Professor Shonku O El Dorado
Professor Shonku O El Dorado (transl. Professor Shonku and El Dorado) is a Bengali science fiction adventure drama film directed by Sandip Ray based on Nakur Babu O El Dorado, a story of Satyajit Ray.[1][2][3] Dhritiman Chatterjee portrayed the protagonist character of Professor Shonku.[4][5][6] The film released theatrically on 20 December 2019.
Professor Shonku O El Dorado | |
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Directed by | Sandip Ray |
Written by | Satyajit Ray |
Screenplay by | Sandip Ray |
Story by | Satyajit Ray |
Based on | Nakur Babu O El Dorado by Satyajit Ray |
Produced by | Shrikant Mohta Mahendra Soni |
Starring | Dhritiman Chatterjee Subhasish Mukhopadhyay |
Cinematography | Soumik Haldar |
Edited by | Subrata Roy |
Music by | Sandip Ray |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Country | India |
Language | Bengali |
Plot
This is an adventure story of the fictional genius scientist and inventor Professor Shonku visiting the heart of the Amazon forests in search of the mythical city of El Dorado. One day, a typical Bengali gentleman Nakur Chandra Biswas alias Nakur Babu comes to meet him in Shonku's house in Giridih. He lives in Makardaha. Shanku realises that Nakur Babu has supernatural power having the ability to read other's minds and see the future. Nakur Babu warns him about the upcoming incidents of São Paulo. Seeing his extrasensory power, an amazed Shonku goes to Brazil with Nakur Babu to join a science conference and the mystery begins ending in the fabled city of El Dorado deep inside the Brazilian Amazon[7][8]
Cast
- Dhritiman Chatterjee as Professor Shonku[9]
- Subhasish Mukhopadhyay as Nakur Chandra Biswas
- Eduardo Munniz as Lobo
- Jacqueline Mazarella as Professor Emilia Rodriguez
- Subhrajit Dutta as Samaresh
- Ricardo Dantas as Jeremy Saunders
- Roney Facchini as Wilhelm Krol
- Augusto Cesar as Hyter
- Meyerbeer Tapajós as Mike
- Felipe Montanari as Bob
- Fernando Coelho as Solomon Bloomgarten[10]
- Udayshankar Pal as Prahlad
- Ratan Sarkhel as Tarak
Reception
The Times of India gave the film 3 stars out of five and said, "Despite a perfect look and sharp glances, Dhritiman remains less convincing as Shonku. An indefinable stiffness engulfs his performance that questions the spontaneity of the character. Meanwhile, Subhashish too goes overboard with emotion as Nakurbabu. The film involves a lot of foreign actors and they deliver a decent performance. The overall CGI also appears to be a bit flimsy. In children’s literature, Shanku makes a clean sweep with his scientific masterstrokes. However, his on-screen journey starts with a bumpy ride. Let’s hope for a better future for him."[11]
Firstpost gave the film 3 stars out of five and said,"One of the distinguishing features of anything Satyajit Ray has ever written is the conciseness of it all. There is always something happening. Each page, each sentence is loaded with information, and often as the story progressed, a certain sense of urgency crept in. It is this sense of urgency that is missing in Sandip Ray’s screenplay."[12]
The Indian Express Bangla gave the film 3+1⁄2 stars out of five.[13]
References
- Acharya, Subrata (4 December 2017). "Satyajit's "Professor Shonku" coming to the big screen". The Daily Star. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- Singh, Shiv Sahay (9 December 2017). "Satyajit Ray's Prof. Shonku is ready for the big screen". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- "Shonku on big screen". frontline.in. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- "Professor Shonku O El Dorado' shoot commences by the end of". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- "Sandip Ray readies his first Professor Shonku film". hindustantimes.com. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- "Confirmed: 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' releasing on December 20 - Times of India". The Times of India.
- "Satyajit Ray's Popular Character Professor Shonku Set to Come Alive on Celluloid". 30 November 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- "Professor Shanku O El Dorado Movie Review". Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- "Professor Shanku Premieres into the Virtual World". 10 December 2019.
- "Sandip ray has high hopes for 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- "Professor Shonku O El Dorado Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of Professor Shonku O El Dorado by Times of India" – via timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- "Professor Shonku O El Dorado movie review: Satyajit Ray's memorable scientist doesn't come to life in son's film". Firstpost. 3 January 2020.
- "Bengali News, বাংলা খবর, Latest Bangla News, Today Bangla News, Bengali News Live - Indian Express Bengali".