Tuesday 16 May 2017

Posto Movie Review


Last weekend, I went to watch a Bengali film called “Posto” with my Dad. The reason for watching the movie is that Posto is directed by the same director duo, Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy, who had enthralled me in the last two years with movies like ‘Bela Seshe’ and ‘Praktan’.

This director duo surely knows how to tell a story that is emotional and relatable. The subjects that they deal with in their movies are something that will linger in your mind long after you have left the theatres. While Bela Seshe (In the Autumn of my Life) was an emotional re-discovery of the institution of marriage, Praktan (Former) was about a separated married couple who bumped into each other years after, on a train journey from Mumbai to Kolkata.


Their latest offering, Posto is about a seven-year old boy, Posto who lives with his grandparents in Shantiniketan. His parents, Arnab and Sushmita are ambitious, working individuals living in Kolkata who have no time to look after Posto. Therefore, they have left Posto with his grandparents in Shantiniketan. Posto’s grandparents Dinen and Gauri cannot think of their life without Posto. In the same way, Posto is also very much attached to his grandparents.


Life is rosy with Posto’s parents visiting him on the weekends and his grandparents raising him. Things become chaotic when Arnab gets a lucrative business offer in the UK. He plans to relocate to the UK with his wife and son. But Posto’s grandparents are not willing to let go of Posto whom they had raised like their own child since Posto was a baby. Seeing no other way out, Posto’s grandfather decides to fight against his own son to gain the custody of Posto. The matter drags to the court where a heart-wrenching tale of attachment and love unfolds.

Dale Carnegie had said long back “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” We human beings get attached to the ones with whom we spend a lot of time and who love us unconditionally. This is the reason why Posto calls his grandmother ‘Ma’ whereas his mother ‘Mammam”. As Posto is raised by his grandparents, he is attached to them much more than his parents. 


His biological parents think that they have every right to take Posto with them wherever they want, without realizing that Posto hardly knows his parents beyond the weekend meetings. His life revolves around his grandparents, the same way his grandparents’ lives revolve around him. The lawyer fighting the case asks a pertinent question to the judge which is so relevant:

Who is the actual guardian? The biological parents or the caregiver parents? Devaki or Yashoda?

Giving birth to a child is not enough. Raising the child to be a wonderful human being is the true duty of every parent. And in this movie, that duty is done by Posto’s grandparents. Despite their age and physical ailments, they spend all their time looking after Posto, giving him the right education and teaching him the values of life. 

This movie is extremely relevant in today’s times as many parents due to their busy schedule cannot spend ample amount of time with their children. The movie also shows the role that grandparents play in the life of their grandchildren. The first half of the movie is good, but the second half takes the audience on an emotional ride when the matter gets dragged to court. Some of the scenes made me so emotional that tears started rolling down my eyes.


Since the backdrop of the movie is Shantiniketan, Tagore songs are a huge element of the movie that beautifies it effortlessly. Soumitra Chatterjee as Dinen Lahiri is fabulous in the movie. Special mention to the child actor, Arghya Basu Roy for making the character of Posto so lovable. Performances by Jisshu Sengupta, Paran Bandopadhyay, Lily Chakraborty and Mimi Chakraborty are also praiseworthy.

Posto is a beautiful Bengali film that will be loved by the Bengali audience as it has Tagore songs, authentic emotions and a great theme. I would recommend Posto to everyone who loves watching a good movie. This is a slice of life movie with the perfect backdrop and brilliant performances. I am going with 4.5 stars. 
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10 comments:

  1. Hey Purba, Thanks. Cause you save my money. Ask me how? after read the review, I will get observed 80% story of Posto movie. Thanks to write great movie review! But definitely I will saw the movie at going to cinema hall. You know, I love very much Mimi :D

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    1. Glad you liked the review. Do watch the movie. I'm sure you will love it :)

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  2. Great review, Purba. As the movie is in Bengali, I couldn't watch movie but curious to know who got the custody. The only Bangla movie I watched is Moner Manush and that's also without subtitle because couldn't find it. Then decided to read the novel but heard that its English translation is very poor, so dropped the idea.

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    1. Hey Ravish, You can watch this movie with subtitles. Subtitles was provided in the theater where I watched the movie. And Moner Manush is a wonderful movie. Happy to know that you tried watching it without subtitle :)

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  3. Sounds like quite an intense movie. Will have to find one with subtitles. Nice review.

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  4. My entire team here is Bengali. I will recommend the same to them...I hope the take it up and have a good outing.

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    1. Oh that's great. I hope they will enjoy it :)

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  5. Beautiful review of “Posto”. Not yet watch.
    Watched the trailer and songs, Awesome.
    Loved Shiboprosad Mukherjee & Nandita Roy films Ramdhanu, Bela Seshe, Praktan.
    Will watch soon "Posto"

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  6. Nice review of the movie.

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