Adding to the anticipation around the film as its release date inches closer, the makers of Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel have recently unveiled a new song from its soundtrack. An instant hit, it notched up more than two million views across streaming platforms in the first few days of its release.
Starring Bonny Sengupta and Swastika Dutta, the latest track titled Ami bar bar, has a totally different sound, mood and aesthetic that sets it apart from the other songs of the upcoming film released so far. Designed as a soulful and romantic retro number, it evokes the nostalgia of Indian cinema of the 1950s and 1960s.
The video captures dreamy, romantic moments featuring the duo who appear striking in retro avatars and celebrates the evergreen romantic film songs of that age. Shot entirely in black-and-white, it depicts Swastika and Bonny’s characters in three different situations, their sartorial styles evoking the charm and grandeur of that bygone era.
The duo’s chemistry in Ami bar bar has the subtle but sweet fragrance of old-school romance. It adds a layer of calmness and maturity to their relationship, a sharp contrast to the fiery chemistry displayed by them in other promotional content of Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel.
Swastika looks ethereal in her chiffon saris, accessorising her ensemble with delicate pearls, her hair styled in a bouffant or plait, and adorned variously with jasmine flowers. Bonny’s look in the video is very different in the three distinct visual segments. When attired in a traditional white dhoti-Panjabi, he evokes the style of a typical Bengali bhadralok. In another segment, where he is dressed more humbly, he looks like a member of the working class.
In the last segment, where he is seen wearing smart, Western formal clothing, he looks the perfect dapper, young gentleman. Themed in a retro style, the visuals indicate that the song may belong to a time in the characters’ past, when they were young and in love with each other. A hint is also dropped in the video that their love story may have had an unhappy ending because of their class differences.
The music video’s mood, style and cinematography perfectly complement the song’s soft, soothing and heartfelt melody and promise to make Ami bar bar one of the film’s most emotional and defining elements. Written and composed by Arnab Dutta, the song is voiced by Kajol Chatterji and Dutta himself, who have performed it with warmth, intensity and passion. Their performance elevates this song with rich lyrical depth and retro melodies, transporting listeners to an era of melodramatic movie romances that explored ideas of social expectation and acceptance as central to the fulfilment of love affairs.
Also starring Mimi Chakraborty and Soham Majumdar as the film’s other romantic couple, Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel, written by Zinia Sen and directed by Aritra Mukherjee, will release in theatres on January 23.