Phoring

Phoring, this little Bengali gem from 2013, isn't your typical flashy blockbuster. It's more like a cup of steaming Darjeeling tea on a quiet monsoon afternoon - comforting, contemplative, and with a touch of bittersweetness.

The story follows Phoring, a young boy who feels like a dragonfly, flitting around on the edges of life. He's got this whole world going on inside his head, with voices he calls God, but making connections with others feels impossible. Then, Doel, this amazing teacher, swoops in. She sees the spark in Phoring, the creativity struggling to break free. It's like watching a flower slowly bloom under the gentle morning sun.

Doel becomes Phoring's anchor, his guiding light. She encourages his art, his way of expressing himself, and this awakens something beautiful within him. They explore the stunning Dooars together, Phoring finding solace in nature's embrace. You can't help but root for them, for this unlikely friendship that blossoms into something truly special.

But life, as it tends to do, throws Phoring a curveball. Doel's sudden absence leaves a gaping hole in his world. The movie doesn't sugarcoat the pain of loss, but it also shows the strength Phoring finds within himself. He embarks on a journey to find Doel, which feels more like a journey of self-discovery. The ending might leave you with some questions, wondering what becomes of Phoring, but that's kind of the beauty of it. It lets you ponder his future, the path he chooses after this transformative experience.

Phoring isn't a film with a ton of action or crazy plot twists. It's a slow burn, a character study that gets under your skin. The performances are fantastic, especially the young actor who portrays Phoring. You feel his vulnerability, his confusion, and ultimately, his resilience.

If you're in the mood for a heartwarming story that will stay with you long after the credits roll, give Phoring a chance. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most profound connections can happen in the most unexpected places, and that even in loss, there's room for growth and hope.

Bengali cinema surprises us with gems once in a while. PHORING is one such film. PHORING (which is Bengali for Grasshopper) is an imaginative boy who lives in a village in North Bengal near Maynaguri. He flunks his exams and incurs the wrath of his alcoholic father who beats him mercilessly.

A pretty young female teacher (Sohini Sarkar) joins the school of the boy, and starts taking an interest in the boy and his studies. The bond between the boy and the teacher grows stronger. She calls the boy to her residence, celebrates his birthday and gifts him a smart-phone. This leads to suspicion and questioning of her code of conduct.

The present situation of unrest in North Bengal have been effectively captured on screen. The film touches issues of education, childhood obsession, involvement of promising youths in terrorism, and ruthless parenting.

The filming qualities are superlative, and the natural beauty of North Bengal have been lovingly captured by the cameraman Indranil Mukherjee. The film is directed by Indranil RoyChoudhury. The supporting actors are Ritwik Chakraborty and others.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Phoring is the best Bengali film I have watched this year. There are minor hiccups, especially the propensity towards emotional manipulation towards the end, but I choose to ignore them. The refreshing honesty of the film with its non-cerebral simplicity makes inroads into your heart, yet at the same time, explores certain complex themes with a nuanced candor. A gawky young adult caught between the two intersecting, permeable realms of the 'age of innocence' and 'age of experience' embarks on a journey from depersonalisation to self-realisation. The flight-graph of Phoring or the metaphorical dragonfly is beautifully narrated by the director through the prism of spiritual secularisation, starting with his naive conversations with God which finally culminates into the final act of dismissive arrogance where he denounces and disowns 'his' God.

A surprising movie to say the least, this is really a very simple and beautiful film. The pre-interval (and I say this because its not evenly divided into halves) portion is the best piece of film making I have seen in Indian cinema in quite a few years, and I know what I risk when I say this (though I must admit I have seen very few and have missed many good ones). But the honesty and tenderness of this movie simply took me by a storm. This is a story of a gawky kid called Phoring (meaning 'grasshopper') and how he battles his adolescent life, his inner dreams and his real surroundings. The second half lets down a bit but say what, it wasn't bad at all. Just that the first half was too glorious. The life in a Bengal village is captured with absolute perfection and the school kids are depicted with cent percent honesty. The ideas are great, Phoring talking in his head to his Gods, the beautiful landscapes, and Phoring's bittersweet relationship with his teacher but I think the director made this movie his own through the frame compositions. Some of the frames will leave you breathless. Indranil uses a variety of shots to express an emotion at various parts of the movie and some are glorious, like a rat scurrying through an empty kitchen, ants jigsawing against a tree trunk, and an empty factory with unused, rusted machinery, etc. It is a visual treat and somehow manages to be profound through simplicity. The story itself is of a journey, a journey to discover yourself, and many of us will absolutely recognize with the story. Intelligently made movie, and something that will make you smile and fall in love with adolescence yet again. What a phase I say, what a phase! The first 80 minutes of the film is a must watch. Great great film making. After that, it gets a tad bit toned down and emotionally clichéd but it is a good good film.

Well, I don't find any sizable reference about the writer/director Indranil Roychowdhury on IMDb, so I guess he is fairly new to Cinema world. And that makes his attempt to create a story of adolescent infatuation with an older lady a notable one.

The plot has nothing seriously new to offer, as this kind of subtle play of emotions and memories has been kind of a common in several movies I have seen. The closest in comparison being Malena, the Monica Bellucci starter with roughly the same story line. But while the latter has been told with more of a humorous note, Phoring echos a medley of emotions which makes it memorable and commendable.

The key strength of the movie is the simplicity and genuineness with which a suburban lifestyle has been portrayed and the way simple things and events have rendered a distinct fresh flavor to the whole act of story telling and visually presenting it. An eye to detail and an attempt to create a natural and believable environment has made the movie worth watching and praising. Thoroughly enjoyable. 7/10