Bengal

  • Movie Review: Har Har Byomkesh (2015)

    Movie Review: Har Har Byomkesh (2015)

    The duo of sleuth Byomkesh Bakshi and his sidekick, Ajit Bandopadhyay, created by Bengali author Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, were inspired by the eponymous Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. Watson. ‘Har Har Byomkesh’ is a Byomkesh who-dun-it based on Saradindu Bandopadhyay’s novel Banhi Patanga. While the plot in the book unfolds in Patna, the movie’s plot Read more

  • Movie Review: Eagoler Chokh (2016)

    Movie Review: Eagoler Chokh (2016)

    It is time for another Bengali Whodunit/Crime thriller. In the wake of the success of “Ebar Shabor” (2015), Saswata Chatterjee reprises his eponymous role as ACP Shabor Dasgupta in “Eagoler Chokh” (Eyes of the Eagle). The opening scene is reminiscent of the first “Scream” movie, with a woman on the phone in the dead of Read more

  • Movie Review: Chorabali (2016)

    Movie Review: Chorabali (2016)

    It’s time again to review yet another hidden gem and yet another Bengali whodunit. “Chorabali” (Quicksand) is a murder mystery adapted from Agatha Christie’s “Cards on the Table”. It is set in modern-day Calcutta, at a time when mobile phones, the internet, and cable media are ubiquitous. There will always be those among us who Read more

  • Movie Review: Ebar Shabor (2015)

    Movie Review: Ebar Shabor (2015)

    Ebar Shabor (“Now It’s the Hunter”) is another noteworthy Bengali whodunit. The crime this time is tackled by ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Shabor Dasgupta, played by the immensely talented thespian Saswata Chatterjee. Ebar Shabor is based on the novel “Rwin” by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and directed by Arindham Sil. The movie opens with a woman Read more

  • Movie Review: Chotushkone (2014)

    Movie Review: Chotushkone (2014)

    If there is one thing that can be said about Bengali movies, it is that they celebrate intellectualism. This gem of a movie is a testimony to that statement. There are two movie industries within India that stand out for their consistency in producing quality content: the southern Malayalam movie industry of Kerala and the Read more