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Hemlock Society is a film of genre Drama directed by Srijit Mukherji with Parambrata Chatterjee
Hemlock Society (2012)
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Add to a movie listHemlock Society is a Bengali Dark Comedy released on 22 June 2012, directed by director Srijit Mukherji, who is also the director of Autograph & Baishe Srabon. The cast of the movie consists of Parambrata Chatterjee, Koel Mallick and Soumitra Chatterjee. The name is inspired by the erstwhile Hemlock Society, a society which was based in Santa Monica, US. The primary missions of this society included providing information to dying persons and supporting legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide.
Synopsis
The movie is a strong insight into psychological dilemma about the primal existence of life. It reiterates the fact that you can 'shock someone by letting her know that death is impending and inescapable.’ It is a dark comedy which successfully evokes an awareness of life. The comic element is used dexterously to bring out the fear of death. The protagonist Meghna (Koel Mallick), misses her mother, hums the songs of her favorite Sidhartha Roy numbers, blames the new lady in her father’s life, shaken by the dejection by her fiancé. Yet, as an escape route from the world of pain and suffering she goes to her father doctor to get prescribed sleeping pills. Ananda Kar (Parambrata) as the name suggests ‘make merry’ refrains her from ending her life. He comes with an unusual proposal of imparting her technical know how about committing suicide. He adds 'the training will save you from embarrassment if suicide becomes a vain attempt'. Ananda Kar is the founder of the Hemlock Society, that teaches aspirants how to successfully commit suicide. The names of the professors are also significant of the tricks they will teach to execute the end. The society is a film studio. Meghna assembles with all other suicide aspirants being addressed by the over-enthusiastic professors, trainlet, jhulan, dhamani, raktim, shikha, all specialists in different suicide methods. Meghna goes with him, leaving a goodbye message for her parents at her apartment door. Dr. Basu comes in search of his daughter, finds the note and shatters in grievance. Dr. Basu and Niharika start their search for Meghna and almost leave no stone unturned. Meanwhile at Hemlock Society, Meghna encounters with miscellaneous experiences related to humans lives and death. The three day workshop at the society makes her understand the importance of life and what difference her loss would mean to her near and dear ones. The metamorphosis of Meghna occurs when she realizes the miseries of other inmates and considers herself lucky. On the final day, Meghna confesses to Ananda that she wants to live and a vital reason which worked behind her changing of mind is that she had fallen in love with Ananda. Ananda informs her that he is suffering from 'Lymphocytopenia' a medical condition for which he would survive only for two more years. Meghna leaves Hemlock Society, sobbing and returns to her father. The very thought that someone near the cradle of death can ‘drink life to the lees’ in spite of complain and regret, surprises her. She learns from Ananda, that Hemlock society is an institute that refrains people from ending their life by making them aware of the importance of life. Six months later, Meghna reconciles with Ananda while he is on a nursing home bed, after having a blood-transfusion. The film ends with a witty note where Meghna’s fiancé (Saheb Chatterjee), now a dejected soul and undoubtedly suicide aspirant, being taken to 'Hemlock Society'.Actors
Parambrata Chatterjee
(Ananda Kar)
Koel Mallick
(Meghna)
Soumitra Chatterjee
(Col Samaresh Bagchi)
Deepankar De
(Dr. Chittaranjan Basu (Meghna's Father))
Roopa Ganguly
(Niharika Basu)
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Suggestions of similar film to Hemlock Society
There are 241 films with the same actors, 7 films with the same director, 64653 with the same cinematographic genres (including 2531 with exactly the same 2 genres than Hemlock Society), 6250 films with the same themes, to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked Hemlock Society, you will probably like those similar films :
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, 2h20Directed by Srijit Mukherji
Genres Thriller, Musical
Themes Musical films
Actors Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Abir Chatterjee, Goutam Ghose, Rajesh Sharma
Rating80%
Several murders have taken place throughout Kolkata, for which a serial killer is believed responsible. The murderer strikes in accordance with verses of Bengali poetry, which he leaves next to the victims. The police are baffled; chief detective Abhijit Pakrashi (Parambrata Chatterjee) struggles to solve the case, which takes a toll on his relationship with girlfriend Amrita Mukherjee (Raima Sen). Pakrashi's superior brings back an ex-cop, Prabir (Prosenjit Chatterjee), to help solve the case. Prabir, earlier suspended for his violent methods, is notoriously ill-tempered and foul-mouthed. Prabir and Pakrashi work together, while Amrita (a television journalist) and colleague Surya Sinha (Abir Chatterjee) research serial killers for a series whose thirteenth—and final—episode will be about a contemporary murderer. Meanwhile, eccentric poet Nibaron Chakraborty (Gautam Ghosh)—who considers himself part of the Hungry Generation—wanders Kolkata at night reciting poems.
