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Durgeshgorer Guptodhon lures kids back to theatres

Films for children are tricky to make. They need to entertain the kids as well as be a good watch for the parents accompanying their wards. Dhruba Banerjee’s Durgeshgorer Guptodhon has managed to do a fine balancing act.

The film packs in a lot of information that children usually shy away from learning. But with good animation and intelligent pictorial references, kids are getting all the more curious about the history of Bengal — a subject that’s seldom depicted on the big screen. “I watched the film with my five-year-old son, Rian, in Mumbai. He was glued to the screen all throughout. The best part for him was the Durga Puja shown on screen. He could relate to it the most because he loves the festival,” said Ramkamal Mukherjee, director, adding, “He was excited to see the story unfold and had queries on every bit shown on screen. He is also very fond of Abir Chatterjee. So, it was a must watch for him.”

Indian screen’s newest sleuth, Sonada, played by Abir, accompanied by Arjun Chakraborty aka Abir and Ishaa Saha aka Jhinuk visit the Debroy household during Durga Puja only to begin a treasure hunt that leads them to the fortune hidden in the family’s old ancestral mansion, Durgeshgor. This story found such resonance with children that watching the film during their ongoing summer vacation topped everyone’s list. “My eight-year-old son, Aryak, is absolutely crazy about Sonada and his adventures. He is also a fan of detective novels. It’s great that this is an original story,” said Nivedita Ghosh, software engineer, adding, “Usually, films like Avengers draw his attention. But he has already watched Durgeshgorer Guptodhon twice. Last time, he watched Guptodhoner Sondhane thrice at the theatres.”

So for parents, it’s no more a struggle to make their kids watch Bengali films. Watching the film is also turning out to be an enjoyable family affair for many. “It was truly an ‘eight to 80 years’ affair for us. I took time out from my busy schedule and went to watch the film with my wife, 13-year-old twins, my parents and my in-laws. They couldn’t stop raving about the experience,” said dental surgeon Dhiman Banerjee.