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CHURNI GANGULY
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| I have read all the Harry Potter books and now I am curious about the films... |
If I stay at home, I would watch all the Harry Potter films. I haven’t been able to watch any so far. I have seen a few of the films in parts as my son watches them often and when I sit with him he is usually halfway through the film.
Actually I started reading the first Harry Potter book, The Philosopher’s Stone, after the fourth film released. And then I read all the books. So now I am curious about the films.
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PARAMBRATA Chatterjee
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| Sholay brings back a lot of memories everytime... |
I would watch Tapan Sinha’s Galpo Holeo Sotyi because the film speaks of togetherness despite odds and Durga puja is all about that. The other film would be Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar. This is one film I can see anytime, over and over again.
The third would be any film by Wim Wenders because I am watching a lot of his films these days. The fourth would be Sholay. I saw the film for the first time when I was only eight on a Puja day and Sholay brings back a lot of memories everytime. I would love to watch it again during the Pujas.
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SABYASACHI CHAKRABORTY
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| Sonar Kella is my favourite Feluda film... |
Runaway Train, Pather Panchali, Ajantrik and Sonar Kella. I like everything about these four films — the acting, direction, cinematography and script. All four talk about the strength of the human spirit... that strength lies not in the biceps but in the mind. I have lost count of how many times I have seen these four films. I watch them when I have nothing else to do. These films educate me like nothing else does.
Andrei Konchalovsky’s Runaway Train talks about a man and a boy who escape from the jail in search of freedom. In Ritwick Ghatak’s Ajantrik, Kali Banerjee is just brilliant. The film is about a man and a car and I love my car and everytime I watch the film it strengthens my faith. Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali is about the human spirit again and the will to survive. And Sonar Kella is my favourite Feluda film. It is Feluda at his best.
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ANIRUDDHA ROY CHOWDHURY
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| I am planning a Hindi film with two men and a woman, so Casablanca would be inspiring... |
I love watching films and in fact I will be sitting at home and watching a lot of films through the Pujas. I would love to see Casablanca again, though I have watched the film many times. It’s a very emotional story about the turmoil in a woman (played by Ingrid Bergman).
I am planning to make a Hindi film next year which would revolve around two men and a woman, so Casablanca would be very inspiring.
I have recently bought the DVD of Galpo Holeo Sotyi because I want to laugh out loud. And a friend of mine has gifted me a Woody Allen collection, so I would definitely see some of Woody Allen’s films.
Plus, Roman Holiday. It is one film that I can watch 100 times more, but it doesn’t get old. Roman Holiday has got that timeless appeal and I love the film more each time I see it.
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TOTA ROY CHOWDHURY
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| I watch Jackie Chan movies when I am down... |
The Godfather, Gladiator, Face/Off and all Jackie Chan films. I have watched Godfather and Gladiator several times. I have the DVDs of both Godfather 1 and 2 and I watch them at least thrice a year. The three films — Godfather, Gladiator and Face/Off — have timeless appeal. They are the hallmark of great cinema and a great number of people have watched these films.
I must have been a toddler when Godfather was made but when I watched it I was bowled over. Everytime I see Godfather I discover new things. Even Face/Off.... I think it will hugely entertain today’s generation. I watch Jackie Chan’s movies when I am down. His films lift my spirits.
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APARAJITA GHOSH DAS
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| The Sound of Music always makes me happy... |
Masoom, Shriman Prithviraj, Breaking the Waves and The Sound of Music. These four are my all-time favourite films. Masoom is a favourite because of Naseeruddin Shah. He is my favourite actor. Shriman Prithviraj is a clean, funny film and I have many favourite moments in the film, especially the song Shokhi bhabona kahare bole.
I would love to watch Breaking The Waves (by Lars von Trier). It’s a beautiful film and actress Emily Watson has done a wonderful job. There’s so much to learn from her. Besides, I missed the film’s ending the first time I saw it, so I would definitely want to see it again.
And, of course, The Sound of Music. It always makes me happy. I love musicals!
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ANJAN DAS
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| Shree 420 is a fun watch and I love the melodious songs... |
Amadeus, The Kite Runner, Awara or Shree 420 and any Dev Anand film. My all-time favourite film is Milos Forman’s Amadeus, so I would definitely watch it. I think it’s one of the greatest films in the world. Mozart’s life has been depicted so realistically in this film. It was indeed a challenge for Forman to capture the period in such detail.
The next film that I would love to watch is The Kite Runner. It’s a very modern film. I read the book (by Khaled Hosseini) and liked it more than the film because it shocks you like nothing else. The film is very cinematic. After watching these two weighty films, I would like to relax and watch something light like Raj Kapoor’s Awara or Shree 420. I love the melodious songs in these films, plus they are fun to watch. The fourth would be any Dev Anand film. I like most of his films.
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SUBRATA SEN
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| I like the humour in Mr India... |
Pather Panchali, Sholay, Mr India and Breathless. Though I have lost count of how many times I have watched them I can still see these four films anytime. Pather Panchali and Sholay are classics. Shekhar Kapoor’s Mr India is also a great favourite. I like the humour in it. I am very fascinated by the fun moments in the film. And Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless is a path-breaking film of its time. Everytime I watch the film, I learn a lot.
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RACHANA BANERJEE
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| Shammi Kapoor is my all-time favourite hero... |
Films of Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra-Hema Malini, and Sunil Dutt-Nargis. Shammi Kapoor is my all-time favourite hero. His films are very entertaining and if during the Pujas I have to sit at home and watch films then I would pick something that makes me happy. Shammi Kapoor’s films have the ability to lift my spirits. Dharmendra-Hema Malini is my favourite pair. I love all their films. Besides, there’s a lot to learn from them. My favourite Sunil Dutt-Nargis film is Milan and I can watch it anytime, any day. I love the performances and the story.
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ASHOKE VISWANTHAN
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| Wild at Heart deals with nostalgia and violence, and has a post-modern approach... |
Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Looking Glass, Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Mukhamukham, Satyajit Ray’s Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and David Lynch’s Wild at Heart.
I would also like to watch Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Babel. The Looking Glass is an intense autobiographical film and has metaphysical elements, which interests me a lot. Also, I find the story fascinating because it delves deep into how spirituality can have a bearing on the way a man’s life unfolds. Mukhamukham is very innovative and the technique is very stylised. It has a very interesting subject too — the decline of communism in southern India. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is an eclectic masterpiece. It has song, dance, drama... everything. Wild at Heart and Babel are very interesting to me because I study cinema. Both films deal with nostalgia and violence, and have a post-modern approach.
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RIINGO
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| 50 First Dates is a beautiful film about falling in love... |
50 First Dates, E.T., Matrix and Sonar Kella. I will see 50 First Dates because it’s a beautiful romantic film about falling in love and then forgetting the person and then falling in love with the same person again. The other film would be E.T. because I have lots of childhood memories associated with the film. And it’s special because I fell in love with a girl for the first time while watching the film! I was in school then. The third would be The Matrix because it’s a technically brilliant film and I am a gizmo-freak. The last would be Sonar Kella because it’s a complete entertainer. If there is any film that can be fun watching each time, Sonar Kella tops the list.
