There was a classic 'tears beneath the laughter' story that Bhanu Bandyopadhyay reportedly loved to tell. "You know what my life is like? I'll tell you. My mother has just passed away. I'm waiting at the crematorium, eyes full of tears. Somebody comes up to
Chattagram Astragar Lunthan (1949) The importance of Bengal in India’s freedom struggle has been widely written and spoken about. Post-Independence, the contribution to the patriotic cause has continued in the form of literature, art and not least, cinema. On the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, here’s
Jayant Kripalani - Mokama Rly Station As India gears up for the 75th anniversary of its Independence this year, it is important to remember one more very significant occasion - the 15oth birth anniversary of Aurobindo Ghosh or Rishi/ Sri Aurobindo (born August 15, 1872), and
Chaitali Dasgupta, Saswati Guhathakurta, Chhanda Sen, Tarun Chakraborty, Pankaj Saha – if these names strike a chord, and you can instantly recall the faces associated with them, then you most probably grew up watching, or simply watched a lot of, DD Bangla in the 1970s,
Bengali classic films form a formidable part of Indian cinematic culture but the conditions of countless Bengali films are pathetic. But now thanks to WB Government’s initiative, restoration and preservation of timeless Bengali films has started at Chalachchitra Satabarsha Bhaban in Tollygunge, Kolkata (Cinema Centenary
During the shooting of Ghare Baire, I had come across a picture book of Alfred Hitchcock at work. I thought perhaps a similar book could be produced with Manikda’s photographs, that is, if I could capture every moment of the making of Ghare Baire –
A curious mind in the 21st century has been swayed by the feat of a 19th century doctor attributed to have performed the first human dissection in India. Many might wonder the children of today are more focused on what they wish to achieve, from
Which was the first Tarun Majumdar film you ever watched? For Bengalis of my generation, growing up in the 1980s, the answer is most likely to be Dadar Kirti (1980), which remains one of the defining romantic comedies of Bengali cinema. Just two years earlier,
He had left us on 10th June. Internationally acclaimed ace director Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s demise undoubtedly created a void in the world of cinema, the last of the doyens of Bengal’s filmmaking circuit perhaps. To remember this day, Sohini Dasgupta, wife of Buddhadeb Dasgupta on behalf
A group of youngsters has made us all proud with their wonderful achievement. Yes, at a time when detractors are crying hoarse to prove the fact that, Kolkata, once the cultural capital of the country, has degenerated into a creaking, dilapidated ‘old-age home’, that’s sighing