Bastu Shaap

The whole film screams Hitchcock influence, right from the very beginning. 5 people with plates full of secrets; in a picturesque hill house. I was expecting a dramatic turn/twist to make full use of the atmosphere, instead the film went in totally opposite direction. As for acting, Abir & Raima really struggles to deliver good performances. Bright points are Churni & Kaushik Ganguly, even though there was a lot of scope to explore Kaushik's character(Timir).

Before I started watching the movie, I checked the rating. Based on the rating, I was not expecting a good movie. But surprisingly it is one of the best movies directed by Kaushik Ganguly. It keeps you constantly guessing how the plot is going to unwind. The way of storytelling never lets you feel bored. At the end, I think I realized the reason behind "not so top class" ratings. It does not end like a normal thriller movies but with a deep inner meaning. There are type of people who get disappointed with such kind of climax. The actors are already well-known for their class of acting. But for me, the surprise was actor Kaushik Ganguly. This is the first time I watched him acting and he passes with a distinction. The scenic beauty is additional point for viewers. The tea-gardens and greenness of hills of North Bengal is mind blowing and is so soothing for eyes (even if it is in a movie). There should be more of these type of movies.

The movie resembles a classic Kaushik Ganguly movie on the likes of Khad, Apur Panchali, Shobdo, etc. The movie touches you once the end credits start rolling.

Two parallel cinematic visions are shown in tandem, one of which explains the relationship between Parambrata and Raima and the other propels the main story forward. The story is unique though I personally find the pace and presentation a little bit lackluster. The cinematography is average compared to some of the excellently shot movies of Srijit and other movies of Kaushik. While watching the movie, the script provides this feeling that something dramatic is going to happen round the corner, but you are kept unsatisfied as the movie progresses.

The acting is of an acceptably high quality though this is certainly not Parambrata or Abir's best. The emotional tension and uncertainties between Parambrata and Raima are handled beautifully and is a pleasure to watch.

Particularly, the stellar acting of Churni Ganguly is top-notch and worthy of a National Award nomination. The only reason she may not warrant it is because of the limited screen-space she gets in the bigger scheme of things.

I personally feel there was a huge scope of developing this into a much better movie and the audience may be left a tad disappointed after the end.

Don't know why it's rated 6.5 .. it's one of finest work of Mr. Ganguly , I honestly didn't expect much from it before watching ...but it's a classic piece of Work and really deep and intriguing storytelling..

Almost good... The only thing this movie doesn't get right is that if a man and woman meet they must be lovers.