Movie Review- Chowrasta: Crossroads of Love

So I’ve watched movies since I was a kid, but never really tried reviewing one… so let’s try that, shall we?

SYMPHONY OF SUNSETS

Movie Review- Chowrasta: Crossroads of Love

Language: Multilingual

Directed by: Anjan Dutt

Chowrasta (Darjeeling) 

Whenever the subject of ‘movie centered on a particular place or town’ comes to the fore, the first film that comes to my mind is ‘In Bruges’. Backed by a tremendous plot and acclaimed acting, the movie was capable of leaving even the most seasoned movie-goer speechless! And the same can be said about Anjan Dutt’s Chowrasta: Crossroads of Love!

Four sets of characters interwoven in a single plot spanning a little over 24 hours, with rich scenes of Darjeeling interspersed masterfully for the desired effect, Chowrasta is a treat for the senses! I’ve never been to Darjeeling, but if it means something- I really want to visit this place! The movie utilizes the hill station effectively enough to incorporate it as a separate character itself, much like Bruges or what Satyajit Ray did to Nischindipur!

Ray’s Kanchenjangha being the benchmark of movies shot in Darjeeling, it perhaps won’t be fair to compare the two since Darjeeling… like film-making and storytelling, has changed a lot indeed, politically and geographically!

Brilliant cinematography and plot aside, the other thing that makes this movie special is its acting. Seasoned actor Victor Banerjee almost reprises his Bow Barracks Forever role, with an added finesse thoroughly reminiscent of a forlorn British settler in Darjeeling. He is as lovable as ever! Saswata is brilliant as a Bengali teacher at St. Paul’s, and holds his own against Roopa Ganguly, who is appropriate in her role as a flop Bollywood actress… but whether that is because of her acting skills or the fact that its just easier to imagine her as one, is a valid point! Atul Kulkarni, the ‘Rang De Basanti’ alumnus, is convincing, and so is Aparajita Ghose as a typical Bengali girl with her typical husband “checklist”!

The mesmerizing sunset clips sprinkled with Dutt’s dialogues bringing to the fore (for the first time) his English Literature backgrounds serve the purpose of lending the fragile character of Victor Banerjee an almost mystical aura! Punch that with a nice background score and music, and you’ve got a pleasant celluloid cocktail indeed!