Barfi! (2012)
, 2h31Directed by Anurag Basu
Origin Inde
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romantic comedy, Adventure, Romance
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Rating80%
Murphy "Barfi" Johnson (Ranbir Kapoor) is an optimistic, street-wise, charming young man who was born deaf-mute to a Nepali couple in Darjeeling. His mother died when he was a baby and his father raised him alone, while working as a chauffeur. Barfi is known as a troublemaker – he cuts lampposts, plays practical jokes on innocent people, and is chased by Sudhanshu Dutta (Saurabh Shukla), a local police officer. Barfi meets Shruti Ghosh (Ileana D'Cruz), who has just arrived in Darjeeling; she is engaged to Ranjit Sengupta (Jisshu Sengupta), and is due to get married in three months, and Barfi is immediately smitten with Shruti. She also falls in love with Barfi but her mother dissuades her from pursuing him because he could not take care of her with his disabilities and lack of money. Shruti takes her mother's advice, gets married, and moves to Kolkata, breaking all contact with Barfi.
Antarmahal (2005)
Directed by Rituparno Gosh
Origin Inde
Genres Drama
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Bollywood
Actors Jackie Shroff, Roopa Ganguly, Soha Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Raima Sen, Biswajit Chakraborty
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The story takes place towards the end of the 19th century in Bengal. Bhubaneswar Chowdhury (Jackie Shroff) is a rich and oppressive Zamindar (Landlord). He is planning to please the British so that they bestow on him the Raibahadur title. There are quite a few contenders and so something unique has to be done, so he decides to put Queen Victoria's face on the body of the Goddess Durga whose clay idol is made every year for Durga Pooja.
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, 2h2Directed by Sujoy Ghosh
Origin Inde
Genres Drama, Thriller
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Actors Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indraneil Sengupta, Saswata Chatterjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee
Rating80%
A poison-gas attack on a Kolkata Metro Rail compartment kills the passengers on board. Two years later Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), a pregnant software engineer, arrives in Kolkata from London during the Durga Puja festivities in search of her missing husband, Arnab Bagchi. A police officer, Satyoki "Rana" Sinha (Parambrata Chatterjee), offers to help. Although Vidya claims that Arnab went to Kolkata on an assignment for the National Data Center (NDC), initial investigations suggest that no such person was employed by the NDC.
Chotushkone (2014)
, 2h28Directed by Srijit Mukherji
Genres Drama, Thriller
Actors Aparna Sen, Chiranjeet Chatterjee, Goutam Ghose, Parambrata Chatterjee, Payel Sarkar, Indrasish Roy
Rating81%
The film starts with a woman writing a letter, which reads 'Amar mrittur jonne keu dayi noy' which means that 'no one is responsible for my death'; but she strikes out 'keu dayi noy', hinting that there is someone, or some people responsible. A man is seen coming out of a taxi, coming up the stairs, and then opening a study room where the woman is seen hanging from the ceiling. A young boy, who was probably sleeping on a bed nearby, rushes to greet the man, but discovers the woman's hanging corpse. Here the camera rolls back to sometime past. A beautiful woman named 'Nilanjana' is seen talking with some people, and then visits another man in a corner named 'Ritwik', and together, they go to meet someone. The audience is brought to the present again, where a producer and a director is seen having a deal that the latter would convince three famous film-artists to feature in the film. The director leaves, and starts doing what he said. There are various minor details as in introducing the three present characters. The director 'Joy', who seems close to one of those artists, Trina, meets her on a rooftop, and tries to convince her to take up this work against her wishes to work with another man who would feature in this collaboration. There is a slight hint that there is an old clash between them, possibly of love. Meanwhile, another such famous film-artist 'Sakhyo' tries to convince that very man named 'Diptyo' with whom Trina has a problem with to join this collaboration. The idea is that these people are to make a film, individually; thus, four directors get together and plan to make a film, consisting of four short stories one one theme-DEATH. They have an appointment with the producer on the outskirts of the city. Now, again, in a black-and-white screen, Nilanjana and Ritwik are meeting a producer, and they have just one request before finalizing the contract-their mutual friend 'Amitava' who is a struggling, but talented director. In the shooting set, it is clearly implied that 'Amitava' is in love with Nilanjana, and is filled by rage, and becomes jealous when he discovers Ritwik and she kissing in a room during the shooting. Coming back to the present, while the four are together, all three except Joy comes up with a story which is unique in its own way, but connected to the other stories by a common theme. Their stories are autonomous. In between the stories, some scenes reveal that there is something in between Trina and Diptyo. However, in the middle of the night, as they were going towards their destination, the car breaks down, and they spend the night in a nearby bungalow that is said to be belonging to the same producer; his cell phone is switched off. 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Joy now continues; He says, "After successfully entrapping them in a desolate bungalow in the middle of a jungle...this guys, he decides to...kill them!...one by one." Now as the climax draws to an end, at first the revolver is aimed at Sakhyo, but the cabinet is empty when the trigger is pressed! With the next culprit Diptyo, the same thing happens. Next, when it is pointed at Trina, and there is no doubt that this time there will be a shot, Trina declares that she still loves Diptyo. Just when the trigger was about to be pressed, a quick thought from Diptyo made him pull Trina out of the bullet's way, which in turn hit Joy, fatally. The camera is seen drifting away from a scene of regret and sobs from the driver and another old servant in the house. This was his film, 'Nemesis.
