Bengali cinema’s all-time great suspense thrillers

'Chotushkone' is a gripping thriller that connects the life of four people. The central characters- Trina (Aparna Sen), Dipto (Chiranjeet Chakraborty), Shakha (Goutam Ghose) and Joybroto (Parambrata Chatterjee) are called up by a mysterious producer to make a film that stitches four short stories with a common theme - death. During their journey to uncover this producer’s identity, they reveal the real attachments, regrets and secrets of their past. This Srijit Mukherji directorial manages to breathe fresh air into the mystery-thriller genre.

‘Baishe Srabon’ is spellbinding and meaningful in every way. Be it the direction, editing, story, songs or acting, this film has it all. Directed by Srijit Mukherji, this thriller has everything to influence you, making the experience even more special! From the clues within the poetry of renowned Bengali poets to the adequate references of the 'Hungry Movement' of the '60s, this one's a masterstroke. And to add the main flavour, there is Prosenjit Chatterjee and his brilliant performance.

Anyone who has seen ‘Kahani’ still remembers the unpredictable and canny Bob Biswas whose humble appearances was a great contrast to his killer instinct. In Manoj Michigan's '89', Saswata Chatterjee once again plays a killer, but this time, different from Bob. His portrayal of an irrational, violent psycho killer will send chills down your spine.

Feluda and his gang receive an invitation from North Bengal by a rich zamindar to solve the mystery that may lead to a buried "treasure", but things eventually take an interesting turn with the news of a mysterious death and rumours involving a man-eating tiger. Sabyasachi Chakraborty (Feluda), Saheb (Topshe), Bhaswar Chatterjee, B.D.Mukherjee, Debesh Roychoudhury, Paran Bandopadhyay brought their best performances to the screen. The real surprise package was, however, none other than late Bibhu Bhattacharjee. It was his last appearance as Jatayu before his sad demise and it was undoubtedly his best performance as the character ‘atayu.

‘Byomkesh Parbo’ successfully captivated the audience with a gripping story and some unabated action. Abir as the quintessential cerebral Bengali sleuth revealed his daring side as he pulled off a few daredevil stunts for the very the first time. The film starts just after independence, where Byomkesh makes his way through the deep jungles of Dooars solving the mystery of a Ghostrider and recent murders in north Bengal.

A massive storm disrupts Kolkata one night. A guy named Narendra Nath Biswas gets injured on being hit by a falling tree inside Park Street Cemetery. The question arises if it was the work of an unknown mugger. Feluda joins the investigation and soon has to find answers to questions in order to unearth the truth even if it means digging up the shocking history of the Godwin family dating back to the 19th century.

In 'Proloy', Saswata Chatterjee appears as Animesh Dutta, a cop fighting against crime in the suburbs. He gets to know of Barun Biswas, who was brutally killed for protesting against the corrupt politicians in the small town. While Animesh is planning on getting the situation under control, the murders of criminals pose a new challenge.

Famous sleuths never die in Bengali literature and obviously on film. And surprisingly enough, Saswata has played companions in both Feluda and Byomkesh series. But with the Goyenda Shabor series, he came into his own as a stone-cold detective. In all three Shabor films released so far, Saswata has wowed the audience as the hands-on and sharp ACP Shabor Dasgupta. This is a series nobody should miss. However, the last instalment ‘Aachhe Abar Shabor’ lacks the intensity that gave the previous two films huge success at the box office.

'Mishawr Rawhoshyo' is Srijit Mukherjee's fifth directorial venture based on a famous Sunil Gangopadhyay novel from the ‘Kakababu’ series. The innovative camera angles, right from the beginning indicates something special awaiting the viewers. Srijit modified the story to give it a relevant modern day look, stitched the plot with enough comic moments to ensure the movie doesn’t lose its entertaining factor. Prosenjit Chatterjee delivered in style as Kakababu, the larger than life ‘specially-abled’ yet cheerful protagonist and the other actors like Aryann Bhowmik as Santu, Indraneel Sengupta as Hani Alkadi were equally brilliant.

'The Royal Bengal Tiger', the Bengali thriller directed by Rajesh Ganguly stars Abir Chatterjee, Jeet, Priyanka Sarkar and Shraddha Das in the lead. Abir portrayed a common man who deals with everyday issues leaving his ego brutally crushed and bruised when he befriends a mysterious person who guides him to live life without fear. Abir and his alter ego, depicted in the film as the friend, embark on a journey which leads to a well-executed thriller.