10 most successful directorial debuts in Bengali cinema

Very few directors get the chance to enter the exclusive club of fantastic debuts in their very first attempt itself. We take a look at those filmmakers, especially in recent times, who made a mark with their directorial debuts, be it critically acclaimed or in the hearts of audiences for their fresh narrative and supreme execution.

It was Raj Chakraborty’s directorial debut and the Priyanka-Rahul starrer became a runaway hit. The narrative revolves around a teenage couple Priyanka and Rahul’s tragic love story. Priyanka’s love affair turned out to be a great shock to her wealthy family. But the teenage couple takes a drastic decision which completely changes the course of their life. The Bengali hit teaches young generation to learn from mistakes.

The 2012 blockbuster ‘Bhooter Bhobishyot’ was Anik Dutta’s first film as a director and it received rave reviews from both the audience and critics. The big age-old Kolkata mansions are being brought down to the ground to build elite class malls and multiplexes. Some of these so-called 'disputed' buildings harbour ghosts who live there for centuries. They are homeless now and no 'rehabilitation package' is offered. Song, dance, romance, comedy and even item number, this horror-comedy gives all the filmi masala along with food for thought.

The ensemble cast of ‘Autograph’ includes Prosenjit Chatterjee along with Nandana Sen and Indranil Sengupta in lead roles. This melodrama was Srijit Mukherji’s directorial debut and he hit the bull’s eye straight from the beginning. Many believe it was a tribute to Satyajit Ray’s 1966 masterpiece ‘Nayak' which featured the iconic Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar. Prosenjit was awarded the 2010 MIAAC Best Actor honour for his outstanding acting in this film and Srijit’s journey as a director became a cult hit and he is still giving us films that mesmerise all age groups.

Abir Sengupta made his directorial debut with immense experience of screenplay and dialogue writing for popular television show. Everybody thought he would make his first film on a thriller subject, but he chose to direct a romantic comedy and roped in none other than Abir Chatterjee and Paayel Sarkar to play the lead. His directorial debut was much appreciated for the linear narration and surreal elements.

He won millions of hearts with his unforgettable songs like ‘Dudh Na Khele’, ‘Bhindeshi Tara’ and grabbed National Award for best lyrics for ‘Pherari Mon’ in ‘Antaheen’. In 2015, we witnessed another side of Anindya when he directed his first film ‘Open Tee Bioscope’. Wrapped in nostalgia and so many childhood memories of growing up in north Kolkata, the film went onto become one of the biggest hits that year.

Be it ‘Fetaru’ or ‘Bikele Bhorer Shorshe Phool’, the stage plays of Debesh has always received rave reviews for unique content and direction. Naturally, his debut as a film director had expectations soaring. ‘Natoker Moto’, which revolved around the life and struggles of renowned theatre personality Keya Chakraborty managed to grab a lot of attention. Paoli Dam in the titular role was exceptional. The film was even selected at Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Bollywood director Imtiaz Ali visited Kolkata to promote Bauddhayan Mukherji’s directorial debut and heaped praise on its out-of-the-box content. The film even travelled to several international film festivals and won accolades too. Though ‘Teenkahon’ didn’t score well enough at the box-office, Bauddhayan Mukherji was appreciated for churning out such unusual concept and narrative.

Arindam Sil's directorial debut seemed to be a tribute to Satyajit Ray. The film follows the relentless pursuit of prominence in one's career. The alienation from close ones in sensitivity and feelings while playing a vortex of emotions, drama and relationships between characters are actually inspired by protagonists in several Satyajit Ray's Films. Abir Chatterjee’s performance as Hori Bose received rave reviews giving the intense family drama a breath of fresh air despite emotional complexities. The supreme execution of such a difficult subject gave Arindam Sil huge appreciation.

Dhrubo Banerjee’s directorial debut ‘Guptodhoner Sondhne’ has kept the audience coming in the theatres even weeks after its release on April 27, 2018 and it looks like the audience will not lose their interest from Sona Da’s first adventure any time soon. Abir Chatterjee as Sona Da aka Professor Subarna Sen is the USP of this recent box-office success. With unbelievable response from ‘Guptodhoner Sondhane’ at the box-office, a sequel of the film, titled ‘Durgeshgorer Guptodhon’ has already been announced.

Six people from different backgrounds tell their bitter-sweet love stories, lovers and strained relationships and for that, they come to terms with their own thoughts and feelings. Mainak Bhaumik’s smart execution in his directorial debut was praised by many. The refreshing content gave this movie enough masala to entertain the young generation. The rom-com featured Jisshu Sengupta, Parambrata Chatterjee, Nilanjana Sengupta, Rudranil Ghosh and Ananya Chatterjee in the lead.