Bhuvan Shome

Mrinal Sen's low-budget film is one of the most touching movie. He brings out the nuances in this simple yet touching story so poignantly. No special effects, no dramatic moments! Just simple depiction captured on film to move the audience. The performers were so natural in their portrayal of the characters and effectively communicated & shared their feelings/ emotions/ attitudes with the audience. An exceptional artistic endeavour!

This is a Hindi language art film starring Utpal Dutt and Suhasini Mulay.

The film is overrated, let it put it out there right away.

Dragging in large parts and lacking in message. If it wanted to convey how a holiday lightens up a man, it is contradicted at the end. After letting go a junior with just a warning, the junior ticket collector writes to his fiancee that he's been posted to a larger junction meaning more trains and more bribe money earnings.

The camera work is the biggest disaster jarring from scene to scene. The buffalo chase only evokes a forced laughter. Ogling at women on their way to pick water isn't comedy as the scene tries to portray, it's obscene.

The only soothing camera work was the flight of birds, which I'm inclined to believe was a seperate feature plugged in to the film.

The desert expanses would have been great to watch if the film were shot in colour.

Among the performances I feel Utpal Dutt only just had to do his usual part, nothing out of the ordinary, although he received a National award.

Suhasini Mulay's spontaneous portrayal of a bubbly character stood out.

The direction wasn't great even though by a legend - and again - awarded here.

Overall, best avoided...

Bhuvan Shome is probably the finest film I have seen. The film is about Bhuvan Shome, a senior government officer and widower, who lives an isolated and strict life. He decides to take a vacation, and comes upon a pretty village belle, who is young, enthusiastic, full of life and humor. The short time they spend together changes Shome's entire outlook to life and his own future. The beauty of the film lies in its exploring the key issues in the protagonist's life through a simple narrative, beautiful scenery and light hearted interplay between the characters. To borrow Robert Browning's phrase, at the end you are left with the feeling of, "God's in His heaven - All's right with the world!"

Contrary to the popular belief, this movie is not dark at all. But this had some shady colors, that is for sure. I am writing this here, but honestly, out of all the reviews I am putting in IMDb, I think this is the only movie I still do not understand. Watched this twice. Does not mean that Sen failed at communication, not at all. Sen never failed while telling something. This movie was one of the first NFDC funded film. Thematically, this movie shows solitude and monotony. This is about a man's life who loves and has chosen to be alone. His subordinates are afraid of him, and calls names when he is not around. Having known that, the protagonist here does not do anything to change that. And then he meets her during a hunt - how poetic - and the story gets one more second act. In other words, a man who is reluctant to like or love others starts getting into it. Let us give 2 trivia to make is a little bit interesting. One, this was Amitabh Bacchan's debut as a narrator. Yes, Sen was good in casting too. Secondly, this movie makes the first of the long going love story between Sen and the super-DOP, K K Mahajan.

We have seen him as one of the most whimsical funny old man 'Bhavanishankar' in Hrishida's timeless classic comedy 'Golmaal'or 'Naram Garam'. Utpal Dutt was one of the absolutely brilliant and rare breed of actor. I don't remember any other actor who became so graceful at one time and so funny at the other as he grew old in his characters. He was one of the original Indian comedian who didn't require funny dialogues or situations to make you laugh. Humor is the integral part of his natural body language.

The film is Winner of President's Gold Medal and made by India's art house director- Mrinal Sen. It's a limited budget small film with the length of one and half hours. The plot is more seems like reading one of R K Narayan's Malgudi tales.

Bhuvan Shome is typical Bengali Babu who is very principle loving, strict, angry old man serving as a Railway Officer. Due to his arrogant typical characteristics he always regarded in staff as the dangerous man whose sight everyone likes to avoid. He didn't pay heed to his own single son and left him from several years. Now at the ripe age he cultivated a new suitable hobby of hunting birds. He landed up in one of the local Gujarati town for hunting and met a smart local Gujarati village girl with whom he shared a strange relationship as she helped him in his hunting task. How his encounter with the girl transformed him from a whimsical, arrogant old officer into a lovable life loving gentleman is a thing to watch for all Indian cinema lovers.

I don't want to ruin the characteristic charm of Utpal Dutt while praising him much but let me say that I surely include his act here in one of my favorite Indian movie characters list. Watch his mood in the last scene when he committed a single good act of his life and you can't resist smile on your face. The film also has fine act by young and charming Suhasini Mulay.( Remember the modern age mother of Akshay Khanna in 'Dil Chahta Hai') You just love his natural act here.

The only thing you have to bear is few tiring long shots which sometimes bore you. But if you tolerate it, I guarantee you will surely enjoy a quality cinema.

Highly Recommended for all Utpal Dutt fans.

Ratings- 8/10