Casting a Spell

The story is about three estranged friends (Sen, Ghose and Chiranjit), who also happen to be filmmakers, being approached by a younger filmmaker (Chatterjee) to meet a producer, who has agreed to finance the portmanteau film, but only with these four filmmakers. There is more to it than meets the eye, of course, and skeletons are waiting to tumble out of the cupboard. The film progresses in the form of stories that each of these directors want to make, stories which cleverly reveal the emotional state of the characters narrating them. Things tamely lead to a Agatha Christiesque climactic sequence, where secrets are revealed with all the main players sitting around a table.

The performances are more than adequate. Sen’s lazy, mellow charm makes her character all the more credible. Ghose layers his performance with a sinister touch, as does Chatterjee. A smirk here and an empty look there makes both of them seem capable of anything. Chiranjit, who is known for his affected dialogue delivery in Bengali potboilers, oozes charm and refined sexuality. These aspects make Chatushkone Mukherji’s best film to date. Yet, there are moments where you hope the editor had intervened. A few post-climax sequences carry on like listless pillow talk.

premankur@expressindia.com