From Chitchor to Chhoti Si Baat to Chameli Ki Shaadi, Basu Chatterjee's brand of cinema stood out for its simple storytelling, gripping narrative, and heartwarming performances!
Picture Courtesy: Official Twitter Account/Anil Kapoor and YouTube
Every time Hindi Cinema becomes obsessed with a trend and continues to follow it till it becomes stale and soulless, comes a filmmaker that dares to stand out from the crowd and create his own niche. The 70s and the 80s were occupied by the genre of action and drama, larger-than-life and over-the-top movie making. Amid this, came a man that echoed the voices of people that were seldom heard.
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The man was filmmaker Basu Chatterjee. Very similar in thoughts to Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya, Chatterjee created characters more than heroes, their conflicts felt real, and the humour felt organic and also oddball. In a way, he was one of the creators of the term slice-of-life before it became a genre in itself in modern times. His cinema was refreshing and cut across everyone, what came to be known as the classes and the masses.
Here are some of his films that reminded us how a filmmaker could be so simple in his approach yet so searing in his storytelling:
1. Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986)
Every filmmaker would want to know what else he's capable of apart from the genre he has mastered. Chatterjee made Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, the remake of the classic 12 Angry Men. The entire film, just like the original, is shot in one room with 12 different characters interacting and arguing with each other to come to a conclusion about a complex case. It's nothing but dialogues and performances that keep you engaged. This audacious attempt was proof the filmmaker was a lot more than just his charming comedies.
2. Chhoti Si Baat (1975)
A man wishes to woo a woman he passionately loves but cannot express his feelings as he's meek and shy. No actor could have played this role in the 70s apart from Amol Palekar, whose demeanour drips with shyness and simplicity. His hush baritone perfectly complimented the ordinary characters he essayed with a tinge and touch of extraordinariness. Cupid strikes in the form of Ashok Kumar, who had the time of his life essaying the character of Colonel Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh. His teachings were peculiar yet metaphorical, and of course, maddening. Chhoti Si Baat, one of the most charming love stories of Hindi Cinema, was a joyride from start to end!
3. Chitchor (1976)
A year after Chhoti Si Baat, Palekar and Chatterjee collaborated for a love triangle again and this time it was Chitchor, a case of mistaken identities. No matter how deep the conflicts of his characters were, the gifted filmmaker kept melodrama away from his storytelling, and no matter how comedic the situation was, it never bordered on the slapstick or obscene. Chitchor had a razor-sharp story that could have gone either way, it went straight to the heart as his films always did. Nothing surprising here!
4. Khatta Meetha (1978)
From mistaken identities, the filmmaker moved towards shocking revelations. Rohit Shetty's Golmaal 3 sourced the inspiration of its plot from this goldmine. It was a love story of two aging people who find love again and decide to spend the rest of their lives together. It would have been exciting to see how he films his scenes and how was it possible for a filmmaker to not go over-the-top even once when the narrative has all the things that are screaming 'over-the-top.' It's not easy to be a genius!
5. Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986)
What would happen if a man decided to stay a bachelor till the age of 40 and found his pledge blurring as he has fallen in love? Anil Kapoor, who was the biggest star at that time, dropped all his vanity and threw himself into the world of Chatterjee that had nothing his earlier films had that made him the biggest star in the first place. His lady-love was the lovely Amrita Singh, and it was heartening to see Amjad Khan, arguably the greatest on-screen villain of all time, in a comical role. Chameli Ki Shaadi was proof that this man was a rare filmmaker who never lost his touch!
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