The Bengali films of yesteryear...

Recently, I had the pleasure of viewing an old Bengali film of yesteryear Deya Neya. Made in Black and White and starring Uttam Kumar and Tanuja with music by  Shyamal Mitra(his first effort as music director!!!), it reminded me of all that was best in commercial Bengali films. Here was the great romantic hero, who brought in so much of ease and panache to his role. No one could match his impeccable timing and presence.

Tanuja was so cute and lovely to look at. The mildly exaggerated responses, the pouts and the glorious smile which lit up the screen like a rainbow--all made her a vivacious heroine.

The side actors were so splendid reflecting an era which was so safe and reliable and familiar. Pahari Sanyal was the benign, indulgent father--a role which had died with him, a character which has disappeared from Bengali  films forever. Tarun Kumar was the essential friend. Where nowadays would you find one like this persona now?? Can you really go and stay unannounced and stay with a friend suddenly for days on end ? An instant camaraderie over a cup of tea?

 

Lily Chakravarty's role as a friend's wife was tailiormade. A beautiful housewife who was musically inclined, tolerant and with a sense of humour rarely seen nowadays. Kamal Mitra was the rigid patriarch with a booming voice and a presence which generated awe . There can never be another like him.

Though comparisons are odious, I just looked at some recent commercial Bengali films and was aghast. They were portraying a society which never exists.Cavorting dances in Malaysia, dresses of the heroines which were so unreal. the vacant faced heroes who cannot walk straight without twisting their hips, the rank bad comedians, the absence of timing and the absence of silence ,an inane script --all contributed to a cacophony of instruments and a confusion of ideas. Technologically crisp, and fast paced, they cover up their dearth of sensitivity by slang dialogues, titillation and visual slickness. The short statured , self professed saviour of the Bengali film industry, better than Uttam Kumar(his own proclamation) hero has not been able to generate a film presence or any facial expression or a decent dialogue delivery after two decades of exposure--surviving due to lack of any competition. Where, oh where, is the hero who commands a presence, who generates attention,who whisks you away to a world of reality and the plausible, where the scripts and dialogues are  meaningful and identifiable in our own middle class society?

Even though ,I saw the film with a sparse audience---this was the 6th time I was watching the film, I came out relaxed and content, humming a song. Kolkata looked sepia tinted, more likeable, more familiar, and for a while, I was in tune with the countless scurrying figures at the bus stops and stations and on the roads. There was ,I felt, some things still right in the world....

In this video, just see his style, his little glances at the paper, the smile and above all, that unforgettable presence.......