2018 retrospective: Best directors of Bengali cinema this year!

2018 has been an eye-opening year for the filmmakers in Bengali industry. This is a year when tried-and-tested recipes turned out to be stale ones. Certain directors who took their erstwhile competitors for granted had to bit the dust too. The ones who made a huge impact are a handful of competent filmmakers who held firm to their unique subjects and gave some of the biggest Bengali hits in recent years backed by ample research. For some, it was their directorial debut and some delivered their second or third film, still, they managed to make an impact. Scroll down to have a look at the best Bengali directors this year in no particular order.

Over the last few years, despite the commercial success Srijit Mukherji was giving, many were not that happy with few of his recent films. But this year with two back to back hits Uma and Ek Je Chhilo Raja Srijit returned to his best. Even his haters can’t ignore his sere dedication for his work. Whether it’s a fake Durga Puja for ‘Uma’ or revisiting a historical period for Ek Je Chhilo Raja, he did it with ease. Both the movies turned out to be box office smashers at the same time creating waves in a number of film festivals as well.

Director Abhishek Saha made a remarkable debut with a courageous subject in ‘Uronchodi’. The way he executed the script, it’s quite praise worthy being the first full length road film in Bengal. Shooting an entire film on a road journey is a no doubt a hectic job and he has to be applauded for making it look such an authentic one. The film was official selection at so many film festivals and everywhere Abhishek Saha got rave reviews for his superb work.

Pavel deserves a big round of applause for making a film on the story of Rosogolla’s invention. We Bongs are grateful to him for bringing life to the rich history of Bengal in his second directorial. His first film ‘Babar Naam Gandhiji’ was also noteworthy but unfortunately it didn’t earn him the recognition. But he didn’t back down rather polished himself more as a director and came up with this masterpiece. This film will definitely guide him to achieve more glory.

‘Shonar Pahar’ is undoubtedly Parambrata’s best film as a director so far. He tells a simple emotional story close to his heart in a way the audience can relate to it. The story had every possibility to turn into a melodramatic typical Bengali film about the ignorance elderly people suffer but he controlled the narrative superbly and didn’t let it divert. Also he deserves much credit for attempting a film where a 70 plus woman plays central lead. Many filmmakers would have hesitated to explore this concept just thinking about the limited commercial appeal. But it’s Param and you know what he can deliver!

A love triangle twisted with an extra-marital affair along with a murder mystery – they are two different subjects pole apart. It’s not easy to blend these two into one but in Drishtikone Kaushik Ganguly did it simply making a rare genre of romantic thriller. For the first time he directed the pair Prosenjit Chatterjee - Rituprana Sengupta and the way he used this super hit pair in a mature complex love story, it’s really commendable.

Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy know the pulse of their audience. They work with subjects with which anyone can relate easily. In 2018 they did it again with Haami. It’s technically simple but we all know being simple is one of the most challenging things and somehow the director duo has always done it. Working with so many kids playing central roles and making them act naturally is a huge task for even a seasoned director but Shiboprosad and Nandita handled this tricky job nicely.

Directing his second film Pupa, Indrasis Acharya earned accolades for working with such a difficult and controversial subject of euthanasia. Choosing such a hard-hitting subject is always a risky business as it requires a really sensitive handling and Indrasis Acharya did it like a pro never attempting to put in extra effort to make the story further complex. The film was made with a shoe-string budget and saw a small scale release but those who were lucky to see it were moved by the sincerity of the narrative. Indrasis even earned an overwhelming response at many prestigious film festivals as well.

To make Rong Beronger Korhi successful, the most difficult job was to interweave four films dealing with completely different subjects which needed four different way of treatment. As it’s an anthology film with four stories, so each one got a very short time span. The way Ranjan Ghosh gave maximum possible details to the main characters and the plots in such a short timing that is praiseworthy. The way he sketched every character utilizing proper clothes, props and makeup it’s easy to realise their back story without any flashback.

‘Byomkesh Gowtro’ strikes the right chord when it comes to portraying deep lying truth of the sins of mankind. Be it the elements of jealousy, greed or lust – Arindam Sil navigates all the characters with ease and makes the film engaging for the most part. It’s also one of those rare occasions where the antagonist somehow overshadows the quintessential hero. Portraying a twisted negative character of Satyakam with such perfection makes Arjun Chakraborty stand out among all. Arindam Sil once again proves Arjun has grown into a polished actor. On the other hand, Abir has literally grown into Byomkesh over the years and he is in fine form in ‘Byomkesh Gowtro’ as well. There’s something unique about his face, an sere intelligence that comes alive whenever he is chiding his chronicler-friend Ajit or exchanging poetry with wife Satyabati, or even mouthing, almost off-handedly, the seeti-maar dialogue about being Satyanweshi and Sabyasachi at the same time and thus equally efficient at using both hands if required.

Pratim D Gupta’s ‘Ahare Mon’ can fill your heart with warmth while bringing back a smile to a tired soul’s face. It’s a true celebration of cinema and life! Deliberation in the design of four stories and the unpredictable equations between the lead characters has elements that right away inspire us to feel lucky for the little joys in life. The film doesn’t raise intellectual questions, neither has it a happy ending. The film only tells the stories often hidden in social norms and the realities of a mundane life. Pratim D Gupta not only delivers his finesse in storytelling but also surprises with the vibrancy in each of the characters. Together these characters make ‘Ahare Mon’ a vibrant kaleidoscope of life, filled with emotions and leave you with a smile or even a lump in your throat, yet fully satiated!