Bharat Ane Nenu Story: Raised in London, Bharat is a typical youngster who's yet to figure out what to do in life after graduation when circumstances force him to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. New to the place and with no political knowledge, Bharat learns the ropes quickly and governs efficiently. However, while he endears himself to the masses, he makes enemies out of the political class, including his own party members. With the people within and outside his party gunning for him, can the young CM succeed in effecting change in the society?

Bharat Ane Nenu Review: Make no mistake, Bharat Ane Nenu isn't your usual political drama full of mind games and manipulation. The film revolves around a larger-than-life hero, a bad guy (several of them in fact), a love interest, and a bit of family drama to go along with it. The only difference here is that the hero also happens to be the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. In fairness to Koratala Siva, he has unabashedly declared that Bharat Ane Nenu is a fictional political drama and transports the viewers into his fictional political atmosphere, where one man tries to bring a change. 

After losing his mother at an early age, Bharat (Mahesh Babu) goes to London to stay with his uncle. He grows up there and like every other youngster, is clueless about what he's going to do after graduation, when he learns of his father's demise. The sudden death of his father, also the AP CM, leaves a political vacuum in the state. Sensing instability in the party and a risk of it breaking up into two factions, party chief Varadarajan (Prakash Raj) asks a reluctant Bharat to take over as CM of the state. Thrown into the job, Bharat uses the values his mother taught him — never to break a promise — in his governance. It's not long before he gains in popularity and new enemies as a result of it. With Bharat endearing himself to the masses, the corrupt and now threatened politicians work round the clock to oust him. But can they succeed?

Any comparisons to the real world political scenario would be futile. In Bharat's world, the house is not adjourned, and proceedings only come to a close when he takes his leave. Within minutes of taking charge, he imposes large traffic fines, and issues G.Os at will. He also goes to Rayalaseema and gets involved in a fist fight to show that he has the strength to back his words. 

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Story: A young lawyer reopens the case of Dhananjoy's hanging and finds that the verdict raises many uncomfortable questions

Review: Despite its lengthy disclaimer, Dhananjoy makes it quite obvious that the director wants to gain fullest mileage from this particular controversy, especially after the publication of the book, Adalat Media Samaj Ebong Dhananjayer Fanshi by Debashish Sengupta, Probal Choudhury and Paramesh Goswami.

But let’s believe the disclaimer and consider it a film free from any real-life resemblances. Dhananjoy is dark, grim, verbose and long. The film opens with a lawyer, Kavya Sinha (Mimi), depicting one of the recorded versions of a crime to her senior, Shibraj Choudhury (Koushik Sen). Hema Parekh (Anusha Viswanathan) comes back from school to her flat. Her mother, Surabhi (Sudipta Chakraborty), steps out to a local temple. A security guard, Dhananjoy (Anirban Bhattacharya), goes to Parekh’s flat to make a phone call and leaves after a while. Surabhi comes back and finds her daughter’s lifeless and semi-naked body in the lounge. She holds Dhananjoy responsible, and by the end of the first half, we see him executed. Kavya and Shibraj take up the challenge to establish that Dhananjoy may not be guilty and Hema could be a victim of honour killing, largely making up the second half.

STORY: A group of four friends, who work in different professions, share a close bond from childhood. Ananta, a fashion photographer lives in a rented house. Things go awry when all four are forced to live together at Ananta’s rented home. Their lives are disrupted when their landlord catches them red-handed with his wife and forces them to vacate.

REVIEW: Director Ravi Kinagi’s Jio Pagla can be summed up easily enough: A madcap caper about four couples that drags on and on. Drag being the operative word here. The two-and-a-half-hour-long movie could easily have been 40 minutes shorter and audiences would have appreciated it all the more for it. The movie deals with the lives of four childhood friends, two of whom are forced to cross-dress in order to secure lodging for themselves in a city where most landlords are looking for married tenants.
The movie starts off as most movies in this genre do — with a set piece song and all the eight main characters dancing to the thumping beats of the title track. We learn that Ananta (Jisshu), a fashion photographer by profession, lives in a rented room at a house owned by landlord Khogen Mal. However, his carefree life is interrupted as three of his close friends (Soham, Hiraan and Bonny) land up at his doorstep, looking for a place to crash. The four of them soon find themselves in hot water after an episode with Mal’s wife and are forced to vacate the premises.

