Well played??

Well played?? : My quick take on “A Game of Memories” (Hoichoi)

Happened to see the Hindi dubbed version of a Bengali series “Jatishawr”, titled “A Game of Memories”. The Hindi title does not reveal as much as it's bengali title which literally means ‘जाती स्मरण’ (remembering past life). Yes, the main premise of the movie is पुनर्जन्म. For me one of the best movies in this genre happenes to be मधुमती , incidentally it was also directed by a Bengali talent “Ritwik Ghatak”.

Series begins well, creating enough intrigue making you binge-watch it, however after couple of episodes, you can easily predict what is going to happen. The final episode is more like an FAQ session wherein the entire plot is deciphered and explained to the audience which in my view was bit elementary. The lame climax makes this binge watch a forgettable experience.

The best part of the series is it's beautiful setting in Gajalaxmi Palace (now a resort) , which is nestled in the thick jungles of Odisha. This palace serves as an ideal setting for this reincarnation saga. Of the cast I could not recognize any of the Bengali actors ( my lack of knowledge 🙏) , they have done decent job.

Like Malayalam, I believe that Bengali movies / series must be content rich for a simple reason that it is backed by it's rich legacy of it's literature. Hence I am a keen follower of “Hoichoi” which comes out with lots of Bengali content. My next in wish list is Mandaar, which is a Bengali adaptation of Bard’s Macbeth.