1968 Indian Bengali film
Chowringhee is a 1968 Indian Bengali drama film by Pinaki Bhushan Mukherjee, starring Uttam Kumar and Subhendu Chatterjee who played the lead role and Biswajit Chatterjee, Supriya Devi and Anjana Bhowmick in supporting role. The music of the film was composed by Ashima Bhattachariya who also produced this film. The film is based on a Bengal novel of the same name by Shankar.
Plot.
The movie revolves around the experiences of the characters the author Shankar meets while working at one of the largest and most reputed hotels of Kolkata, Hotel Shahjahan. At the end of the movie, most of the characters experience tragedy, in one form or another.
The major characters Shankar encounters with are:
Production.
The film is based on Mani Shankar Mukherjee's most selling novel "Chowronghee". Pinaki Bhusan Mukherjee directed the film, with music composed and also produced by Ashima Bhattachariya.
Film production started during late 1967 and early 1968. For the film shooting, production units were booked to the Grand Hotel of Kolkata. The film shot in Grand Hotel and Technicians Studio, both place. There is two main protagonists Sata Bose the character played by Uttam, and a writer Shankar played by Subhendu Chatterjee. During the starting of the shooting Subhendu had scheduling problems because he was attending in the Frankfurt Festival for his film "Panchashwaar". Then he contacted Uttam to pause filming. Then Uttam requested to the producer and director to start filming a few days later.
The plot of the film set in 1950s at in 1950 to 1952. The character of Sata Bose is inspired from two real person. First one is Satya Charan Bose who was an officer of Eastern Railway and second one is a hotelior of Spencas hotel. Both person was a same attitude like a foreigners which is a different from others Bengali at that era.
Reception.
Film become huge popular and received huge acclaim like the novel, but the novel and the film both did not receive any awards, and also Uttam never got any awards for his outstanding performance in the film. The film earned the cult status.
The song "Baro Eka Lage" sang by Manna Dey picturized by Uttam Kumar become chartbuster and huge popular till today.
Release in Durga puja occasion in 1968 the film become huge success it's ran to full houses 112 days and ran overall 150 days in theaters. The Film become blockbuster and the highest grossing Bengali film in 1968.
Remakes.
National Film Award winner director Srijit Mukherjee made a film based on this same story in 2019, "Shahjahan Regency".
Legacy.
The film become cult hit like novel. The novel is adapted later in many languages. The film become still popular in today's audience.
Uttam Kumar performance the main highlight of the film and regarded one of the best. Author Shankar was said that in an interview "When Uttam Kumar, sitting beside me, asked me about my views after the first show, I said ‘You have made your portrayal even more attractive than the Sata Bose I developed’. He immediately asked, ‘Will you write it down for me?’. I said, ‘Even if I don’t, the public won’t wait for my views’. He asked me what’s so special about Sata Bose. I said ‘There are a few people who win hearts by not doing much like Sata Bose and film industry has quite a few such personalities."
References.
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