Director Subrata Sen’s claim to fame — four controversial films in five years. His fifth film, Bibar (Shradha Video; DVD Rs 299) is an adaptation of Samaresh Basu’s controversial novel of the 1980s for which he was charged with obscenity and even dragged to court. Sen brought this controversy alive onscreen with Tannishta Chatterjee and Subrata Dutta. The story views the protagonist who refuses bribe and corrupt practices in office himself indulges in Bohemianism, booze and brothels, without any prick to his conscience. The dichotomy of it all brews up and culminates in a crime without any motive. This DVD has subtitles in English.

A National Award winning film in 1992, by Prabhat Roy, Swet Pathorer Thala (Angel; DVD Rs 299) portrays the strength of a woman and widow withstanding the wrongs meted out by her in-laws in the name of family tradition and social norms. Her little son is shocked to find his mother in widow-whites and reacts violently refusing to accept her. Aparna thus rejects all visible signs of widowhood for her ailing son. But the son grows up to be rather insensitive to his mother’s sorrow. Aparna Sen as the wife-widow-mother gives a realistic performance. Indrani Halder and Rituparna Sengupta were introduced to the big screen in this film.

Another National Award winning film, this by Tapan Sinha — Apanjan (Angel; VCD Rs 199). It doesn’t require a blood relation to carry out a human relationship — it simply requires a true human being, that’s the moot point of the film. An old widow, Chhaya Debi, living alone in the village suddenly finds young relatives wanting to take care of her. Soon she realises that they need a caretaker for their children. City life is costly and poor relatives come cheap. On the other hand some ‘rogues’ down the street, whom society shuns, come to her aid. Relive the battle between two warring groups of hooligans led by Swaroop Dutta and Samit Bhanja.