Top 10 must watch Bengali movies

Bengali movies have a greatly rich history. Bengali movies are known for the hard-hitting storylines, characters, and dialogues. Some movies, over time, represent themselves in memories of many people as classics. These movies cannot be forgotten and regularly remind me, and I am sure, many others of the beauty of story-telling. Although there are countless Bengali movies that are so good that they can’t be missed but we have tried our best to make a list of top 10 must watch Bengali movies.

Pather Pachali (1955)

Pather Panchali is an Indian Bengali drama movie directed by none other than Satyajit Ray. Who can believe that this masterpiece of art is Ray’s directional debut! It is the first movie in the famous Apu trilogy and it depicts the childhood of Apu and his elder sister and their life in a village. It was the first movie from independent India that gained huge international critical attention and won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1955 along with a couple of international awards.

Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne Series (1969)

Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is an Indian Bengali fantasy adventure comedy movie directed by Satyajit Ray. The Bangla movie tells the story of a Goopy Gyne who wants to be a famous singer but unfortunately, can’t sing. This movie is every Bengali’s favourite childhood memory as it is a fantasy adventure movie. The movie won Best Feature Film and Best Direction awards at the 16th National Film Awards. It was the longest continuously running Bengali movie in Bengal, as it ran for straight 51 weeks in the theatres.

Nayak(1966)

Not mentioning Uttam Kumar in this list will betray the entire Bengali film industry. This was the first film in which Bengali film industry stalwart Uttam Kumar worked with Satyajit Ray. Satyajit Ray famously said in an interview, “If it’s Nayak (Hero), it has to be Uttam Kumar. No one else can play the character except him.”The film’s story is about a famous actor who reveals his life’s insecurities to a young journalist, on a 24 hour train journey from Calcutta to New Delhi, where he is going to receive a national award.

Apur Sansar(1959)

Yet another masterpiece written, directed and produced by Satyajit Ray. The World of Apu is an Indian Bengali drama movie and is the third part of The Apu Trilogy. It is often regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time. The World of Apu won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and gained huge critical acclaim internationally. It is one of the best Bengali movies directed by Satyajit Ray.

The Feluda Series(1974)

India had its very own Sherlock, and he’s from West Bengal! It initially started as a series of novels written by Satyajit Ray. Remember Feluda’s address, 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Kolkata? Two of Feluda’s stories were made into films by Ray. It’s difficult to forget Soumitra Chatterjee’s fantastic portrayal of Feluda, and the equally lovable characters Topshe and Lalmohan Babu. Sonar Kella is by far the most memorable film of the series, shot in the beautiful locales of Rajasthan.

The Japanese Wife (2010)

It is an Indian Japan joint venture Romantic movie starring none other than Rahul Bose and Raima Sen in the lead roles. The plot revolves around a young Bengali teacher who married his Japanese pen friend over letters and how he remains loyal to her throughout his life without actually meeting her. The movie won a couple of international awards and it is one of the must-see Bangla movies of all time.

Ashani Sanket (1973)

A movie that is featured in The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made has to make it to this list! Ashani Sanket stars Soumitra Chatterjee and Bobita and is set in a village in Bengal during the Great Famine of 1943 through the eyes of its lead character Gangacharan and his wife. The film is a classic because it portrays the huge scale of the famine, which killed 5 million people in Bengal. 

Aranyer Din Ratri (1970)

Aranyer Din Ratri is an Indian Bengali adventure drama movie directed by Satyajit Ray and is based on the Bengali novel of the same name. No wonder, Satyajit is considered as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time as he has directed most of the top 10 best Bengali movies. This movie was so good that it was nominated for the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival.

Bhooter Bhabishyat (2012):

If you are a fan of black comedy, then Bhooter Bhabishyat is the right film for you. It is based on the lives of ghosts who live in an old, dilapidated house and portrays their dilemma in the face of capitalism, where many people want to take down the house and make the ghosts homeless for commercial purposes. The film stars ‘Kahani’ actor Parambrata Chatterjee in the lead role and also stars magician PC Sorcar’s granddaughter!

Chokher Bali (2003)

Based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore of the same name, Choker Bali is Rituparno Ghosh’s most controversial and critically acclaimed film. The film stars Prosenjit Chatterjee and Aishwarya Rai. The story is of a widow who has an affair with a married man.