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Top 5 Feel-Good Bengali Films with A Message

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Keeping up with the festive mood, today I am going to write about several movies that have been able to positively affect the viewer's minds. These films are not only entertaining but also convey valuable messages with a subtle and soft approach. Here are a few Bengali films that I have found to fall under the category of Feel-Good movies. 1. Ramdhanu (2014): Much before English Medium this film raised the question of a common middle-class family's struggles to get their child admitted to a reputed English-medium school. The film is a light-hearted eye opener, that never fails to get monotonous due to its spontaneous screenplay and noteworthy performances by Shibprasad Mukherji and Gargi Roy Chowdhury as the couple. The scenes of the child's admission interview that ultimately becomes the interview of his parents, are hilarious. Rachana Banerji in the role of the kind-hearted teacher is very lovable.  2. Haami (2018): Shibaprasad Mukherji and Gargi Roy Chowdhury team up a

Top 7 Bengali Family Films to watch this Festive Season

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Exams are over, and festivities are on. We are all indulging in savoury food and spending fun-filled moments with our near and dear ones. It is a great time to catch up on some good entertaining family films that the kids can enjoy. Today I have tried to make a list of films that are light-hearted and can be enjoyed by the whole family alike.  1. Hirer Angti (1992): Adapted from noted author Shirshendu Mukherji's story of the same name, this movie is acclaimed director Rituporno Ghosh's first directorial venture. The film, just as the story goes, has multiple characters. A stranger visits a house that has a lot of inmates and makes friends with a kid from the family. A diamond ring that belongs to the family is the main attraction of the story, The film is simple, a bit slow for today's time but the overall feel is quite nice. Every time the stranger appears the tune of Rabindranath's song, "Sarate aj kon Atithi"(Who is this guest at autumn) plays in the back

Top 7 Bengali Movies on Mental Health

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Mental Health has been a matter of neglect for many years. Those who were going through mental health issues had mostly been subjected to either inhuman treatment or discarded by families. They were called crazy, lunatic, insane and so on. It is good to see that in recent years people have identified issues of mental health and have started giving importance to that. There are many instances where people with serious mental health issues have been treated and have been made fit to lead a normal life. Since I write about movies in particular, I was trying to brainstorm a few Hollywood films that have dealt with mental health as a topic. The 1st 2 names that come to my mind are A Beautiful Mind and Silver Linings Playbook. When we think we can find countless. However, as a Bengali Film enthusiast, I tried to recall and find out Bengali films that have been made on Mental Health. Interestingly there are quite a few ones, and surprisingly some of them belong to the era where the topic of m

5 Dumb Movies that are Secretly Clever

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I have always avoided films like "Drunken Master" and other movies that begin and end with a fight. The same goes for mindless action films too. However, there are a few movies that I have watched that may seem incredibly foolish and dumb but if you manage to watch those you will realise they are quite clever. So, here is my list of 5 Dumb Movies that are Secretly Clever. 1. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: When 2 worthless friends go for a vacation, their adventures turn into a disastrous misadventure and a massacre due to misunderstandings and unfortunate turn of events. This movie is gory, bloody and yet stupidly hilarious. The execution style is of a slapstick comedy with the chills and thrills of a gory slasher, making it a unique dark comedy. How some people's false assumptions about 2 people turn into a nightmare for both parties is the main story behind this goofy massacre. 2. One Cut of the Dead: In the beginning this film looks like a low-budget mindless zombie flick,

Top 5 Films Based on Communal/Civil Wars and Internal Feuds

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A couple of days back I watched a film, only to get a headache and I forgot its name too. But still, I watched it, some people won't change. Will they? Like nations in continuous wars and internal feuds -God knows what they get out of it. War has not done good for anyone ever. While their purpose is best known to them, my purpose as a cinema lover is to create a list of films that cover topics of Communal/Civil war and internal feuds:   1. The Killing Fields: I had no idea about the history of Cambodia, till I watched this 1984 film, during my mid-twenties. A nation that was absolutely devastated as a result of the killing of thousands of its citizens under the bloodthirsty Khmer Rouge reign - Killing Fields covered this history through the pen of a New York Times journalist and his Cambodian associate. The movie is difficult to watch due to the depiction of the horrid nature of the brutality that innocent people had to go through. Pran, the Cambodian journalist had to endeavour a

Top 5 Sole Survivor Movies to watch if you like The Martian

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Hollywood has been making innumerable Sole Survivor films for years now. Some films have made a huge impact and some just fade from our memory. Some films had very limited actors but still managed to make a mark. One such film is definitely The Martian. This 2015 film, starring Matt Damon dealt with a space traveller who had to survive adversities while stranded alone on Mars. Damon's powerful performance as the protagonist has been widely appreciated. Ridley Scott's direction is detailed and most of the scenes, starting from the the magnanimous surroundings of the space station to the very grounded and basic approach to vegetation and farming have been filmed with much care and finesse. No wonder The Martian has made its honourable place in the top Sci-Fi Films of all time. I was wondering if I have watched any other Sole Survivor films of this stature and I have found a few. So, here is the list: Top 5 Sole Survivor Movies to watch if you like The Martian 1. Gravity: Sandra

5 Film Adaptations of Literary Classics to Watch

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2004's film "Phantom of the Opera", starring Gerard Butler, was an indirect adaptation of the French novel Le Fantome de Opera by Gaston Leroux. While I have not read the book, I have happened to watch a few films that are based on Classic literature that I have read. So, today, I have decided to list a few films adapted on screen from Literary Classics. 1. Romeo+Juliet: This 1996 film starring Leonardo di Caprio and Claire Danes in the titular roles is the modern-day spin-off of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. A visually captivating romantic tale of a couple of teenagers whose families are sadly involved in a continuous mafia feud. Nothing can weaken their bond, and no conspiracy can tear them apart. The story's backdrop remains unchanged; however, the presentation is modern and artistically aesthetic. Interestingly, some of the dialogues and monologues in the play were used by director Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann's films have always made a mark in the viewer'