Movie Review: Open Tee Bioscope

Childhood is considered by most as the best period of life. Carefree life, vacations, para-cricket, first crush, friends who mean life to you – school days truly are memorable for anyone. Anindya Chatterjee, after gifting Bengalis classic compositions for decades, turned to direction with adolescent friendship as the theme of his debut venture.

If you grew up in the 1990s, you will surely fall in love with this film right from the first frame. From the nostalgic “Open Tee Bioscope” song that marked our childhood to the first puff of cigarette on the terrace, para friends, pranks on neighbours, wall graphiti and the political nuisance defined early ’90s – Anindya da has beautifully crafted the narrative.

The story is of Fowara – a rebel who has been expelled from school for beating up the hostel warden, and has returned to his North Kolkata para. The first half of the film is like a leisurely Sunday morning; the film is emotional yet fun. Anindya Chatterjee’s brand of humor is not crass as we often encounter in films these days.

There is a child-like innocence in the treatment of the film. Therein lies the beauty of Open Tee Bioscope. The film does not boast of being a high-on-cerebral artsy film nor is it a formulaic remake of any South India flick. It is an honest retelling of the most innocent days in any person’s life – everyone sitting in the audience can identify with.

Technically the film is not out of the world. There are moments that make it worth cherishing forever – the Dashami scene on the terrace or Fowara’s coming-of-age moment with his mentor the night before the match. As usual, Chandrabindoo’s music is brilliant as always – you cannot get enough of it (I am glued to the album on Saavn all day).

The film is a treat to watch because of the cast. Everyone has acted so flawlessly, one would wonder if the were for real. The chemistry between Baishaki (Sudipta) and Fowara (Riddhi Sen) is fabulous. Even in his small screen time, Paran Bandyopadhyay wins hearts. Rajatava Dutta is the darling para-kaku while Aparajita Adhya is your PNPC-loving middle class aunty who is good at heart.

Over all, Open Tee Bioscope is a nostalgia trip which would make you want to call up your best friend and arrange a school reunion. It is only when you watch films like these when you realise “Those were the days”.

Thank you Anindya Da.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

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Film review: Pendulum

The posters caught my attention at one of the plexes. Interested, I googled the film, only to discover that Pendulum is the first film of a newbie director. Shoukarya Ghoshal is a director to watch out for in the future. Meticulously weaving five parallel stories in one common thread, Shoukarya reminds us we are all slaves of time.

Although a tad bit slow in the beginning, the film picks up pace as the story progresses and keeps the audience hooked with a slice of life in the five stories portrayed in the film.

 

The very first segment sees Subhasish Mukhopadhyay as a painter. A mysterious character, he apparently can teleport people to another land through his paintings. He uses his art to trap Rajesh Sharma, the promoter, who is after his life to vacate the house. Shankar (Shantilal Mukherjee) is a driver, who dreams of owning a garage one day. Then there’s this love story of Baban (Samadarshi) and Nandita (Radhika). While Baban is a college student, his girlfriend Nandita works in an ad agency. Baban has a rival in Bony, who too is in love with Nandita but is scared of approaching her. Instead, he fantasizes about her. Rajatava happens to be Baban’s Bangla teacher, whose wife meets with an accident. Ani aka Anindya Banerjee plays a visually challenged songwriter. He is married to Bublu (Sreelekha), a professor of English. The couple seems to be in love till Swapnasree makes an entry.

– Times of India

Every actor has performed their role to perfection. The oblique references to the works of great filmmakers like Bergman is a plus. The nuances of daily life in Kolkata finds a place in the film, where the city itself is a character.

A slice-of-life film, sprinkled with a hint of magic realism, it does complete a full circle. The switch from one track to another is executed well. Edited brilliantly, the film retains its freshness due to the short duration. One can safely say that Shoukarya has arrived, and how!

My Rating: 4/5 stars

DISCLAIMER: All Images Used In This Post Have Their Respective Copyrights