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Genres Drama, Musical
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors George Raft, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick, Lynne Overman, Margo, Iris Adrian
Rating58%
Famed dance team, Veloz and Yolanda were uncredited choreographers for this film, while the signature rumba danced near the end by Raft and Lombard seems to be a simplified variation of rumba performed by Veloz and Yolanda themselves the year before in another Paramount film starring George Burns and Gracie Allen, "Many Happy Returns."
The Toast of New Orleans (1950)
, 1h37Directed by Norman Taurog
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Genres Drama, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Kathryn Grayson, David Niven, Richard Hageman, Rita Moreno, Clinton Sundberg, J. Carrol Naish
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Genres Drama, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
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Actors Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Doris Day, Hoagy Carmichael, Juano Hernández, Jerome Cowan
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As a young boy, after his mother dies, Rick Martin sees a trumpet in the window of a pawn shop. He works in a bowling alley to save up enough money to buy it. Rick grows up to be an outstanding musician, tutored by jazzman Art Hazzard. He lands a job playing for the big band of Jack Chandler, getting to know the piano player Smoke Willoughby and the beautiful singer Jo Jordan.
The Soul of the Accordion (1935)
Directed by Mario Soffici
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Themes Dance films, Musical films, Tango films
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Variety Lights (1951)
, 1h30Directed by Alberto Lattuada, Federico Fellini
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
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Rating70%
Variety Lights is a bittersweet drama about a group of second-rate theatrical performers on tour. The actors, dancers, and performers struggle to make money from town to town, playing to minimal crowds, while the ageing manager of the company falls in love with a newcomer, to the chagrin of his faithful mistress Melina Amour, played by Fellini's real-life wife, Giulietta Masina. The movie begins with a sold-out vaudeville show in a small Italian town. A young woman, Liliana, played by Carla Del Poggio, sits in the appreciate crowd, enraptured by the performers. That evening, as the troupe boards a train, with two of the performers forced to sit in the train toilet to evade paying the fare, the young woman also boards the train. During the night, she unsuccessfully requests the head of the group, Checco Dal Monte, played by Peppino De Filippo, to join the group. In the morning when the group realizes it does not have enough money to pay for a carriage, Liliana hires the carriage with the last of her money. This saves the group several miles of walking and leads to them accepting her. At the performance that evening, a sparse and hostile crowd mocks each performer in turn. When the local promoter notices that the crowd responds approvingly to Liliana, he interrupts the performance and directs the group to feature the newcomer. This leads to repeat performances over the next two days to increasingly larger crowds. After the third and final performance, a local wealthy man invites the group to his mansion for dinner. That night Checco realizes he desires Liliana. In the morning, as the group walks towards the train station, Checco abandons his mistress Melina to walk alone with Liliana. When the group arrives in Rome, Checco leaves it in order to form his own troupe featuring Liliana. However, as this new group practices, Liliana arrives to tell Checco she has signed with a competitor. Checco collapses. The movie then follows Liliana in her brilliant debut in a minor role, hinting that she has a bright future ahead of her. The movie ends with Liliana, sporting an expensive fur coat, boarding a first-class train carriage en route to Milan. On the adjoining track, Checco and his old troupe board a train for Formaggio. In the final scene, the two trains leave the station as Checco, reunited with Melina, begins to flirt with a young woman who sits across the aisle from him. This suggest he is about to begin the cycle once again.