Five Bengali films to look out for at the 2018 Goa IFFI Indian Panorama

The 49^th International Film Festival Of India kick-started in the coastal town of Panjim, Goa yesterday with a grand opening ceremony. While a host of thought-provoking movies from all around the world including the Ingmar Bergman retrospective will be screened at this prestigious film fest, there’s good news for Bengali movie buffs as well and why not! Five Bengali films have made it to the feature section of the Indian Panorama. Scroll down to have a look at this elite list of Bengali films to be screened at the IFFI.

Starring Ritwick Chakraborty and Riddhi Sen in the lead, ‘Nagarkirtan’ is all about two persons from LGBT community who once fell for each other. The film which remarkably explores the taboo of same-sex love has already won four National Awards including the best actor award received by Riddhi Sen. ‘Nagarkirtan’ has been doing the rounds for the last one year amid concerns over the film’s clearance from the censor board and Kaushik Ganguly’s worst fears came true as three scenes from the film were deleted by the regional office of Censor Board in March this year. The 3 cuts were made due to intimate scenes. However, Kaushik Ganguly has assured this will not hamper the experimental film’s narrative too much. Interestingly, he has bagged the Indian Panorama nomination for the 9^th consecutive time.

With an ensemble cast of Adil Hussain, Arpita Chatterjee, Anubhav Kanjilal, Kheya Chattopadhyay, Lily Chakraborty, Debjani Chatterjee, Pinky Banerjee and Somantak Maitra among others, ‘Abyakto’ is all about the complex relationship between a mother and son played by Arpita and Anubhav Kanjilal respectively. Arpita excels in two different age groups of a single character, one of a woman at late 20s and another look will be of the early 50s. Adil Hussain plays Rudra, the close family friend of the mother Saathi. Anirban Ghosh who last appeared in Rituparna Ghosh’s ‘Satyanweshi’, essays out Arpita’s husband Kaushik’s role. Abyakto, directed by debutant Arjunn Dutta, was also screened at the recently concluded Kolkata International Film Festival.

Abhishek Saha’s directorial debut ‘Uronchondi’ narrates the story of three women from different age groups who all are victims of a male dominated society and are on a run from their past seeking a better future. The plot follows three female protagonists from three different generations - Chitra Sen, Sudiptaa Chakraborty and newcomer Rajnandini Paul, and a young lorry driver Chottu played by Amartya Roy. There are so many instances in our society in which women from a very young age confront oppression, torment and debauchery. The characters Chitra Sen, Sudiptaa and Rajnandini are playing portray the faces of such women who eventually stand apart after facing years of abuse and repression.

Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Uma’ shows how a real-life father-daughter bonding can become a reel life hit. Sara Sengupta as the titular character is natural throughout the film. She reflects the embodiment of her dreams, innocence and subtle maturity. Jisshu Sengupta, Sara's real-life father too, pours out his soul into his superb performance portraying a desperate and doting father. When shooting for ‘Uma’, Jisshu had gone through a difficult time on the sets. Seeing his own daughter Sara as a terminally ill child wasn't easy for a father. The collective desperation to fulfill a dying girl’s last wish while facing petty religious sentiments and self-interest in the narrative can actually restore one's faith in humanity.

It’s singing sensation Arijit Singh’s debut as a filmmaker. The film revolves around a young boy Lalu from rural Bengal and his fairy tale-like journey of learning music. It also marks the debut of his son Jul. Arijit pays his tribute to Indian classical and folk music with his first film. The story explores the discipline needed to learn classical music and the tough regimental life it demands. The celebrated singer shot the film in his hometown Ziagunj, Murshidabad and in and around Kolkata. He had kept the project under the wrap till now to avoid the mass attention. According to industry sources, Arijit has already started shooting for its sequel. Parambrata Chatterjee has reportedly been roped in to play the lead role in the sequel of ‘Sa’.