Poila Baisakh falling on a Friday is perhaps the best gift of 2022 so far. With the (in)famous Kolkata heat putting a stopper on quick weekend trips (like during winter) and us compensating with extensive menus, the only thing that is missing from the picture is, well, moving pictures. So, this Polia Baisakh, here are a few Bengali cinematic gems, some old and some more contemporary, to binge watch on the long weekend…
Apu Trilogy
Not much remains to be said about this Ray masterpiece — the Apu Trilogy is timeless. Based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s novels, the bond between Apu and Durga, the saga of the family and Apu’s journey is as much a personal experience as it is a cinematic one. We live and breathe with the ebbs and flows of the narrative. And whether you’re seeing it for first time or the umpteenth, it’s hard to hold back tears at the raw emotions. That’s the magic of Satyajit Ray.
A scene from ‘Pather Panchali’
‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ and ‘Abar Aranye’
Another Ray classic, Aranyer Din Ratri, with its tale of friendship, brings forth the nuances of human relationships and repressed desires. The film, based on a novel by Sunil Gangopadhyay by the same name, will compensate perfectly if you didn’t get to go on that trip with friends this weekend.
Abar Aranye, a sequel to Aranyer Din Ratri by Goutam Ghose, with most of the original cast (and some from the next generation), manages to capture the adventure and nostalgia as they return to the forest of Palamu after 30 years.
A scene from ‘Abar Aranye’
‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’
Can Goopy-Bagha ever get old? Nah! Can we ever get tired of watching it? Nah!
A scene from ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’
‘36 Chowringhee Lane’
Vacuums and loneliness cause erosions deep within. The pace of this erosion is slow, the ache rhythmic and the existence mundane. 36 Chowringhee Lane, the first directorial venture by Aparna Sen, is a story you cannot forget. Once you watch it, the want in Violet’s eyes, the relatability in Samaresh and Nandita’s characters haunt your thoughts for days after.
A scene from ‘36 Chowringhee Lane’
‘Shob Charitro Kalponik’
The non-linear narrative, the unpredictability, and the dichotomy of adult relationships. This movie is a tale of a couple where love, loss, longing and coexistence weave a relatable tale — a film in which poetry is not a prop, but one of the main characters.
A scene from ‘Shob Charitro Kalponik’
‘Khela’
Rituparno Ghosh’s Khela startled us with the clash between the simple and complex, candid and artificial, as the intimacy weaved by the characters gives us yet another film with a nuanced understanding of human relationships.
A scene from 'Khela'
‘Saptapadi’
This is just for the love of Uttam-Suchitra, today and forever! We don’t need to list reasons to watch Saptapadi.