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ব্যোমকেশ বৃদ্ধ হলেন, ঋদ্ধ হলেন কি? 

কনসেপ্টটা কিন্তু দুর্দান্ত ছিল। এই সময়ে, এই মুহূর্তে, পাল্টাতে থাকা সামাজিক হিসেবের মধ্যে যদি ব্যোমকেশ বক্সীকে এনে ফেলা যায়, তাহলে কী হয়? ঘোর বাস্তব চিন্তা। ব্যোমকেশ বৃদ্ধ, আষ্টেপৃষ্ঠে সংসারী ব্যোমকেশের স্ত্রী বিয়োগ হয়েছে, বন্ধু বিয়োগও। ছেলে অভিমন্যু, বৌমা, নাতি সাত্যকি, নাত-গার্লফ্রেন্ড তুন্নাকে নিয়ে তার ভরা সংসার। এর মধ্যে যদি ব্যোমকেশ-পুত্রই হয়ে যায় অপরাধী। তাহলে কী হয়?
কিন্তু প্রশ্ন তো এক্সিকিউশনে। প্রস্থেটিক মেক-আপে না হয় যুবক আবীরকে বৃদ্ধ করা গেল, কিন্তু তাই বলে শারীরিকভাবে প্রচণ্ড ফিট সত্যান্বেষী কী করে বৃদ্ধ বয়সে এতটাই অথর্ব হয়ে যায় যে থেমে থেমে, প্রায়ই জড়ানো গলায় কথা বলে, কুঁজো হয়ে লাঠি ভর দিয়ে চলে? কেনই বা ব্যোমেকেশের মতো তার সময়ে সারাক্ষণ আপ-টু-ডেট থাকা মানুষ বৃদ্ধ বয়সে এতটা অতীত-বিলাসে ব্যস্ত থাকে সবসময়?
অথবা ক্লাইম্যাক্স সিনটা ভাবুন। যে আসল অপরাধী, সে পাত্রপাত্রীদের দিকে বন্দুক তাক করে ‘কুমীরডাঙ্গা’ খেলবে বলে রেডি, এই সময় মা-বাপ-ছেলের স্বীকারোক্তির বৃত্তান্ত শুরু হল। মানে যতক্ষণ না স্বীকারোক্তি শেষ হবে, সারা সিনেমায় দেখানো টুকরো, টুকরো দৃশ্যের শেষ জোড়গুলো লাগানো যাবে, ততক্ষণ পর্যন্ত অ্যাকশন শুরুই হবে না। আজকের দিনে এসব হয়? অপরাধীরা এমন লক্ষ্মীসোনার মতো অপেক্ষা করে?
মানে আজকের দিনের বাঙালি দর্শক, যাঁরা ‘বিদায় ব্যোমকেশ’ দেখতে ভিড় করছেন, তাঁদের তো হাতের মুঠোয় বিশ্ব-বিনোদন। তাঁরা তো বাস্তবধর্মী আরও নানা বিষয় নিয়ে তৈরি ছবিটবি দেখছেন। তাঁরা কি খুব সহজে এই অতিনাটকীয়তা মেনে নিতে পারবেন?

আরও প্রশ্ন। কেনই বা যে আসল অপরাধী তার সারা সিনেমায় গোঁফ থাকে অথচ শেষ দৃশ্যে গোঁফ কামানো? কেনই বা ডিসিপি পদের এক অফিসারের উপস্থিতি সত্ত্বেও আহত অপরাধীকে পুলিশের হাতে তুলে না দিয়ে মেরে ফেলা হল?
এগুলো তো বড় প্রশ্ন। ছোটখাটো প্রশ্নের ফিরিস্তি দিলে মাথা খারাপ হয়ে যাবে। ফাইলকে কেন ডায়েরির মতো দেখতে? কেনই বা বৃদ্ধ ব্যোমকেশ চশমা পরে ঘুমোয়? বৌমা কেনই বা ধারাবাহিকের মহিলাদের মতো সারাক্ষণ সেজেগুজে থাকে?

