3 Recent Bengali Movies that I Watched

Sad and bad news, at least for me, is that I haven't been watching many films lately. These days, I spend most of my time reading books. Because I now have a handful of books, both paperbacks and Kindle editions. But I managed to catch a few films, particularly Bengali in the last couple of weeks.

Here is my list:

1. Amar Boss: This is a lighthearted, delightful film about a mother and son, fighting it out to show who the real boss is. Veteran actress Rakhi plays Shubhra, a dominating but loving mother to Animesh, played by Shiboprosad Mukherjee, who owns a publishing house. Animesh is going through a divorce and has a reputation for carrying a bitter mood around his employees. However, his affection and care for his mother remain unchanged. His mother, who inspects his work nature at the office and realises that his son has to aim for a more open and friendly work culture, takes matters into her own hands for the betterment of the office. Animesh, who initially takes things jokingly, slowly comes to understand that the employees have started to listen to his mother more than to him. What happens next, and what Subhra has planned to improve the office atmosphere for employees, is what follows. 

The director duo of Shiboprosad Mukherji and Nandita Das has again managed to gift the audience with yet another endearing story, suitable for the entire family to enjoy. The fight between the mother and son is enjoyable to watch. It's a delight to watch Rakhi on screen after such a long time.

2. Pokkhirajer Dim: This is a sequel to Rainbow Jelly, a story of Ghoton- a struggling student with a weak aptitude for math in general. The math teacher, Batabyal Sir has given a zero in his selection test for Board Exam. But before Ghoton could persuade him to request a reexamination, Batabyal Sir's eccentric experiments at the school premises led to him losing his job. A shattered Ghoton travels to Batabyal's home only to enter his weird world of Math and the various mysteries surrounding it. Ghoton's best friend, Poppins, also joins him in his adventure to come across a rare egg, that of a winged fantasy unicorn, which sees through everyone's mind.

Pokkhirajer Dim is a rare fantasy film, the third from director Saukarya Ghoshal, following its prequel, Rainbow Jelly, and Bhootpori. I am not sure if it would be much appealing to kids these days, but for me, growing up reading Fairy Tales and the Adventures of Professor Shanku definitely has the kid in me taken a liking for the movie. Seeing Anirban Bhattacharya in a completely different role was an added advantage.

3. Raghu Dakat: I went to the theatre to watch this movie. Having read about Raghu Dakat and having grown up listening to his stories, I was quite curious to watch the film. He was like the Robin Hood of Bengal. However, I must admit that this film was disappointing for me. The screenplay fell short, and the story had little to offer. The scenes were prolonged with extreme violence and bloodshed, mostly quite unnecessary. I was also surprised that the makers did not consider the mode of warfare during those times. The noted robbers mostly used a Lathi for fighting. This aspect was absolutely missing from the film. 

The only taking point from the film is Dev and his toned physique. He looked dashing in every frame. I wish director Dhrubo Banerjee could have given more importance to the kindness aspect of Raghu Dakat, instead of making it a bloodbath and including unwanted romantic songs. Even a powerful performer like Anirban Bhattacharya appeared to be too dramatic as the antagonist Ahindra Barman.