The Japanese Wife, Byomkesh Bakshi, Shukno Lanka, Autograph, Moner Manush, Gorosthane Sabdhan....and finally a brilliant Arekti Premer Golpo to wind up 2010. The year was peppered with cinema that delighted sensible audience. Teens to octogenarians visited thetares, including many who returned after a long hiatus.
Though their success may not be worth writing home about, Abohoman, Mahanagar@Kolkata, Clerk, 033, Natobor Not Out, Banshiwala and Sthaniya Sangbad impressed many. And the first two made us proud again with national awards that we kept on counting.
Priya Cinema, which always successfully balances between Bollywood and Tollygunge in its 5-6 shows a day, couldn't accomodate any Hindi movie since November, such was the number and box office wonder of the Bengali releases. And Arijit Dutta, owner of the largest single-screen theatre chain in Bengal with Priya Cinema as the flagship, is not complaining.
2010 was easily the best year for Bangla alternative cinema in a long, long time. Both in terms of content, genre and box office success.
Mainstream did well as usual, with successes like Balo Na Tumi Amaar, Wanted, Amanush, Le Chhakka, Josh, Dui Prithibi, Kellafate and Sedin Dekha Hoyechhilo which did a superb finishing job in December. Le Chhakka and Dui Prithibi, both by Raj Chakraborty, one of the top league names, brought in a whiff of freshness.
2011 looks set to take off from where 2010 left, with Bedeni, Iti Mrinalini, Bye Bye Bangkok and Takhan Teish hitting the screens back to back in January and many more interesting stuff in the pipeline.
The flavour of Kolkata
The city is known for its old alleys. One such is shot by Atanu Pal.
Yes, absolutely... I've always had faith in Bengali cinema and had always made it a point to catch any good Bengali cinema that gets screened at Nandan or Priya.
ReplyDeleteThe year really gave us some stupendous films like Abahoman, Arekti Premer Golpo, Clerk, Moner Manush; some very good films like Shukno Lanka, Autograph, Mahanagar@Kolkata, etc. Even 033 and Gorosthaney Sabdhan, though not in the same league, ensure people watched them too.
I must say I've been really glad for Bangla cinema.