These 10 Bengali films are the epitomes of relationship goals

When we are in search of that special person in our life, most of us get confused about what we are exactly looking for in a relationship. But fictional characters are always there to seek inspiration. They give us a lesson about how to romance, cherish, step forward for what we really desire and never give up. Whether you are still single, already taken or maybe that typical in-between stage, these Bengali films can give you major relationship goals and even taught you a thing or two about a relationship.

Kaushik Ganguly's 2017 hit ‘Bishorjon’ has received several prestigious awards including the National Award for the best Bengali cinema. The audience loved the characters played by Abir Chatterjee, Jaya Ahasan, and Kaushik Ganguly. The story of the film revolves around a Muslim man from India and a Hindu widow and it’s a cross-border love story. Kaushik Ganguly's character Ganesh no doubt adds the cherry on the top. The film gained so popularity that it convinced Ganguly to make a sequel. The second film, titled ‘Bijaya’, will be released later this year with the same cast of ‘Bishorjon’.

Drishtikone, released earlier this year, brought back the charismatic pair of Rituparna Sengupta and Prosenjit Chatterjee to the celluloid after two years. The film revolves around a lawyer Jiyan (played by Prosenjit) and his client Srimati (played by Rituparna), who have to stay in touch for years, as a case drags on. The twisting love story portrays how their professional relationship turns personal over time. Churni Ganguly will be playing Prosenjit’s on-screen wife. Gaurav Chakrabarty will be seen as a junior lawyer, while director Kaushik Ganguly plays Rituparna’s brother-in-law.

With perfectly measured acting and perfectly scaled action, the spellbinding thrill of ‘Bastu Shaap’ will give you goosebumps. Director Kaushik Ganguly showed two parallel cinematic visions in tandem, one of which explains the relationship between Parambrata and Raima and the other propels the main story forward keeping Abir Chatterjee at the center. The emotional tension and uncertainties between Parambrata and Raima are handled superbly and is a pleasure to watch. Apart from donning the director’s hat, Ganguly himself excelled in a key role in the film.

In this romantic drama, Aditi’s (Rituparna Sengupta) unhappy marriage comes to an end after her husband Pramit cheats her. On the other hand, a scriptwriter Sayan (Samadarshi Dutta) also goes through a break up as his girlfriend Debjani dumps him. Aditi and Sayan one day meet in Darjeeling in an unusual circumstance. Unhappy with her destroyed marriage, Aditi attempts suicide but Sayan saved her. Despite a big difference in age, they somehow find some solace in each other and start a new journey towards happiness. A few fun-filled adventures also open up their inner feelings. They finally get to know the true meaning of life. Both feel deeply attracted to each other and romance finally brews in between them.

In ‘Titli’ Rituparno Ghosh pays attention to every detail and beautifully captures the essence of a simple so-called happy family with a compelling story. In this film, Mithun Chakraborty is a popular film star, whereas Konkona Sen Sharma portrays his die-hard fan. Her admiration for the film icon changes when she meets him in person. This is no doubt an interesting narrative. But what makes this film special is the portrayal of a complex mother-daughter relationship, which is further enhanced when we see that the girl's mother (Aparna Sen) was actually her idol's love interest in his early days. The equation changes quickly when a divine love represented by a relationship between fan and stardom faces the ultimate test.

Swet Patharer Thala, directed by Prabhat Roy, deals with the situation of widow Bandana in a post-independent scenario. The narrative also portrays the changing mindset in contemporary society. Aparna Sen as Bandana pulled off one of the best performances in her career. ‘Swet Patharer Thala’ tell us how difficult it is to bring change in the plight of women whatever may be the case. The situation is quite similar to all women whether educated or working. Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Rituparna Sengupta, Indrani Haldar, Bhaskar Banerjee; everyone played pivotal roles in this Bengali classic.

This romantic tragedy directed by Ranjan Ghosh portrayed Abir Chatterjee as Abhijit, a mathematics professor who falls in love with Debjani (Raima Sen) a cardiologist at the peak of her career. The twisted narrative leads one thing to the other and Abhijit's seemed to be perfect life slowly crumbles around him when his obsessive love for wife Debjani swells over just like a hungry tide on the sands of time and it turns out both fatal, both transient.

Romance literally starts and ends with the legendary Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen pair in Bengali film history. The actors first shared screen space in the comedy flick ‘Sharey Chuattor’ (1953), and this classic romantic drama 'Agni Pariksha' in 1954 cemented their immortal status in the hearts of Bengal. Directed by Agradoot, a team of film technicians who made Uttam Kumar’s earliest hits, ‘Agni Pariksha’ is the story of Tapasi (Suchitra Sen), a singer who has been married (forcefully) as a child to a corrupted village zamindar’s son Bulu, and the adorable relationship between her and Kiriti (Uttam Kumar) develops.

The legendary Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar – that’s what this movie is all about. It’s simply their charisma, their chemistry, their presence which will captivate you throughout. As per the narrative, Uttam Kumar is an amnesiac following a train accident and meets a doctor played by Suchitra Sen. They fall in love and eventually ties the knot, but soon Uttam Kumar recovers his lost memory after another accident. He then returns to his old life, leaving Suchitra but she visits Calcutta in search of her husband. Uttam fails to recognize her. Isn’t it an intriguing storyline? The climax is even better!

The crackling chemistry between Jisshu Sengupta and Koel Mallick in this movie is eye-popping. ‘Ghare And Baire’ deals with so many subjects like love, passion, friendship, separation, twist, and comedy. In the film, Amit, a band musician, destroys his bohemian dreams of making music in Kolkata and steps into the corporate slavery in Mumbai. He hopes one day he would be able to express his feelings for his best friend Labanya. But he suffers heartbreak when an unconventional Labanya under tremendous family pressure agrees to a traditional arranged marriage to a ‘Probashi Bangali’.