Dostojee

The house of both friends Muslim Saifqul and Hindu Palash is right on the border. Both call each other as "Dostoji". Their daily routine is going to school together, laughing, playing, jumping etc. Both are happy with most of the habits and dimensions of childhood. Both of them have a cordial relationship in their families From the beginning till the first half, the story is in its continuous pace. But the second half of the film, that is, after the death of Palash , the story has moved from its reality to a skewed pace.

The demolition of the mosque took place, in December, when the weather is cold while the scene outside the shop shows rain when the news of Babri Masjid demolition is heard on the radio, at a tea shop. Lack of pace in film.

In order to dilute the overdose of football, went for a Bengali Movie DOSTOJI.

After multiple awards in various film festivals (including Cannes), it was released in Kolkata.

Those who are missing the art films of Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Gautam Ghosh and Buddhadeb Dasgupta, must see the movie.

The beautifully picturized movie tried to capture how loss of a simple and essentially rural friendship affects an innocent child, his surroundings, and his academics. The characters around him (only a few) and their interfaces make the film outstanding, because it takes you to childhood friends and the oscillating relationship.

I felt absolutely possesion less, looking inside and looking past the simple lower middle class childhood. Those golden days that gifted frequent priceless moments but disappeared quickly as I grew up.

A must visit to a good theatre as dull screen may mar the vividity of rural landscape often drenched with heavy rains that make the main soundscape more often than not. And a heavy rain changed the story line suddenly - when the theme of the movie penetrates your ego and take you back to humble childhood.

You may miss the extraordinary cinematography, if you see the movie in an average cinema hall.

Having said that, i did not like the end of the movie where a particular bird's call fill the vacancy of a child's mind, that was so overwhelmed by a tragedy.

Go and explore your memoryscape with this movie.

Disclaimer : This is not a paid review. This film does not show poverty at all. However, the rural background with ordinary people having absolutely no glamour may not bring entertainment to many. But people loving "art films" close to Real Life of Rural Bharat and enjoying the movies made by Ray, Sen & Ghatak , Benegal and Gopalakrishnan would definitely like it, I feel.

Dostojee tells us the story of a beautiful friendship that blossoms in the muck of distrust that affects the scocietal fabric all around us. Set in a tense time period after the Babri masjid demolition and the Bombay bomb blasts, dostojee unfolds through the eyes of its two little protagonists. We see an innocent friendship blossom where the breaking of a kite is a much bigger problem that whether to build a temple or a mosque. Then, catharsis strike and there is a separation, never to be bridged. And we see a friend living in a world alone, but with his friend still inside him - a part of him, never to go away.

It will definitely touch your heart and force you to think about things, Life. I enjoy every tiny details of the film, the story, the screenplay, the innocence, the casting, the locations, frames just too good. It should definitely reach more audience. I am sure if you watch the film you gonna love it and you will definitely remember this.

Prasun is one of my childhood friend and probably the 1st friend in my entire life. So I am really proud of him. I am sure he will make more such good films.

I was fortunate enough to be there at the premier show in Nandan, Kolkata. Many of our friends were there. We were so happy. :)

Simplicity of binding the incidents in a flow is the strength of the film. Two boys of different communities in a disturbing political background live their own life in their own style and find out the truth of happiness. Their friendship becomes immortal when the little boy learns to feel the presence of the lost friend (Dostoji) within his soul, sudden grown attachment with books and nature. Death makes the friendship silent,stronger and deeper Dostoji is a word itself an expression of sweetness and respect. The director used some strong characters with mininum dialogues as extraordinary brushes to draw some important strokes to complete the picture , such as a nomad, sister of a boy, a cycle repair shop. Last but not the least extraordinary acting of two boys spellbound us.