On April 12, Shri Swapankumarer Badami Hyenar Kobole will have its world premiere as a Subho Naboborsho gift for all Bengalis across the world! The film was met with overwhelming praise from critics, members of the media, and viewers. Young people and their parents, who grew up reading or listening to Swapan Kumar’s novels and his peculiar invention, Detective Dipak Chatterjee, have come to enjoy it as well.

To bring attention to the story of Swapan Kumar and his forgotten detective of Kolkata, Dipak Chatterjee, filmmaker Debaloy Bhattacharya received accolades for the film’s screenplay, narrative, and overall look and feel. A popular character, Swapan Kumar served as the main subject of the investigation in the movie. Bhattacharya endeavored to revive Swapan Kumar’s legacy through his painstaking storytelling, focusing on his fictional character Dipak Chatterjee and their influence on Kolkata’s literary scene. Bhattacharya, in collaboration with performers Abir Chatterjee and Paran Bandopadhaya, expertly brought the characters to life while preserving the soul of Kolkata’s cultural milieu, drawing spectators in with an engrossing story.

Renowned director Anurag Kashyap took part in a seminar at the first session of the first Kolkata French Film Festival, where he discussed his thoughts on Bengali cinema. He made the critical observation that filmmaking has declined dramatically in the modern era. Ritwick Ghatak and Satyajit Ray were two of the industry’s shining stars during its heyday, and Kashyap bemoaned the industry’s descent from its glorious past. Using the term “Ghatiya” to express his dissatisfaction, he went on to characterize the state of Bengali cinema as subpar at the moment. Kashyap expressed dissatisfaction with the current direction of the industry while simultaneously expressing nostalgia for the sector’s past splendor in his remarks. Within the film industry, conversations were prompted by the filmmaker’s criticism.

Debaloy Bhattacharya replies sardonically that Bengali movies aren’t very good, making fun of the fact that even his movie, Shri Swapankumarer Badami Hyenar Kobole, is in this “Ghatiya” category. He criticizes a number of his works, pointing out flaws in the screenplay, the dialogue, and the integration of Dipak Chatterjee and Swapan Kumar. Bhattacharya’s self-deprecating comments add a hint of irony to the discussion as they provide a direct admission of perceived flaws in his works.

The main point of contention in this heated discussion is Debaloy Bhattacharya’s straightforward refutation of Anurag Kashyap’s criticism.

Debaloy Bhattacharya boldly declares that he will STOP making any more films that are deemed “subpar” or “Ghatiya” if Anurag Kashyap is still of the opinion that Bengali cinema is subpar or “Ghatiya” after seeing this movie, which will have its world premiere on hoichoi on April 12^th.

Priyanka Dutta