Weekend Watchlist: International Award-winning Bengali films that didn’t get their due recognition

For a long time, Bengali films had the reputation of just being commercial potboilers without hard-hitting substance. Yes, it’s true Bengali films had the tendency to stick to those stereotypes, but there are also so many instances when these movies churned out something that not only rose beyond expectations but also took world cinema by surprise. Here is a list of Bengali films that won both awards and acclaims internationally.


‘Kharij’ (Case is Closed), directed by Mrinal Sen, revolves around the accidental death of an underage servant, and the effect it had on the couple who had hired him. The tragic drama won Mrinal Sen two international honor - Special Jury Prize at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival and Golden Spike Award at Valladolid International Film Fest.
The 1982 Bengali classic featuring Anjan Dutt and Mamata Shankar in the lead, doesn’t accuse anyone, rather dramatically brings out a class divide between almost as of two different species. The deceased boy's father Hari always seats himself deferentially on the ground and has no capacity for anger and remains respectful to the upper class even after his son’s shocking death


Despite a below average Box Office response nationally, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s directorial debut ‘Asha Jaoar Majhe’ (Labour of Love) received accolades abroad. It won three awards in Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay categories at the New York Indian Film Fest. Aditya also won the Best Director of a Debut Film award at the Venice International Film Festival and Best Director award at Marrakech Film International Fest.
A life that Sengupta narrates in the film focuses on the daily rituals of a man and a woman (Ritwick Chakraborty and Basabdutta Chatterjee), both at home and work, captured keeping every fine detail in mind. Every move, every reaction, every detail make the hypnotic quality of the film a class apart.


This Aparna Sen directorial won the Golden Eagle – Best Feature Film Award at 1982 Cinemanila International Film Fest (Philippines). Jennifer Kendal won the Best Actress Award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards for her outstanding performance in ‘36 Chowringhee Lane’.
The film drives us into the world of an aged Anglo-Indian teacher Violet Stoneham (Jennifer Kendal). Dhritiman Chatterjee supremely portrayed the unusual character of author Samaresh Maitra. He is also the boyfriend of Nandita (Debashree Roy), Violet’s ex-student. Together, they use the Anglo-Indian teacher's home for their own interest and ultimately leave her alone once again when she finally wants to celebrate her friendship with the pair. Even as an opportunistic and struggling author, the versatile actor won many a heart.

Indranil Roychoudhury’s directorial debut ‘Phoring’ won the Vincent Ward prize at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2014.
It’s a wonderful narration of adolescent dreams that manages to create a stir worldwide with its universal statement as it openly deals with masturbation, nightfall and other male fantasies. Phoring, a curious boy in the film, helps us understand adolescence more precisely. It recollects the memories of our lives that we have almost willfully forgotten. In ‘Phoring’, the boy tries to make peace with his awakening sexuality and his disturbed life at the same time.


The Manas Mukul Pal-directed film revolves around a 10-year-old Gopal's carefree childhood is disrupted when his father meets with an accident. It becomes difficult for his mother to feed him and his little brother Chottu. Gopal starts devising ways to earn money; with a little assistance from Chottu, he takes up odd jobs from cleaning wells to selling fruits in the local village market. Emboldened by his initial success, Gopal fancies himself as the breadwinner of the family. Meanwhile, a grand Janmashtami feast is being planned in the Brahmin household where Pulao will be served. Hearing this both the brothers hatch plans of their own to make a quick buck by selling palmyras for the feast. Chottu also dreams of enjoying this fancy dish that he has never seen or tasted before, after all he has heard that the whole village will be invited.


The Indrasis Acharya directorial is based on the subject of euthanasia or mercy killing and perhaps the first one to approach the subject, ever since the Supreme Court recognised passive euthanasia. It revolves around the life of a Bengali living in the US whose father slips into a coma. This unfurls the dilemma of whether or not he should stay in India. The hard-hitting family drama won the Best Film award at the Hanoi International Film Festival along with several other awards in India.