Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy’s best directorial works in Bengali cinema

The not-so-complex, middle-class urban subjects in director duo Shiboprosad Mukherjee-Nandita Roy’s films have remarkably contributed to a highly successful career graph; roughly 10 releases since 2011 and each of them turned out to be a hit or a blockbuster. Their films delve deep into the fragile hopes and increasing anxieties of a Bengalee middle class. Shiboprosad and Nandita have successfully bridged the gap between the urban and rural audience. Here is a look at some of their most successful directorial works in recent times.

Despite being a comedy film primarily, ‘Haami’ revolves around the burning issues that plague the younger generation today. Directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, it shows how minor issues are often blown up by overly concerned parents and suspicious school authorities. An innocent kiss between two cute kids fuels a whirlwind of controversies which reflect recent disturbing incidents in schools. Gargi Roychoudhury as little Bhutu’s mother brings life to a woman's character who is aggressively protective about her family. On the other hand, Shiboprosad Mukherjee as Bhutu’s father with his diluted expressions, witty dialogues, and funny antics portrays the ultimate middle-class parent in a simple way.

The unique bonding between a grandkid and his/her grandparents is beautifully portrayed in Nandita Roy & Shiboprosad Mukherjee’s 'Posto'. No doubt Soumitra Chatterjee, Lily Chakraborty, Mimi Chakraborty and little Arghya Basu Roy gave stellar performances. But the show stealer was none other than Jisshu Sengupta, portraying the alcoholic and struggling painter who tries to be a good son and a good father at the same time. After all, it’s not easy to play a man who ‘dances to his wife’s tunes’ or is ‘dependent on his wife’s income’.

It was a great achievement for director duo Shiboprosad and Nandita to bring back one of the most romantic on-screen couples of Bengali cinema – Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta. The 2016 hit showed how the former wife successfully purifies the husband and churns out a better person out of him. She eventually turns him into a romantic lovable husband for the second wife. Experience makes a person perfect. That’s what Prosenjit’s character deals with. His character goofed up the first marriage so the next time he tries his best not to repeat the same mistakes but falls for a divorce once again.

A great family movie gives us so many learning experiences. It highlights the value of a relationship and the bonding between family members. ‘Bela Seshe’ gave a serious message about how we depend on our family to lead a healthy and happy life. Who could have played the challenging role better than Soumitra Chatterjee? His presence made the Shiboprasad-Nandita directorial a really special one. As per the narrative, Biswanath Majumder’s (Soumitra) relation with his three daughters (played by Rituparna Sengupta, Aparajita Auddy and Monami Ghosh) actually forms three layers of a family bonding. However, dissecting a film like ‘Belaseshe’ too much would rather not do justice to the subtlety with which the focal point has been established and examined.

‘Muktodhara’ is all about a criminal and his remarkable reformation with the help of a famous danseuse. She visits an infamous jail filled with hardcore criminals. But with this group of criminals, she eventually stages Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama ‘Balmiki Pratibha’. This, in itself, is symbolic for Balmiki himself who was once a notorious robber Ratnakar before he became Balmiki, the saint. And, the story of Muktodhara too is based on a real-life incident. In real life, there is an ex-convict named Nigel and a real-life dancer Alokananda Roy. There is a senior police officer overseeing the unenviable task of reforming a group of hardcore criminals. The staging of these criminals did happen, not just once, but many a time due to its burgeoning fame. No doubt fictional elements are there too. But they actually fit into the larger scheme. That’s what 'Muktodhara' offers.

‘Alik Sukh’ encapsulates the lives of a gynecologist Kingshuk Ghosh (Debshankar Haldar) and his wife Rumi (Rituparna Sengupta). On the day of their wedding anniversary, Kingshuk, after helping Kobita (Sohini Sengupta) in a cesarean delivery, decides to book a new flat as a surprise anniversary gift for Rumi. But Kobita dies after delivery due to post-surgery complications and her relatives ransack the hospital accusing Kingshuk of medical negligence. At this point, the narrative takes a swift turn and plays on the psyche of the doctor and his wife. Rumi finds herself trapped in a dilemma between facts and reality. Debshankar Haldar gives a stellar performance which aptly unfurls the zenith and nadir of a doctor's life. Rituparna excels as Rumi reflecting the pain and anguish a doctor's wife goes through.