Bengali cult classics any Bong millennial can still relate to

Movies have the power to inflict changes, influence and even leave an indelible mark on society. When you speak about a film that 'defines' a generation, it’s not looking at classics, but films that actually speak to us. Be it the characters, songs or particular scenes, they all define our culture. Something about these films resonates with each of us, and these cult classics no doubt remain our favourite must-watch movies. Here are some Bengali films which every Bong millennial can relate to.

The detective genre was an unexplored area in Indian cinema at that time and ‘Sonar Kella’ became a significant milestone for its unique subject matter and its scope. Ray used Indian history to explore the mystery genre. Whether it’s an adda session or a movie marathon with family members, this cult classic has always topped the chart of must-watch films for every Bong kid from the 90s. Based on a novel of the same name by Satyajit Ray himself, it deals with detective Feluda’s adventures. He gave Bengali literature a series of short stories involving Feluda and his cousin Topshe. Any cinephile who loves classical detective storytelling will become a fan of Ray after watching this pleasing yet thrilling mystery adventure.

Who could have better played the tyrant and greedy ruler of Hirak with a twist of madness? Utpal Dutt slips into the character of Hirak Raja supremely. A little more than a decade after ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ was made, a colourful ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ comes with a coded message. It’s basically an allegory of contemporary politics. The complex message of societal dominance is narrated so brilliantly in a cinematic treatment so simple; this one is an ideal example of how illustrious a Bengali mind can be. Here, a famine-stricken rural Bengal sees Goopy and Bagha using their three boons to put an end to all the wrongs of the greedy Diamond king and giving the children a taste of freedom. Soumitra Chatterjee plays the rebellious schoolteacher leading an uprising against the dictatorship of Hirak Raja.

If you are expecting a film with a serious storyline like the others, you would be disappointed. In ‘Basanta Bilap’ you can see Soumitra in a supreme comic role. The iconic actor locks horns with the gorgeous Aparna Sen in this comedy classic. Plus, the brilliant acting by his co-stars Anup Kumar, Chinmoy Roy assists Soumitra to churn out his versatility. The unimaginable twists, the mischief, the melodrama and the sweet essence of the ‘addabaj’ Bengali ‘para culture’ is too amazing to skip. The story sees a group of energetic young boys and girls of a neighbourhood are at loggerheads with Soumitra playing Shyamsundar and Aparna Sen as Anuradha. While others see it as a truce, Shyam and Anuradha love to be bitter rivals until the very end when Shyam trickily forges circumstances to win Anuradha’s heart.

Based on an unpublished novel by Saradindu Bandopadhyay, ‘Dadar Kirti’ still remains one of the most popular romantic comedy movies. Who can forget Kedar’s devotion to Saraswati? A heart of gold always finds its way back to win everyone’s heart. That’s what Phul da proves time and again with his ‘kirti’. The story revolves around Kedar Chatterjee aka Phul da (Tapas Pal) who is a simpleton but his repeated failures in the B.A. exams leaves his father with no other choice but to send him to his uncle’s house in Bihar. Unfortunately, his naive nature makes him the butt of all jokes there. He is often mocked at by his cousin Santosh’s (Ayan Banerjee) gang of boys led by witty Bhombal Da (Anup Kumar).

Sriman Prithwiraj is a comic take on child marriage. With a cult following, Ayan Banerjee and Mahua Roychoudhury as the child-couple are still talked about in every Bengalee adda. The cute love story against the backdrop of Indian freedom movement reflects the complexity of relationships in such a simple way that anybody can relate to it without any hiccup. The free-flowing comedy flick gave some amazingly rendered traditional Bengali romantic tracks. It’s punctuated by a set of stand-offs the young boy faces, mostly with unwanted results for those who are against him. The Bengali classic is a beautiful pre-adolescent love saga.

This was the period when Uttam Kumar was intentionally passing on the baton to younger generation. But in ‘Mouchak’ despite a handsome Ranjit Mullick catches the limelight, it's still Uttam Kumar who creates a larger impression. The legendary actor taught how to make the audiences laugh even with simple performance. It’s one of the rare occasions when the famous comic trio of Robi-Anup-&-Chinmoy acted together and Chinmoy perhaps overshadowed the other two. Arabinda Mukherjee, who already gave the other masterpiece 'Dhanni Meye' (1971), once again showed his mastery over this comedy genre.