Mishar Rahasya
{{Short description|2013 Bengali film directed by Srijit Mukherji}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Mishar Rahasya
| image = Mishawr Rahasya.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Srijit Mukherji
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
| label1= Based on
| data1 = Mishor Rohosyo (1984 novel) by Sunil Gangopadhyay
}}
| producer = Shree Venkatesh Films
| story = Sunil Gangopadhyay
| screenplay = Srijit Mukherji
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
| label1= Dialogues by
| data1 = Srijit Mukherji
}}
| starring = {{unbulleted list|Prosenjit Chatterjee|Aryann Bhowmik|Indraneil Sengupta|Rajit Kapur|Rajesh Sharma|Neel Mukherjee|Swastika Mukherjee|Tridha Choudhury}}
| music = Indraadip Dasgupta
| cinematography = Soumik Haldar
| editing = Bodhaditya Banerjee
| studio = Shree Venkatesh Films
| distributor = Shree Venkatesh Films
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2013|10|11}}
| country = India
| language = Bengali
Hindi
English
Arabic
| budget = {{INRConvert|3.5|c}}
}}
Mishar Rahasya, marketed as Mishawr Rawhoshyo, ({{Translation|The Mysteries of Egypt}}) is a 2013 Indian Bengali-language action-adventure film co-written and directed by Srijit Mukherji. Produced by Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni under the banner of Shree Venkatesh Films, the film is based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Sunil Gangopadhyay.{{cite news|title=Cine sleuths|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130113/jsp/graphiti/story_16433849.jsp#.UVGQihxwpWc|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411220311/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130113/jsp/graphiti/story_16433849.jsp%23.UVGQihxwpWc|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2013|publisher=Telegraph India|accessdate=26 March 2013|location=Calcutta, India|date=13 January 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.filmz24.com/bengali/mishawr-rawhoshyo-press-conference/|title=Mishawr Rawhoshyo Press Conference|accessdate=9 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019055719/http://www.filmz24.com/bengali/mishawr-rawhoshyo-press-conference/|archive-date=19 October 2013|url-status=dead}} It stars Prosenjit Chatterjee as Kakababu and Aryann Bhowmik as Shontu, alongside an ensemble cast of Indraneil Sengupta, Rajit Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma, Swastika Mukherjee, Sujan Neel Mukherjee and Tridha Chowdhury.{{cite news|title=Srijit's Kakababu unveiled|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/bengali/news-interviews/Srijits-Kakababu-unveiled/articleshow/17358755.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928034051/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-25/news-interviews/35347121_1_srijit-mukherji-bengali-films-bumbada|url-status=live|archive-date=28 September 2013|access-date=26 March 2013|work=The Times of India|date=25 November 2012}} The plot revolves around a hieroglyphic trail that leads Kakababu and his nephew Shontu to Egypt and underneath a pyramid.
The film was officially announced in September 2012, marking Srijit Mukherji's third collaboration with Prosenjit Chatterjee. Principal photography commenced in January 2013 and ended in August 2013. Major parts of the film were shot in Cairo with a sporadic schedule, with portions shot in Kolkata and Delhi predominantly. Indraadip Dasgupta composed its music, with lyrics penned by Srijato. The cinematography and editing of the film were handled by Soumik Halder and Bodhaditya Banerjee respectively.
Mishawr Rawhoshyo was released theatrically on 11 October 2013 alongside Rangbaaz (2013), coinciding with Durga Puja. It opened along with the dubbed versions in Hindi, English and Arabic. It was a blockbuster at the box office and was the second highest-grossing films of 2013, with highly positive reviews. It gained a strong cult following eventually among the audiences. Critics were appraisals of the songs, particularly Kakababur gaan sung by Rupam Islam, the direction by Srijit Mukherji and action sequences designed by Judo Ramu. It is the first installment in Mukherji's Kakababu film series, followed by Yeti Obhijaan (2017) and Kakababur Protyaborton (2022).
Plot
Mishawr Rawhoshyo starts with Kakababu and his nephew Shontu smiling after watching news informing of the imminent overthrow of the dictatorship in Egypt.
