Srijit Mukherji’s film makes it to the Top 250 Movies of All Time list

Thirteen years after it was released, Srijit Mukherji’s Baishe Srabon has made it to the All Time Top 250 movies list on IMDB. There are multiple reasons to celebrate the feat, as it is not just one of the six Bengali movies to find a spot on the list, but also the only contemporary film to make it to the list. Talking about the film getting the 173rd spot, ahead of Satyajit Ray’s 1958 film Jalsaghar, Srijit says, “I am currently feeling over the moon. It’s special because of two reasons. The first being IMDB, the largest movie database in the world acknowledging the film, and second because all the other Bengali films in the list are milestones not just in the history of Indian cinema, but global cinema too. It’s a dream come true for any filmmaker to be featured along with these names.”
The film that was Srijit’s second film has gained a cult status over the years, and he points out, “Movies sometimes take years to get that status, but for Baishe Srabon it happened within months because of its dialogues and music.” Prosenjit’s character of Probir Roy Chowdhury that made to the top 100 male performances in a popular film portal, continues to be a fan favourite alongside Goutam Ghose’s portrayal of Nibaron Chakraborty, that became ‘the face of uncompromising artists who burn down establishments’. The filmmaker says, “I think what sets it apart is that it’s not just a serial killing thriller, it also had other elements to it such as the love triangle between Abir, Parambrata and Raima's characters, that became iconic to an entire generation, for a fact, for multiple generations. Abir’s Surjo Sinha became the face of unrequited love but unconditional friendship. The way the Hungry Poets’ generation was portrayed also played an important part in making the film so successful. I think the film combines the best of Bengal, in terms of poetry, music and emotions. It blends everything together.”
The list also features Ray’s Apur Sansar (1959), Aparajito (1956), Pather Panchali (1955), Charulata (1964) and Jalsaghar (1958) in 5th, 40th, 44th, 121st and 197th positions respectively.