SYNOPSICS
Chander Pahar (2013) is a English,Bengali,Afrikaans movie. Kamaleswar Mukherjee has directed this movie. Dev,Gérard Rudolf,Martin Cito Otto,Nabeel Khan are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2013. Chander Pahar (2013) is considered one of the best Action,Adventure,Mystery movie in India and around the world.
Chander Pahar is the journey to the fabled, 'Mountain Of The Moon', in search of gold and diamond mines, up against threats as vivid and varied as lurking snakes, pouncing lions, poisonous flora, the fury of an active volcano and a seemingly, almost supernatural mythical horror 'The Bunyip' the guardian angel of the diamond cave. However it is also the story of grit and determination, a story of following one's dream against all odds and emerging victorious, a story about a young lad called Shankar who faced with the prospect of having to make a living as a factory worker in his impoverished village, bids farewell to his family in Keutia, Rural Bengal and through his aid Prasad Das Banopadhay who happens to work for the Uganda railway head office sets sail to the Dark Continent to work as the station master in Nakuru station, it's a dream come true for Shankar who has always envisioned himself as a Expeditionary and holds good knowledge in world geography and map reading.
More
Chander Pahar (2013) Reviews
A visual treat that epitomizes an iconic adventure tale
Chander Pahar was a movie that made me repent about the following: 1. Why did I not read the book as a kid? 2. Why did I underestimate Dev the actor? 3. Why did I assume Kamaleshwar Mukherjee Movies will be too artsy for comfort? 4. Why did I think a Bengali film made on a budget of 15 crores can never match a Hollywood movie, forget getting close to even a Bollywood one? I was wrong on all counts and how! Ever since the movie opened with an eagle soaring through the skies and swooping down on Africa, I was stunned into submission and since then, the first cinematic adaptation of the iconic Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's 'Mountain of the Moon' / 'Chander Pahar' managed to catch my attention over and over again... with me actually wishing the movie was not over! Several sequences stood out for their cinematic execution – The desolate station and its nature loving station master Shankar captured against the various hues of the African skies, the roaring lion about to intimidate its prey, the Black Mamba slithering into existence, Shankar crossing over a devilishly deep chasm in a attempt to rescue Alvarez (played aptly by Gerard Rudolph) from a pack of Hyenas and cheetahs, the perilous hikes across the mountains, the desolate desert where you could no longer distinguish between hunter and prey, the excavation of caves of desire and what it was about to yield, and last but not the least the final farewell of a trusted friend. Every single sequence seamlessly added to the overall narrative while managing to retain its individualism. Be it Dev the actor who grew by leaps and bounds (literally!) as he sprinted into the film with a heart firmly in place, or the director and his brilliantly astounding team – Cinematographer & DOP Soumik Halder, editor Raviranjan Maitra, or for that matter the Art Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer, and Action Director – all of them effectively brought to life the effective and engaging script and screenplay, aided by some haunting background score by Indradeep Dasgupta. To be honest, the movie was not as perfect as Mackennas Gold, Indiana Jones, or The Life of Pi - far from it! But just as the protagonist Shankar wished to lead a life as adventurous as that of David Livingstone, Mungo Park, and Marko Polo, Shree Venkatesh Films helped ensure that this movie could be counted as an extraordinary successor to the movies listed above for its sheer audacity in bringing to life an extraordinary tale of action adventure from early 19th century Bengal. In hindsight, the protagonists weren't the best of actors around. But what they lacked in skill, was compensated by a tremendous self belief and determination that showed, and had me rooting for the roles they portrayed. To borrow a line from the movie itself, 'its better to travel well than to arrive' which is why I can say with pride and certainty that that this is not just the best ever action / adventure / fantasy movie to have come out of Bengal, but also one of the best of its kind to ever be made in India. After a long time, it's time again to say, and hope, that what Bengal things today, India shall think tomorrow. I would rate it an 8 as a film that warrants a repeat viewing and give it an extra star for being the best ever example of its genre from India to close it as a 9/10. P.S: You will, like me, enjoy the film irrespective of whether or not you have read the book. But then, I am anyway going to after watching the film... What about you?
