The general hum of excitement around the upcoming film Open Tee Bioscope is primarily due to two or three reasons. Firstly, it is the debut feature of musician turned director Anindya Chattopadhyay of Bangla band Chandrabindoo fame. Secondly, Shoojit Sircar, the Bollywood veteran of Vicky Donor and Madras Café has assumed the role of producer! And finally, and perhaps most importantly, the film deals with nostalgia which has been the forever-favorite-commodity for Bengalis, be it in conversation or cuisine, attire or any plastic or performing arts. And this last factor will surely be a major trump card in carrying the film through the rocky terrains of box office as long as the other technical departments hold their grounds and do not become a dead weight!
The 2 minutes 33 seconds trailer makes it evident that it is essentially a coming-of-age film much in the lines of the Bildungsroman novels of the 19th century and early 20th century literature or the bitter-sweet films from Hollywood and Europe such as The Last Picture Show,American Graffiti, Cinema Paradiso or Noce Blanche! The narrative apparently deals with the childhood antics and misadventures of a kid named Phoara (the allusion to ‘fountain of youth’ couldn’t be more evident!) and his North Calcutta neighborhood, which looks like initially resistant but inevitably surrendering to the winds of change.
On hindsight, both the good and the bad thing about the trailer is actually the same! The entire story with its sound design and golden warm images of ‘lost childhood’, the laughter and the tears and the IMPORTANT social message, all is rolled into the duration of two and a half minutes. Those who’d want some more helpings of ‘looking-back-at-simpler-times’, the whole package will be waiting soon at a nearby multiplex. Others should stay back at home and watchBari Theke Paliye on home video!
Arup Ratan Samajdar
