Bengali Movie - Chatrak

4/5 stars

Unlike the postcard-perfect Kolkata of Kahaani or the nostalgic lanes of Pather Panchali , the Kolkata of Chatrak is a construction site—unfinished, lung-rotting, and indifferent. Mitra’s camera loves the half-built pillars, the open sewers, the bamboo scaffolding. The city is neither villain nor hero; it is a petri dish. And in that dish, alongside the mushrooms, greed, loneliness, and class violence also grow. Bengali Movie Chatrak

: Distracted by his own alienation, Rahul embarks on a quest for his missing brother, who has reportedly gone "mad" and lives in the forest, sleeping in trees. 4/5 stars Unlike the postcard-perfect Kolkata of Kahaani

But for the student of film, the environmentalist, or the lover of allegorical horror, Chatrak is essential viewing. It predicted the soulless nature of luxury real estate long before the real estate crashes of the 2020s. It understood that the ghost in the machine is not a spirit, but a spore. And in that dish, alongside the mushrooms, greed,

The slum's ruthless landlord, who has a personal vendetta against Bapi, tries to sabotage their efforts. Additionally, Lolita's family members are not supportive of her relationship with Bapi, and they try to force her into a marriage with a man of their choice.

Beneath the art-house aesthetic, Chatrak is a sharp critique of modern society. It explores the alienation of the diaspora (Rahul’s return), the loss of heritage in the face of rapid urbanization, and the loneliness of the individual in a crowded city.

Characters rarely communicate meaningfully. Sonai searches for a missing woman who may not exist; Tribid cannot connect with Anjana; the brothers share no warmth. The city amplifies this loneliness.