Having an illustrious father can often mar the real appreciation one deserves. Probably people are always comparing the person with the icon. This can explain the fact that Sandip Ray, a director in his own right, never really got his due in terms of critical appreciation. I am not too sure but I think his Feluda films did good business at the box-office. But there is more to this director, and his films like Uttoran, Nishijapon and Monchora is a testament to that. And his subjects, besides the detective genre, too have been varied, from science fiction to romantic drama, ghost stories, humanistic tales (Phatikchand) to incisive social commentary (Uttoran) on the prevalent situation.
‘Monchora’ (Heart Burglar) is a 2016 film based on a story by Saradindu Bandopadhyay. It is a sweet romantic drama laced with mystery with an underlying message not to be judgemental about people, because an individual is a product of his circumstances and his resultant conduct bears a correlation to it. Bengali cinema regularly gives us gems like ‘Monchora’ keeping our faith alive that cinema from Bengal is still vibrant. The actors act superbly, and Abir Chaterjee as a petty thief who has a change of heart as the film progresses, excels in his role. Raima Sen is immensely likeable, and Paran Bandopadhyay and Saswato Chattopadhyay are brilliant as usual. June Maliah in a negative role is competent.
Rating: 4.1 out of 5
Talking about cinema 