10 films to watch out for in 2015

OPEN TEE BIOSCOPE
DIRECTOR: ANINDYA CHATTOPADHYAY
RELEASE: JANUARY
Set in mid-90s, the film is a nostalgic trip to the `bioscope' era, when the entire neighbourhood would gather at the para club to catch those timeless Uttam-Suchitra starrers. Told from the point of view of a teen -Fowara -it is the coming-of-age story of an entire generation growing up in north Kolkata. Open Tee Bioscope, which reinvokes the para flavour and reminds one of the long-forgotten `khep' football tourneys, marks the directorial debut of Chandrabindoo frontman Anindya Chattopadhyay. Anindya, who peeps through the hole of time with this one, has adapted the film from his own novel, Ekdin Byapi. The film's other strengths?Shoojit Sircar helming the production and Upal Sengupta making his debut as the solo composer.

CHOTODER CHOBI
DIRECTOR: KAUSHIK GANGULY
RELEASE: JANUARY
An intense love story, Chotoder Chobi throws light on the lives of people who work as jokers in circus. As Shibu, a trapeze artiste, is confined to his bed after an accident, his juniors are miffed with the circus manager for paying a measly sum of Rs 15,000 as compensation. But going up in arms against the authorities would mean losing their jobs. That's when Shibu's closest friend, Khoka, musters the courage to go against the manager and quits his job. Will he be able to support Shibu, his wife and daughter Soma? Dealing with poverty, squalor, society's indifference, the film takes a turn when Khoka realizes that he is falling in love with Soma. The film has already fetched the best actor award for Dulal Sarkar at the 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa.

FAMILY ALBUM
DIRECTOR: MAINAK BHAUMIK
RELEASE: FEBRUARY
Yet another urban tale of relationships by Mainak, this one brings under the scanner a `normal' middle-class family, which looks happy from the outside. But as secrets are divulged, skeletons start tumbling out of the closet. Here's a father and mother who don't speak, a son who doesn't know what to do with his life after college and a daughter who falls for a girl. It's a pointer to a core issue -what's normal and what's not. The director has a word of caution: Before we point fingers at others, there's a need to look at ourselves.

NIRBASHITO
DIRECTOR: CHURNI GANGULY
TENTATIVE RELEASE: APRIL
A satirical and fictionalized take on controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin's difficult trek through life, this film marks the directorial debut of actress Churni Ganguly. Based on the real story of the author's separation from her pet cat after she was forced to leave Kolkata in November 2007, Nirbashito -a bilingual film in Bengali and English -fetched Churni the best film award at the Delhi International Film Festival.

TEENKAHON
DIRECTOR: BAUDDHAYAN MUKHERJI
TENTATIVE RELEASE: APRIL
Teenkahon spans 100 years of Bengali life, reflecting on three obsessions through three stories. Set in a village and shot in black and white, the first one -Boy Meets Girl -is adapted from Bibhutibhushan Mukhopadhyay's short story about an older poet's devastating first love. Boy Loses Girl, the second one, based on a story by Syed Mustafa Siraj, is an encounter between a ladies' man and a disturbed husband, who demands the former take responsibility for the suicide of the woman they both loved. The third one, Boy Gets Girl, written by the director himself, is about a childless couple and how the marriage hits a rough patch when the husband comes across a femme fatale. The film was part of the Indian Panorama at IIFI this year and is set for a further round of festivals.

SESHER KOBITA
DIRECTOR: SUMAN MUKHOPADHYAY
TENTATIVE RELEASE: APRIL
A timeless tale of love unfurls after Labanya and Amit Ray meet while on holiday in misty Shillong. He is a London-educated barrister with no love for tradition; she is uncomplicated and earnest. They fall in love, but express their feelings through the poems they write for each other. The bond deepens, but the two decide to part ways, with their love unconsummated.Reason? Amit and Labanya don't wish to translate love into the domestic chores of married life. Though the director feels that love holds a different meaning in today's era, he has recreated the 1930s for the film. The project, which was commissioned by the central ministry of culture to NFDC on the occasion of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary, is yet to release despite its premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival in December, 2013.

BELA SESHE
DIRECTOR: NANDITA ROY & SHIBOPROSAD MUKHERJEE
RELEASE: MAY
It's celebration time at the Majumdar residence. Biswanath is 75, his wife Aarti, 66.The two have completed 49 years of togetherness and as the seemingly happy family gathers around to celebrate their 50th marriage anniversary, Biswanath has something important to share. The patriarch of the house takes the opportunity to declare that he has decided to finally divorce his wife.Reason? Irretrievable breakdown of marriage.Will the storm pass or will it change lives?After Ramdhanu, the makers have turned their lens on love, companionship and the meaning they hold in today's day and age.

KATH MUNDU
DIRECTOR: RAJ CHAKRABARTY
TENTATIVE RELEASE: JUNE-JULY
Joddha was a dud alright, but there's no stopping Raj Chakrabarty, who is on a roll. The first amongst a couple of his announced ventures is Kath Mundu, an out-and-out comedy about three guys working in the IT sector. Hard-pressed for time, they somehow manage to get leave and land up in Kathmandu. Ribtickling incidents take place one after the other and their lives take a turn.As Raj returns to original script and screenplay, we have our eyes set on this one.

RAJKAHINI
DIRECTOR: SRIJIT MUKHERJI
TENTATIVE RELEASE: AUGUST
Set during Partition, this movie focuses on the lives of a few `fallen' women.The director, who has drawn references from Mandi, Gandhi, Pinjar and a series of letters by Urvashi Butalia, is set to highlight the plight of women, who were the worst-affected lot. Considered the sign of honour for two countries, whenever one needed to harm another, they went straight for the women. An unusual story and Srijit's most significant film till date, the project also marks Rituparna Sengupta's return to the Shree Venkatesh Films banner.

ROMEO-JULIET
DIRECTOR: APARNA SEN
TENTATIVE RELEASE: OCTOBER
Aparna Sen is set to come up with a whole new take on the Shakespearean tragedy involving two star-crossed lovers.Like the Montague and Capulet, the film revolves around two very powerful families that are sworn enemies. The film, which combines dream and reality, will see Dev play Romeo, a far cry from his loverboy avatar in the Sujit Mondal-directed masala flick, Romeo.Though details have been kept tightly under the wraps, newbie Ritika Sen is likely to play Juliet to Dev's Romeo.

OTHER FILMS WE'VE SET SIGHTS ON
Arindam Sil's second directorial venture, Ebar Shabor
Srijit Mukherji's Nirbak with Sushmita Sen
Atanu Ghosh's Abby Sen with Abir Chatterjee, Raima Sen and Arunima Ghosh
Goutam Ghose's Indo-Bangladesh venture with Prosenjit Chatterjee
Parambrata Chatterjee's directorial venture, Loraai
Sudeshna Roy-Abhijit Guha's comical take on marriage, Bitnoon