Recent Bengali films on contemporary issues in relationships

Like its Bollywood counterpart, Bengali cinema is also fond of churning out romantic movies every year. And in recent years, Tollywood has kept on focusing on the problems modern couples face. Films like ‘Ghawre Bairey’, ‘Ahaa Re’, 'Praktan' explore the crisis in relationships giving a completely different perception. Telling the story of a struggling relationship in an original way, that’s the trend now.

Let’s take a look at some recent Bengali films which shed lights on the contemporary issues in relationships.

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 and Rituparna. The 2016 hit showed how the former wife successfully disinfects the husband and churns out a better person out of him. She in the process 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 and falls for a divorce once again.

A great family movie gives us so many learning experiences. It highlights the value of a relation 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 Nandita Roy-Shibprasad Mukhopadhyay directorial a really special one.

'Bijoya' is the sequel to Kaushik Ganguly's National award-winning film 'Bishorjon'. Padma is now married to Ganesh Mondal. An emergency situation brings Padma and Ganesh Mondal to Kolkata where she meets Nasir Ali once again. What will she do now? How does her husband, Ganesh Mondal deal with this?

Amit, a Bangla band musician, halts his bohemian dreams of making music in Kolkata, to exile himself to corporate slavery in Mumbai hoping to one day declare his feelings for his best friend Labonya. But suddenly his grand plans are thrown out of whack when, the unconventional Labonya under family pressure agrees to a traditional arranged marriage in Kolkata to an NRI Probashi Bangali from the US. What happens next forms the crux of this Mainak Bhaumik directorial.

Directed by Birsa Dasgupta, it’s a comedy caper involving two childhood friends Anupam (Ankush) and Rajat (Rudranil Ghosh) who decide to get married. But soon they realise the consequences of conjugal life. Thus starts their marital adventure or Bibaho Obhijaan, a roller-coaster laughter riot! It`s a playful tribute to the eternal `Tom & Jerry` bonding between husbands and wives! Birsa beautifully explores the relationship-in-crisis sub-genre.

What happens to a couple before marriage and how they eventually change post marriage is what this laugh riot tries to focus on. This Mainak Bhaumik directed romantic-comedy is surely relatable. Story wise there’s nothing new. It’s a typical story of a couple who after their love marriage get the reality check, they realize how the romantic equations keep changing when they become husband and wife as the responsibilities of a married life throws a whole new challenge. Instead of an over exposed subject, the film never looks boring due to the refreshing screenplay (particularly in the first half), the funny witty dialogues and the wonderful performances by the lead actors Ritwick Chakraborty and Sohini Sarkar.

Ranjan Ghosh directed Ahaa Re has ticked all the right boxes given an unconventional premise. A rich Bangladeshi Muslim (Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo), a middle-class Indian Hindu, and the medium of food, the fusion of Epaar Bangla and Opaar Bangla, to set the course of their love story. There are some noteworthy performances to savour as well. Rituparna Sengupta has delivered with considerable restraint right through. As the old patriarch bristling at being addressed as meshomoshai, who is keen to learn magic even at this ripe old age, Paran Bandyopadhyay is exceptional.

'Finally Bhalobasha' depicts three stories that narrate the relationships between people of different age and gender, which is considered as a social taboo in our society. The movie very aesthetically shows how people in such relations go through the test of time by mentally juggling the concept of sin and their need of physical longing that finally transcends into true love. signature tune of an Anjan Dutt film – urbanites dealing with existential crisis, people coping with broken families and relationships can be seen in this film as well.

Shiladitya Moulik’s first Bengali directorial ‘Sweater’ has been lapped up by the audience. In the film Ishaa Saha plays Tuku who is an under-confident girl. Before marriage her would be mother-in-law places a condition that she has to be an expert in knitting. Tuku reaches out to a relative to learn the art and eventually it transforms her into a different person. It’s no surprise that the film has touched the core of audience hearts. Tuku is a shy, inhibited girl next door. Tuku even lacks any skill or talent to excel at. Still, she is in love but couldn’t manage to be skillful in that as well. Will there be at least one thing she can be successful at in life? That’s what Shiladitya Moulik’s ‘Sweater’ is all about.