তবু এর মধ্যে একটা জিনিসই ভালো লাগে। সাত্যকি-বেশী যুবক আবির আর তুন্না-বেশী সোহিনীর রসায়ন। মিষ্টি। তাদের সংলাপগুলোও সেরকমই। কিন্তু বৃদ্ধ অবিরের সংলাপ সব জায়গায় স্পষ্ট নয়, যার ফলে অনেক ক্ষেত্রেই রহস্যের প্রয়োজনীয় কিছু সূত্র শ্রুতিগোচর হয় না।

এর ফলে যা হয়, তা হল একটি থ্রিলারের আশায় গিয়ে আমরা পাই একটি হোঁচট খেতে থাকা ফ্যামিলি-ড্রামা যার মধ্যে থ্রিল অল্পই। দেবালয়ের প্রথম সিনেমা ‘রোগা হওয়ার সহজ উপায়’। খারাপ ছিল না কিন্তু সিনেমাটা। ভাবনাতেও নতুনত্ব ছিল। কিন্তু তাতেও শেষে গিয়ে ঘেঁটে ফেলার একটা প্রবণতা দেখা গিয়েছিল। ‘বিদায় ব্যোমকেশ’-এ প্রবণতাটা আরও বেশি বই কম নয়। অন্তত আমার তাই মনে হয়েছে।
তবে তাতে কিছুই এসে যাবে না। কারণ বাস্তবটা হচ্ছে যে কোনও কিছুর সঙ্গে ব্যোমকেশ শব্দটা বসালেই বাঙালি বাজারের কাটা মাছে মাছির মতো ভিড় জমাবে। আর আবির চট্টোপাধ্যায় যা-ই করুন, মহিলারা তাঁকে একটিবার দেখতে হলে যাবেনই। সেটাই ঘটছে। তাই সিনেমাটা আদতে যা-ই হোক, চলবে ভালোই।

Crisscross is an Indian drama film directed by Birsa Dasgupta. Based on a 2013 novel of the same name, the film is produced by Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni under the banner of SVF Entertainment. It stars Nusrat Jahan, Mimi Chakraborty, Jaya Ahsan, Sohini Sarkar, Priyanka Sarkar in the lead roles. Wikipedia
Initial release: 10 August 2018
Director: Birsa Dasgupta
Based on: Criss Cross; by Smaranjit Chakraborty
Music by: JAM8
Story by: Smaranjit Chakraborty

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Story: Sujan is a dreamer, who is misunderstood and thought to be insane by his family. When his nephew befriends him, uncomfortable family secrets tumble out
Despite Rituparno Ghosh’s exploration of alternative gender relations, third sex is a subject that remains taboo in Bengali movies. With Samantaral, Tollywood could have made a big leap from the closet with a bold take on alternative sexuality. But as it is commonly said, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
It is not that the actors could not perform up to the mark. Parambrata Chatterjee as Sujan, after a short hiatus, has put up a brilliant show. A dreamer, a mystic who refuses to draw a difference between what is, and what ought to be or what might have been is conveniently labelled ‘insane’ by his surroundings. His father (Soumitro Chatterjee), brothers (Kushal Chakraborty as Supriyo and Anindya Banerjee as Kaushik) and other family members are practically ashamed of him. In fact, his younger brother Kaushik and his wife (Tanushree Chakraborty) squirm at his sight. But he is loved by his nephew Arko (Riddhi Sen) who comes to his mamarbari for higher studies and becomes friendly with his mejomama, Sujan. Arko and his girlfriend, Title (Surangana Bandyopadhyay), try to find the root of Sujan’s disbalance and finally reveal a discomforting truth from family history. The film also delves into the debate of sanity and insanity perceived by our society. While a ruthless, cunning and unkind character are recognized as a completely sane human being, an innocent and compassionate man is locked up as the depth of his mind remains untouched and often ignored.

