HANABARI - An early (1952) horror movie, directed by Premendra MITRA
In Bengali - Unfortunately, no English subs
Hanabari (Black & White) written, directed, produced with lyrics by Premendra Mitra is a pioneering film in the genre of horror/crime thriller in Bengali. I can't think of any other such film before Hanabari to have mesmerised audiences in Bengali cinema before this one. The murderer, a painter by profession, dresses up in a gorilla skin scares off visitors in a dilapidated house. The tunnel that runs underneath holds the key to the mystery. Relevant and admired till this day, (VCDs available in Calcutta, India) Hanabari has Dhiraj Bhattacharjee as the ace detective. Complete with humour, chart topping songs and brilliant misc en scene, Hanabari is a treat to film lovers in Bengal. Pity, such films aren't subtitled or accessible by film lovers internationally.