Madam Sengupta: But where is the thrill?

Once upon a time, Bengal and Kerala created brilliant cinema. Helmers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen, as well as John Abraham, Aravindan, Adoor Gopalkrishnan and Shaji N. Karun gave us films that filled us with joy and a sense of immense satisfaction. Now, we have just Adoor and Shaji, and they are not very active. Obviously, movies from these parts of India have been rather disappointing.

- GAUTAMAN BHASKARAN

So, when I saw Sayantan Ghoshal's murder mystery, Madam Sengupta, arrive on Zee 5 after its theatrical run in Bengal, I was elated. Bengali films are never released in Chennai - the city where I now live, and having grown up in Kolkata and being proficient in the language, I really missed them.

But my anticipation turned into disappointment. Ghoshal's efforts to keep his work realistic seem to have made Madam Sengupta dull and listless. The thrill flew out of the window, and a thriller without thrill loses its very soul.