Dev's new avatar and Gerard Rudolf's homecoming
Bengali film Chander Pahar had been creating ripples since its pre release days. As one of the biggest and most ambitious projects of Eastern India, Chander Pahar opened with an overwhelming response from audience and critics alike. Based on Bibhutibhshan Bandopadhyay's famous adventure story set in 1909, the film traces Shankar's journey to find the fabled all the way from Keutia, Bengal to Nakuru station (where Shankar worked as a station master for Uganda Railways), to the treacherous Richtersveld Mountains, through the deadly Kalahari desert finally reaching Salisbury, Rhodesia. Directed by Kamaleswar Mukherjee, the film stars tollywood superstar Dev Adhikari as the protagonist Shankar. Dev, given his appearance and physique slid into the shoes of Shankar perfectly. Coming along way from the Challenge, Paglu & Rangbaaz days, Chander Pahar is a bold move away from his comfort zone. Without a heroine, and being the only actor on screen in much of the later half of the film, Chander Pahar was arguably resting on his shoulders. Dev handled the action scenes perfectly, as he outran elephants & lions, outwitted the black mamba, escaped ravaging volcanoes and fought the plethora of creatures of the African wilderness. The greatest achievement for the actor, is perhaps the fact that he portrays the Shankar's transition as a naive boy from rural Bengal in Africa, in search of adventure to a survivor against all odds. In terms of emotions, Chander Pahar sees a new avatar of Dev altogether. Shankar's love for his family, his friendship with Tirumal Appa & Diego Alvarez and the pain of losing close friends were enacted beautifully by the actor, who once had a reputation for being unable to act. Much of the later half, according to the original story shows only Shankar as he struggles to find his way back to civilization through the Kalahari Desert. Dev brought to life the Shankar's plight, exhausted and near dead out of thirst, hunger and the brutal climate of the Kalahari. The final twenty minutes or so were enough for Dev to make his mark as an ace actor who is both commercially viable and intellectually capable. The supporting cast of Diego Alvarez, who informs Shankar of the existence of Chander Pahar and the untold adventures ahead, was taken up by South African superstar Gerard Rudolf. Hailing from Portuguese Chinsura in Bengal, Diego Alvarez is an explorer traversing through Africa in search of wealth and glory. Gerard Rudolf took on the character in style, speaking a few Bengali phrases here and there with foreign accent. Much of the film was fore-run by the Dev-Rudolf duo as they rode across the African continent on horses, climbed steep mountains and battled the mythical monster Bunyip, all in search of the mountain of the moon.
One of the Worst Movies Ever made.
Chander Pahar, based on the great novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, was a great venture of Tollywood. Indeed, a praise-worthy act. First, let me point out the positive sides- Excellent job done with the camera, POV and Focal Length, all. The set was also very good. But, Chander Pahar is far away from being called a Film. It is like a 148 minutes program on Nat Geo channel- an African Safari. Over use of African landscape spoiled it. Dev as Shankar was a total mess, any other actor would have been better. The film lacked the thrill, and it was hard to continue in the second half. The film might be a great one for Bengali Cinema, yet it needs much advancement in acting, direction and screenplay.
A masterpiece.....The adventure of a lifetime
Mountains of The Moon is definitely one of the best movies to come out from Indian Subcontinent. The movie is a true gem and offers extensive detailing of African wildlife. The director has been completely true to the actual Novel (Chander Pahar by Bhibhuti Bhushan Bandhopadhyay). All the actors have done a fabulous job, special mention to DEV (the actor who played the role of Shankar, the lead protagonist). And then, there is the DOP that can be considered as one of the most exciting aspects of this film. Kudos to the tighter screenplay writing too. The budget was tighter, yet the makers shot it in a way that can make anyone proud. Those who love adventure should catch it up at least once... My ratings: 09/10
overly rated by half minded bongs !!
Well, first of all, as it was a Deb starrer movie who is a big star for mostly Telugu dubbed Bengali movies. Neither they(Telugu versions) have taste, nor the dubbings. I can say this because am very fluent in Bengali as well as Telugu(more in Telugu) and in my POV, Deb is just an over-rated actor. and that's the reason, "I didn't expect anything from this movie." I expected a little thinking there are few foreign actors and crew who worked in the film in a foreign place, that might show off something. And i guess, a little good work showed up though. Since the Beginning to Interval and then to the End, i was always wondering, what's the difference between this movie and Nat Geo's "Man vs Wild". It's just that here Deb sets his journey to search for the treasure with baseless story. Being a bong, i still say this that, most of the bongs are just like Telugu (most of them)movies audiences who likes to watch bullshit things. you show them whole movie in the foreign and the movie would go hit, as if they get to see some wonderland and praise like, good cinematography, vfx, editing etc. and if you watch this movie in multiplexes, the big screen makes most of the bongs flattered, be it any movie. In this movie, i don't know what to talk positive about. The whole movie was like a small documentary which includes riding horses, watching animals and walking places. LOL, is this what you call a movie...total bullshit. As a documentary : i would give 4/5 As a movie : Bullcrap, hardly 1/5 if 1 is the least i can give. Most of the things cinematography, vfx animations, editing, etc, i found many bullshits again and again. poorly worked. Junta, please observe this, movie starts with Deb running chased by elephants, end up with hanging upside down, he cuts the rope and fell in a big pit meant for elephants. WHY the f**k is that scene given when it is nowhere connected. And if i had missed something, i would say INOX can't do mistakes like cutting scenes and show incomplete movie to the audience. the actual question is "where is the connection of that scene later in the movie?"