What happens when you take a murder mystery in a period setting, spice it up with a motley crew of suspects, get a quirky, aged matriarch as the detective for added fun and flavour, and finally top it off with a star-studded ensemble cast? A gripping drama and a suspenseful crime thriller that’s perfect for the whole family to enjoy this summer season. The upcoming Windows film Phool Pishi O Edward promises to be all this and much more.
A darkly comedic tale of crime and murder, Phool Pishi O Edward deals with the investigation following the mysterious, sudden and unnatural death of Manindra Chandra Nandy (Arjun Chakrabortyy), a depraved zamindar who had several enemies in his own family. The strange circumstances leading to his death, just as he was going to get married for the third time, lead to a sense of mounting paranoia, with almost every guest and family member at the wedding harbouring a secret and a vengeful motive to kill the zamindar.
The trailer presents at least eight main suspects, including the dead man’s wife (Raima Sen), bride-to-be (Shyamoupti Mudly), son (Soumya Mukherjee), paternal aunt (Sohini Sengupta), brother (Shahebb Chattopadhyay) and a dancer (Ananya Chatterjee). The mood of the trailer oscillates between a sharp, psychological tension and dark humour, all the while leaving the audience guessing who the killer might be.
As revealed earlier by its teaser, the film has strong undercurrents of feminist themes and explores, through its plot, the suppression of women’s rights, autonomy, and desires within the stifling walls of the aristocratic Bengali family’s mansion. The abuse and repression of the women characters of the film is clearly indicated in the trailer, the subtle but certain hint of revolt and rebellion by them giving rise to one of its most attractive and intriguing elements. The trailer also sheds light on bizarre and toxic family structures, focusing on patriarchal domination, emotional confrontations and strained relationships.
The character of Phool Pishi serves as an unconventional detective — her characterisation as a single woman who is musically-inclined, owns a pet cat and has an unusually sharp intellect is somewhat reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, and suggests a style of operation similar to that of the latter. Sohini Sengupta appears to enjoy her role as the titular character, bringing to Phool Pishi an enigmatic charm that enhances the atmosphere of mystery and drama in the narrative. What is surprising about her character is that the trailer also portrays her as one of the key suspects of the crime.
Raima Sen and Shyamoupti Mudly, who play sisters, offer glimpses of their rebellious nature in the trailer and appear to be two of the prime suspects in the murder investigation. Shahebb Chattopadhyay fits well into his role of the typically aggressive, jealous brother of the zamindar, who has no respect for women, while Rishav Basu makes a striking impression as a young man who is a champion of the less privileged. Rajatava Dutta adds a comic angle to the narrative with his portrayal of an overzealous but blundering police officer. Also glimpsed in the trailer are Koneenica Banerjee and Anamika Saha, portraying two other women members of the family, and probable suspects as well since they had both been slighted by the murdered man.
A blend of haunting melodies along with romantic but sinister background music points to grim, dark aspects of the plot, while its cinematography generates a sense of unease and claustrophobia with its focus on opulent period aesthetics that scream suppression and exploitation within the precincts of the decaying zamindari household. Directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, with its story, screenplay and dialogues by Zinia Sen, Phool Pishi O Edward will release in theatres on May 29.
