A man of many talents, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay worked as a Bollywood screenplay writer at Bombay Talkies studio when he was not busy churning out classics for Bengali literature. Primarily known for his Byomkesh Bakshi detective stories, which have been adapted successfully for both small and big screens, Saradindu’s literary oeuvre remains a treasure trove for filmmakers.
On Saradindu’s 124th birth anniversary, we pick five films based on his novellas and short stories that are not based on the iconic sleuth.
Jhinder Bondi (1961)
Directed by Tapan Sinha, Jhinder Bondi is a historical drama based on an eponymous novella adapted from Anthony Hope’s 1894 fiction The Prisoner of Zenda. Starring Uttam Kumar in a double role, the film saw Soumitra Chattopadhyay play a negative character for the first time.
When King Shankar Singh (Uttam Kumar) of the princely estate of Jhind in Madhya Pradesh goes missing, the estate manager decides to install his lookalike Gauri Shankar Roy (Uttam Kumar) on the throne in order to thwart attempts by the prince’s evil brother Udit Singh (Tarun Kumar) to usurp all powers. Udit’s friend Mayurvahan (Soumitra Chatterjee) senses something is amiss in the palace and plots to expose Gauri Shankar.
Watch it on: Hoichoi
Dadar Kirti (1980)
Based on a novella of the same name, Dadar Kirti is a romantic drama directed by Tarun Majumdar. After failing in his university exams, Kedar (Tapas Paul) is packed off by his father to his uncle’s house in Bihar. His cousin Santu (Ayan Banerjee) introduces him to Bhombolda (Anup Kumar), the leader of Santu’s group of friends. During his stay with his uncle, Kedar falls in love with a strong-willed girl in the neighbourhood — Saraswati (Mahua Roychoudhury).
Taking advantage of Kedar’s innocence, Bhombolda creates misunderstanding between them. How Bhombolda and his gang realise their mistake and help Kedar win back his love forms the rest of the story.
Watch it on: ZEE5
Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy (2013)
An anthology of three ghost stories, Sandip Ray-directed Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy features the short story Bhoot Bhobishyot by Saradindu. The story revolves around the bittersweet relationship between a writer and a friendly ghost. It is a light-hearted comedy in a rural setting with a comical twist in the end.
Writer Pratap Sarkar (Saswata Chatterjee) moves to a village, hoping to finish his book amid rural settings. However, he encounters the ghost of Nandadulal Nandy (Paran Bandyopadhyay) who seeks Pratap’s help to settle scores with an old rival. How Pratap helps Nandadulal exact his revenge forms the crux of the plot.
Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar
Chaar (2014)
Sandip Ray’s Chaar is an anthology of four stories by different writers, including Porikkha by Sharadindu. Abir Chatterjee and Koel Mallick feature in this segment as Binayak Bose and Monica Nandi, respectively.
The story revolves around Monica, who is soon to be hitched to Binayak. However, she wants her husband-to-be to pass a test of loyalty before she takes her wedding vows. Koel’s innocence and Abir’s charming screen presence, accentuated by the black-and-white cinematography by Sirsha Roy, make the film an endearing watch.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Monchora (2016)
Sandip Ray’s Monchora is a romantic drama based on a short story. Headlined by Abir Chatterjee and Raima Sen, the movie revolves around the romantic relationship between the heiress of a wealthy family and a thief.
Nanda’s (Raima Sen) family owns a precious red ruby, which they think once belonged to the gods. Dibakar (Abir) who is mistaken to be a thief, gets a job in the house as the secretary of Nanda’s father (Paran Bandopadhyay). Dibakar wins the trust of the family over time and even helps secure the ruby during an attempted robbery. However, there is a twist to this tale of love in the end.
Watch it on: Eros Now
