Shakespeare is a name forever tinted with the mention of literature and to bring back those classic timeless pieces in the form of cinematic aesthetic creates a true masterpiece.
Anirban Bhattacharya, the Bengali filmmaker, actor and singer together with Arno Mukhopadhyay made it happen giving life to the timeless literature piece. “Othoi “ becomes an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Othello” first time in the pages of Bengali cinema moulding the Bengali culture with the European literary piece and inviting more audiences to take part in the Bengal aesthetics of cinema.
Written and directed by Arno Mukhopadhyay, the man behind the action takes the drama from the theatres onto the silver screen with the co-contribution of Anirban Bhattacharya as the creative director. Both of them appear as two major characters in the cinema along with Sohini Sarkar capturing the true essence of the original play. The plot follows the two characters who grew up together – Gogo played by Anirban and Atthoi played by Arno. The two men grow affectionate towards each other due to similar circumstances and become each other’s friends bonded by shared hardships, find their friendship tested when Atthoi, a doctor returning to their village, falls for the beautiful Diyamona (Sohini Sarkar) who volunteers there. As whispers of Diyamona’s attractiveness swirl, a dangerous undercurrent emerges, threatening to unravel Gogo and Atthoi’s bond or not. This primary plot is used to develop the story further giving us a compelling story.
Critics are not satisfied with the overall screenplay getting the movie mixed reviews while the theatrical version according to some remains at the top and is spellbounding. However, audiences are mesmerized by the cinematography behind which is Soumik Halder and by the actors and their performances saying that it is what kept them hooked till the end, the brilliance of acting by both the actors including Sohini gives a new angle to the movie despite other flaws and it is worth watching at least once.
