumitra is the first one who comes to my mind when I think of this iconic character!
Forgive me dear reader, I could not write about all your favourite Feluda movies. I know the list is endless. After all, “Amader telepathy r bhaloi jor ache!”
INSPIRED BY: CHILDHOOD DAYS, A MEMOIR, SATYAJIT RAY (TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH BY BIJOYA RAY)
BHANU GOENDA, JAHAR ASSISTANT!
We were all locked up in our homes during the COVID-19 outbreak. That was when my Grandfather suggested me to watch the movies of Bhanu Bandyopadhyay.
Oh! What a delight it has been to watch him. With his marvellous expressions and solid Bangal bhasha, you definitely cannot take your eyes off the screen. I would also take this opportunity to appreciate Jahar Roy, who makes the perfect juti (partnership) with Bhanu. Yes dear reader, he is the same man who played the role of Mantri Moshai (evil minister) in Goopy Gyne, Bagha Byne.
Though I could not manage to see all the Bhanu- Jahar films, I knew that I had hit the Goldmine. JOMOLAY JIBONTO MANUSH was my first Bhanu film. With an absolutely wonderful storyline, this movie is a must watch. With a perfect comedy package, the ‘Ham-ham, guri- guri’ (Adhunik naach) is a super-duper hit!
‘Ashite-ashiona’ is still as relevant as it was in the 1900’s. There is no doubt that the number of old age homes have been increasing rapidly in our country. My favorite scene is the one where Bhanu teases the police officer. You ought to burst into peals of laughter when he says-“Amay arrest korar apnar ekhon kono adhikar ney! Ami ekhon Jol- police er under e!”
One more actor requires a special mention here and that is certainly Tulsi Chakraborty. He is best known for his roles of Parash Babu in Ray’s ‘Parash pathor’ and the worrisome hostel-landlord in the blockbuster movie ‘Sare –Chuaattor’, starring Uttam-Suchitra and Bhanu.
The simplicity, natural acting and the rustic setting is what makes these movies Evergreen. I could not manage to find all the adjectives to describe such masterpieces. My dear readers, you already know what I mean.
Golpo holeo, sob kintu sotti!
Shreshtha Sengupta
Unbounded✨
Very well analyzed. You have a interest in bengali cinema that's great. Both are classics. Keep writing
Cool! Nice read