ok time to be niche! me and my family always say that Sean Evans from Endeavor looks like a very clean rat… in that strain we decided that Thursday is a badger… and then i drew that!
I haven’t watched a Bengali film in ages tbh but since it’s pujo season here are some recs for nostalgia. Also I know some people are going to be assholes in the comments so, THESE ARE JUST MY OWN FAVES. THEY DON’T REPRESENT ALL OF BENGALI CINEMA:
Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Apur Sansar: The Apu Trilogy (Satyajit Ray)
Probably THE most iconic works of Bengali cinema and easily some of the greatest films to be ever made in world history. Satyajit Ray’s pet project, based on the novels by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, recounts the story of an impoverished family in 1920s rural Bengal, focusing especially on the figure of Apu, the wide eyed and perceptive little boy whose life and relationships we follow through the three movies. Equal parts bildungsroman and a love letter to Gram Bangla, with added social commentary of pre independence India and the advent of Western thought and education in Bengal. Also watch the recently released Aparajito (2022, dir. Anik Datta) which is a delightful work that tells you the history behind the making of Pather Panchali.
If you haven’t watched this AMAZING fantasy series omg what are you even doing??? Goopi Bagha is the story of two bumbling outcasts, who are thrown out of their respective villages, for causing a ruckus with their lack of musical talent (Goopi sings badly and Bagha plays the drum horribly). After spending a night playing bad music in a haunted forest, they receive three boons from the King of Ghosts (Bhooter Raja, voiced by Ray himself) when their music weirdly pleases him. And that’s just the first part to their adventures. We have two warring brother kings, an evil magician, a scientist with a brainwashing device, food falling from the sky and teleporting shoes. It’s funny, it’s magical and it’s got instantly memorable scenes, characters and set pieces. And the songs, OH my god, the songs are SO good.
Sonar Kella, Joy Baba Felunath: The Classic Feluda Films (Satyajit Ray)
Feluda, the beloved detective figure who is Bengal’s response to Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, has appeared over the decades in many films essayed by many famous actors, but these two are special because Ray himself, who also wrote the Feluda novels, directed them and they star legends Soumitra Chatterjee and Santosh Dutta, along with many other familiar faces of Bengali cinema. Set in Jaisalmer and Varanasi respectively, with many dialogues and characters that have become a part of household Bengali culture, these two detective thrillers have enough charm and heart to make for a great watch this puja. (Joy Baba Felunath is also set during Durga Puja).
Koni (Saroj Dey)
Based on the novel by Moti Nandi, Koni is the story of a very poor young girl who is also a very gifted swimmer. She is taken under the tutelage of the gruff- but secretly compassionate- swim coach Khitish (again the iconic Soumitra) who is recovering from his disgrace at the local club, and he trains her for the National Swimming Championship. It’s a very touching and really sad story, and I recommend reading the book as well, if you can find a copy.
Marjina Abdullah (Dinen Gupta)
Yes it’s an Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves retelling and YES it’s SO MUCH fun. Mithu Mukherjee is so pretty and fun as Marjina!!! Just go into it expecting a campy Bengali movie and you’ll love it. Banging OST, they also got colour photography only for an item number at the end, which is pretty Chad ™ of them.
Kabuliwala (Tapan Sinha)
1957 film based on Rabindranath Tagore’s short story about the unlikely friendship between Mini, a little Bengali girl and Rehmat, an Afghan Kabuliwala (travelling fruit seller) who visits her street daily to peddle his wares. Very soft, comforting and heartwarming film. The actress who played the little Mini actually hailed from the Tagore family.
Alo (Tarun Majumdar)
Aka the movie that made me cry like a baby. This is a story about a young woman (played by the radiant Rituparna Sengupta) who marries a teacher and moves into his ancestral village, going on to form very meaningful relationships with the villagers. The movie ends with tragedy, and has quite sombre themes throughout, just be warned, but it is such a powerful piece of Bengali cinema, with an emphasis on sororal love. Great music, mostly Rabindra Sangeet, by Arundhati Holme Chowdhury.
Jaatishwar (Srijit Mukherji)
A Gujarati attempts to woo his Bengali girlfriend by researching the music of Bengal and writing his own song. His endeavours lead him to a library in Chandannagar, where he meets a mysterious man who agrees to help him. The catch? The man claims he is the reincarnation of Anthony Firingee, a 19th century Portuguese traveller musician who became a folk singer after reaching Bengal (Prosenjit Chatterjee is at his zenith with his double role.) What follows next is a tale of cultural nostalgia, shared history, folk music and startling revelations. This is one of the greatest Bengali films of the 21st century, and the OST is GORGEOUS. also the entire climactic sequence deserves an Oscar and will devastate you.
Mahalaya (Soumik Sen)
Finally, if you really want to get into the Pujo mood, watch this beautiful and underrated gem of a movie, which chronicles the history of the famous radio recording of ‘Mahisasuramardini’, a religious programme that formally heralds Mahalaya or the beginning of Durga Puja and is broadcast every year at dawn. Subhasish Mukhopadhyay, one of the finest actors of Bengal, plays Birendra Krishna Bhadra, the artist who had originally recorded and sang the iconic programme. Jishu Sengupta plays Uttam Kumar, who was infamously chosen to replace Bhadra in 1976. The rest, as they say, is history. Watch it, you won’t regret it.
Hope you find something from here to your liking.
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