The Cloud and the Man

The Cloud and the Man
মানিকবাবুর মেঘ
Directed byAbhinandan Banerjee
Written byAbhinandan Banerjee
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAnup Singh
Edited byAbhro Banerjee
Music bySubhajit Mukherjee
Production
company
Little Lamb Films
Release dates
  • 2021 (2021) (Tallinn Black Nights)
  • 12 July 2024 (2024-07-12) (West Bengal)
Running time
97 Minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageBengali

The Cloud and the Man (also known as Manikbabur Megh) is a Bengali film directed by debutant director Abhinandan Banerjee and produced by Buaddhayan and Monalisa Mukherji.[1] Actor Chandan Sen who portrayed the title role bagged the Best Actor Award at the 19th Pacific Meridian Film Festival, Russia.[2][3]

Cast

Plot

Using monochrome cinematography, The Cloud and the Man is a surreal and philosophical reflection on one recently-bereaved middle aged man and his accidentally complex yet meaningful relationship with a cloud. It is about Manik Babu, who makes friends with a cloud which he feels, keeps following him.[4] In the beginning, he is terrified but with time, he feels a strange bonding with the same cloud which strips him of his utter isolation, his loneliness and his alienation from the world around him.[5] This surreal relation brings out a new Manik in him and propels him into a roller coaster journey of faith, betrayal, belief, and warmth.[6]

Release

The film released in theaters in West Bengal on 12 July 2024.[7]

Awards and Nominations

It had its world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival[8] where it opened the First Feature competition in Nov 2021. The Indian Premiere was at IFFI, Goa[9] and the North American Premiere took place at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The film finds place in the coveted list of FIPRESCI India's Top 10 Films of 2021 [10] and has won the NETPAC award for the Best Asian Film at the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival, 2022.[11] It also bagged the Chidananda Dasgupta Award and a citation for a feature film by a debut director for the 2nd year of the Chidananda Dasgupta Centenary Awards.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Loneliness is almost like a pandemic now, my film has its origin in the curse of loneliness on us: Director of IFFI 52 Film "Manikbabur Megh"". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Manikbabur Megh: Actor Chandan Sen wins the Best Actor Award at a Russian film festival". OTTPlay. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  3. ^ সংবাদদাতা, নিজস্ব. "মেঘের সঙ্গে প্রেম, আন্তর্জাতিক মঞ্চে চমক নতুন বাংলা ছবি 'মানিকবাবুর মেঘ'". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Manik Babur Megh - SRFSB". 24 August 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  5. ^ "The Cloud & The Man (Manikbabur Megh) - film review". DMovies. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. ^ A.K, Arun (24 October 2022). "The Story of a Man's Friendship With a Cloud". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Manikbabur Megh gears up for a hall release with a brand new song by Anirban Bhattacharya". OTTPlay. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  8. ^ "The Cloud & the Man". poff.ee. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Kolkata-based director's debut film to be screened at Edinburgh Film Festival". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  10. ^ "FIPRESCI-India announces Grand-Prix-2021". Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Winners of 2021 - Kolkata International Film Festival". kiff.in. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  12. ^ Journal, North East Film (24 November 2022). "Film Review: Abhinandan Banerjee's Manik Babur Megh: Winner of the Chidananda Dasgupta Centenary Award for the Best Debut Feature Film". North East Film Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2023.