Top 6 Bengali Political Thrillers

Political thrillers are a less ventured genre by Bengali filmmakers. However, there are a few very well-made ones. Today, I will list a few such political thrillers by Bengali filmmakers.

1. Atanka (1986): " Mastermoshai, apni kintu kichu dekhenni. ( Masterji, you have not seen anything.) This infamous dialogue by the film's antagonist still brings shivers down the spine. The cold and stern tone, without any usual profanities used by political goons, instead maintaining the respect of his former teacher, his warning serves as the USP and determinant of the situation's intensity. A retired teacher accidentally witnesses the murder at the hands of one of his ex-students, who is now a political goon. His whole life turns into a living hell when he decides to inform the police. Atanka is one of Tapan Sinha's best works, showcasing the ugly truth of Bengal politics of the 80s. It featured powerful performances from Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Sumanta Mukherji, Bhishma Guha Thakurta, and Satabdi Roy. 

2. Proloy (2013): Barun Biswas, a school teacher, formed a group of youngsters to curb the increasing gang rapes by the local political goons led by Prashanta. One night, he is killed, and to solve his murder and to control the area's hooligans, a daredevil cop. Animesh Dutta is appointed. Binod Behari Dutta, another teacher who knew Barun, came to the village and tried to reform and rebuild Barun's dream group. Based on the actual events in the life of Barun Biswas, the film shows the brutal reality of the political terrorizations of that time. Directed by Raj Chakraborty, the film stars Parambrata Chatterji, Saswata Chatterji, Paran Bandopadhyay, Rudraneil Ghosh and Mimi Chakrabarty. 

3. Kanamachi (2013): An honest photojournalist, Abir, supports an upcoming politician, Abhimanyu, who was also his classmate at college. A sudden blast in one of the political meetings gets Abir's friend, Payel, killed. Raged with anger, Abir, along with the help of his girlfriend, journalist Naina, is hell-bent on uncovering the blast's truths, leading them to shocking revelations. Just like Proloy, the film has Raj Chakraborty's approach of excitement in every frame. Ankush, Srabonti, Abir Chatterji, Rajatava Datta and Shaayoni Ghosh perform well in the film.

4. Meghnadbodh Rahasya (2017): An internationally celebrated author and a Professor at Oxford University, Asimava Bose goes missing. Upon investigation, his political activism in student life reveals some dark secrets. All the answers lead to a copy of Meghnadbod Kabyo, which he received on his birthday. This film does not fall under the category of a typical thriller. There are hardly any scenes of investigation or any ingredients common in thrillers. This film by Anik Dutta is an intelligent take on the topic that is visualized with parallel storytelling of 2 phases of Asimava's life and comes across as a slow-burning secret reveal rather than a pacy thriller. There are some brilliant performances from Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Gargi Roy Choudhury, Abir Chatterji, Anindya Banerji and Vikram Chatterji.

5. Shibpur (2023): It is definitely quite underrated. Set in the 80s Bengal, Mandira, whose honest husband gets murdered by a political gang, seeks help from the leader of a rival gang. Slowly and steadily, with her intelligence and thoughtful steps, she becomes the uncrowned Queen of gangsters in the area, feared by everyone. Her hide-and-seek and striking conversations with the investigating officer, Sultan Ahmed, make the film memorable. Such a celebrated gangster, who was even politically active, suddenly went missing during the 90s. That becomes the subject of interest for a young journalist. The film is quite hard-hitting, with intense dialogues and scenes depicting violence. The performances of Swastika Mukherji, Parambrata Chatterji, Kharaj Mukherji and Rajatava Dutta are outstanding. It's a relief to find talented actors like Kharaj finally getting their fair share of due after being sided as mere sidelined comedic actors.

6. Raktabeej (2023): 2023 was the year of power-packed political thrillers, including this one. Based on the actual events of the infamous 2014 Burdwan blast, it is about a political conspiracy to assassin the then President of India, Animesh Chatterji (based on Pranab Mukherji). It has fantastic, visually appealing scenes, action-packed sequences, thrills, and power-packed performances from Victor Banerjee, Abir Chatterji, Mimi Chakraborty, Kanchan Mullick and Ankush. Directed by the celebrated director duo of Shiboprasad Mukherji and Nandita Roy, it is one of the best political thrillers in Bengal.