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Story: Srimati Sen (Rituparna Sengupta) lost her husband Palash Sen (Kaushik Sen) in a car accident two years back. She seeks the help of a lawyer, Jiyon Mitra (Prosenjit Chatterjee) since it doesn’t appear as an accident to her. What happens when this professional association takes an unexpected turn?
Review: There are many ways of looking at why you would want to watch Drishtikone. It marks the coming together of three of the most bankable Bengali film personalities today – Kaushik Ganguly, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Rituparna Sengupta. It raises expectations among the audience after Ganguly’s last few films, including Bishorjon, which received rave reviews from the audience and critics alike. It makes the filmmaker the talk of the town after his recent National Award win for Nagarkirtan. The lead actors in the film grab eyeballs each time they pair up. These are reasons enough, but does the film live up to the expectations?
There’s no quick answer. Promoted as a ‘mature love story’, Drishtikone invites many perceptions. The film is as layered in its flow as it is in its depiction of the characters. The first half further raises your expectations for the director. There are these ‘where would this lead to’ questions that arise in your mind even before the characters concerned would think that way. Jiyon (Prosenjit) and Srimati (Rituparna) crossing paths seem neither destined nor designed. Though the film hints at the latter. What starts with a tip-off (Srimati’s interest in Jiyon) is fully, but not convincingly, explained at the end, with the director arriving at an open ending.
Throughout the film, there’s an over-zealous Srimati (Rituparna), who became a widow two years back, crushing on a married man, her lawyer, Jiyon (Prosenjit). The scenes at Jiyon’s place, where Srimati bonds with his family comprising his wife Rumki (Churni Ganguly), his son and daughter, are well played out. Before the interval, you have a plot that slowly unfolds, a story that can take an unexpected turn and a romance that’s so unusual that you will question their real motives behind the gestures.

Story: A polite and harmless Raja (Jeet) arrives in Kolkata from the suburbs with an innocent sister, Disha (Priyanka) in tow. He gets caught up in a trafficking racket and falls victim to gun-toting men. But is he the real victim?
Review: Loud action, foot-tapping numbers and the drama unfolding with twists at every corner. Sultan – The Saviour takes your mind off the daily hassles of life. And when your mind does fly, don’t try to reason with what’s going on. Touted as the remake of the south film Vedalam, Sultan engrosses you with a chain of non-stop entertaining sequences that surprises you with its improbability and amuses you with its execution. And this is where the film scores. It’s insane how it challenges your rationality to take a backseat!
It’s commercial, it’s mindless but you can’t just ignore that it’s close to three hours of good entertainment. The script definitely goes a long way in making that possible. It’s taut, changes track but doesn’t lose the plot and keeps the narration simple, despite the over-the-top elements. The story revolves around Raja (Jeet) and his sister Disha (Priyanka) but also involves a number of characters that never seem like extras. There are a lot of twists that never look unwanted.
Raja is this seemingly simple man who comes to the city with an art-college aspirant sister, Disha. The gentle breeze and mellifluous background tunes accompanying them establish their innocence, albeit in a formulaic manner. A series of enjoyable sequences and some fast narration later, when the film ultimately breaks for interval, it prepares you for a clichéd account. But no, you are pleasantly surprised. There’s no melodramatic history but another slew of twists that lead up to the climax. Even in the second half, the film keeps the tempo going.
There is a scene where Raja is chasing a car, which is carrying his imprisoned sister to a trafficker. The script keeps the right amount of anticipation alive throughout the chase. Yes, Disha is bundled inside the boot, yet manages to get her hands on a phone. She calls Raja and takes directions on pulling out the indicator wires. The scene might be very far-fetched, but the storytelling is so good that you can willingly suspend your disbelief. Some scenes go overboard though, especially when Raja feels revengeful and decided to break a lot of glass. A few more good fights would have worked better.