Chitrokar is a creative attempt to offer tribute to two notable painters who are from different parts of this world – Benod Behari and Mark Rothko. While Behari hailed from Bihar, Rothko is from New York. The movie was directed by the very talented Saibal Mitra, who has beautifully highlighted the stress between artistic effort and commercial reality. Chitrokar was originally released in 2016 and is being re-released in May 2022 to enable people to enjoy this beautiful cinematic marvel. The film after release participated in many festivals. The online release is now being done on mycinemahall for the audience to watch. As it’s not a commercial film and so could not be released in theaters during the covid time, the decision was taken to show it online.
The famous and well-respected painter Bijan Bose (Dhritiman Chatterjee) turned blind during his old age. He has spent much of his life inspiring students by bringing stories to life through his paintings and idealism. Later on, he got an offer to paint a mural and that, too, for an exclusive restaurant for which he would get paid handsomely. Bijan accepts the offer and is assisted in the task by the young and strong-minded painter Tithi (Arpita Chatterjee). However, he is disappointed with the planned placement and method of display of the painting, after it is ready.
It encouraged him to rethink his decision of giving away the painting, and he returns the whole amount to get his mural back. The film talks about the unique style of making art with the application of Braille. This art form is still now taught in Shantiniketan.
Saibal has creatively narrated the story via unique visual styles. He has made a sincere effort to present both sides of the picture in a thoughtful and unbiased manner. The film also highlights the use of Braille for creating art as taught in Shantiniketan. The director has also used the paintings by Benod Behari in various scenes to add creative value and visual appeal.
Dhritiman Chatterjee’s portrayal of Bijan Bose is stylish and sincere. Arpita Chatterjee also played her role of Tithi with great passion. Their chemistry and showcasing of the conflicts in art itself through their locking of horns are worth watching. Many scenes of this movie have been picturized in a way that makes it more suitable as a theatrical play. Nonetheless, this movie is a creative masterpiece, and IndiaCafe24 gives it 4.5 stars.
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