Could have been a masterpiece but faltered at the last hurdle, mainly due to the casting choice of the director. Parambrata has an easy going style of acting, but it is too stereotype, and it is high time somebody takes his place in the industry, as someone already has, the one very talented Ritwik Chakraborty. Another choice was Chiranjeet, though I heard Anjan Dutta was Srijit's original preference. He, however, did not do that bad, though Mr Dutta could have been a class apart. A thriller is bound to pivot around its climax and it could have been a clincher, if not for a weak performance by Param. This role was tailor-made for Ritwik. The director missed a big trick there. Ritwik could have clinched it for him in that last scene. Otherwise, the direction was masterful, Srijit himself is the real star of this movie. Use of colour, style of storytelling, cinematography, wonderful songs and their picturisations, all make it a worthy viewable experience. Would have wanted to give a 6.5, but IMDB not allowing so, sorry for being harsh here... 6/10.

Chotushkone or Quadrangle is a Bengali mystery and thriller movie revolving around the life of four people associated with Bengali cinema. The central characters- Trina, played by Aparna Sen, Dipto, played by Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Shakha, played by Goutam Ghose and Joybroto, played by Parambrata Chatterjee are hired by an apparently mysterious producer to make a film by stitching four different short stories with a common theme- 'death.' During their discussions about the project and their journey to meet this producer they open to us their emotions, attachments, regrets and secrets of their past. Here it must be said that this movie breathes a fresh air from the ossified Bengali mystery-thriller genre. It has enough elements to be liked by both the present and the past generations.The story is interesting, actors do a good job (though I didn't understand the concept behind selection of so many other well known actors for bit roles), the music by Anupam Roy led by Bosonto Eshe Geche is good.However the real star of the movie is director Srijit Mukherji. He does an outstanding job of storytelling previously unseen (by me at least) in Indian cinema. He story unfolded by him is of perfect pace to keep our interest aroused. I do not want to give away any spoilers, so watch the movie instead. Contrary to accusations of gimmicky camera-work in his previous movies he uses it brilliantly here and funnily his characters sometimes speaks of the camera-work they're going to use in their short stories as if the director wants to tell us that he is working on this aspect of film making. His characters accept some shortcomings of the film itself (again watch the film) which equally unique!! All in all Chotushkone is certainly a must watch for any movie lovers. A tribute the film industry, it shows the growing presence Srijit among the best directors of modern Bengali cinema.

Today I had the pleasure of watching Srijit Mukherjee's Chotuskone (the four pillars or the fourth pillar). What made the movie very interesting to me was the layers of multiple stories that made the plot very intricate in a not so subtle manner. Chotuskone is a challenge for audience who watch movies for entertainment only refusing to invest even a fraction of their IQ to comprehend a plot. I guess that is the difference between a director and an intellectual director. To understand what the movie is about we have to start from the end. Imagine an outer circle depicting the life of a star-crossed director who lost everything and everyone to the whims of a trio of an actor director couple. He almost loses his mind and hatches a diabolical plan to bring the trio after a decade, systematically reconciling their differences and instigating old flames . In the next circle, there are three love stories, two unrequited and a third reconciled after ages. Into the third circle, is a story about passion for cinema for which men and women breathe and thrive, can get extremely jealous about or in the case of this movie brink on the verge of lunacy. In the fourth circle, is again the star-crossed director whose luck betrays him when he has almost reached his revenge; thus completing the plot from which it began. A very clever plot, that leaves just as much question into the audiences mind about the futility of human endeavors over cruelty of destiny.Another interesting fact about this movie, is the cast. The stalwarts of Bengali film industry- Aparna Sen, Chiranjeet, Parambrata and Goutam Ghose who have cut a niche for their various portrays of versatility; yet somehow they diminish their grandeur without compromising their original self. I have asked myself many times. Is it the plot that builds a character or a character that paves his/her way into the story? Interestingly, the same question was posed by the director in one of the interim stories in the movie itself. Whatever may be the real answer, the movie has, beyond doubt, the rich velvety flavor of a wine aged gracefully over years. Applause!

Srijit Mukherjee has taken Bengali cinema to new heights with movies like 'Autograph', 'Hemlock Society', 'Baishe Srabon' & 'Jaatishwar'. He surpasses himself with 'Chotushkone'. The plot is complex and gripping with a mind-blowing twist at the end. Aparna Sen, Chiranjit Chakraborty, Gautam Ghosh and Kaushik Ganguly give commendable performances. But among all these veterans it is Parambrata Chattapadhay who steals the show with his phenomenal performance. Cinematography is very good. Two great tracks further enhance the movie- 'Boba Tunnel' is a trademark Anupam Roy song and 'Bawshto ese geche' is melodious sung beautifully by Lagnajita Chakraborty. All in all, an excellent movie. Highly recommended.