The film rewinds into a flashback. It is 2010. Kakababu is contracted by Egyptian businessman Al Mamun to decipher the meanings of hieroglyphic symbols that his teacher, Mufti Muhammad, had drawn on a piece of paper supposedly during his sleep. Muhammad is terminally ill and is about to grant his last wish while he is being treated in Delhi. Mamun thinks that the symbols are the key to locating Mufti Muhammad's will which will describe where to find treasures Mufti Muhammad had acquired during his tenure as a political leader and revolutionary. However, Kakababu is convinced that the symbols have a different meaning and they are very unusual. Mufti Muhammad symbolically requests Kakababu to verify something, a very unusual last wish.
Meanwhile, a war of rivalry ensues between Mamun and Hani Al Qadi, another of Mufti Muhammad's disciples (and a rival of Mamun) who accuses Mamun of stealing a secret that isn't rightfully his. While in Delhi, there was an attempt to murder Kakababu, in which Kakababu was injured. Kakababu took the challenge to uncover the truth; he and his nephew Shontu head to Egypt where they are drawn into the vortex of the mystery.
Kakababu gets kidnapped by Al Qadi's men which sets off a chain of events, culminating in a climax under a pyramid. Inside the pyramid, Kakababu discovers the lost mummy of an Egyptian queen with the help of the hieroglyphics code written by Mufti Muhammad. The present-day political turmoil in Egypt subtly reverberates. At the end, Kakababu gives Hani Al Qadi the coded message written inside the coffin of the mummy and wishes him good luck for his upcoming revolution to free Egypt from the corrupt dictator Jashni Mubarak (fictionalized Hosni Mubarak).
Cast
{{cast listing|
- Prosenjit Chatterjee as Raja Roy Chowdhury alias Kakababu
- Aryann Bhowmik as Sunanda Roy Chowdhury alias Shontu, Kakababu's nephew
- Indraneil Sengupta as Hani Al Qadi
- Rajit Kapur as Al Mamun
- Rajesh Sharma as CBI officer Narendra Verma
- Neel Mukherjee as Siddhartha
- Swastika Mukherjee as Snigdha
- Tridha Choudhury as Rini
- Barun Chanda as Mufti Mohammad (cameo appearance)
- Kamaleshwar Mukherjee as Sadat Manto (cameo appearance)
- Biswajit Chakraborty as Kakababu's elder brother and Shontu's father
- Tulika Bose as Kakababu's sister-in-law and Shontu's mother
- Indranath Mukherjee as himself at JNU
}}
Development
Srijit Mukherji licensed the first three books in the Kakababu series with the intent to produce a film every other year starring Prosenjit Chatterjee as Kakababu, his only choice for the role.{{cite news|title=Kakababu's diary|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130211/jsp/entertainment/story_16547410.jsp#.UVGU2hxwpWc|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411215658/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130211/jsp/entertainment/story_16547410.jsp%23.UVGU2hxwpWc|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2013|publisher=Telegraph India|accessdate=26 March 2013|location=Calcutta, India|date=11 February 2013}} Filming took place in Cairo, Egypt and Delhi in early 2013,{{cite news|title=Bhooter Bhhabishyat completes one year|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-16/news-interviews/37766592_1_swastika-mukherjee-mishor-rahasya-film|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411033354/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-16/news-interviews/37766592_1_swastika-mukherjee-mishor-rahasya-film|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2013|accessdate=26 March 2013|work=The Times of India|date=16 March 2013}}{{cite news|title=Team Mishor Rahasya reaches Egypt|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-10/news-interviews/37019648_1_kakababu-mishor-rahasya-egypt|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130426161439/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-10/news-interviews/37019648_1_kakababu-mishor-rahasya-egypt|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 April 2013|accessdate=26 March 2013|work=The Times of India|date=10 February 2013}} with Chatterjee stating that Mukherji was updating the character to be more contemporary.{{cite news|title=Prosenjit all set for Kakababu|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-12/news-interviews/35750444_1_hanuman-com-kakababu-mishuk|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411035245/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-12/news-interviews/35750444_1_hanuman-com-kakababu-mishuk|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2013|work=The Times of India|accessdate=26 March 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://my.anandabazar.com/content/%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8-49|title=My kakababu smartest|language=bn|work=Anandabazar Patrika|date=16 February 2013|accessdate=27 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218051319/http://my.anandabazar.com/content/%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8-49|archive-date=18 February 2013|df=dmy-all}} Chatterjee also commented that, although they had not changed Ganguly's character too much, that "lookwise he is a modern Kakababu."{{cite news|title=One man, many shades|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-11/news-interviews/37622679_1_hanuman-com-anjaniputra-sen-sharma-mishor-rahasya|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130426192013/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-11/news-interviews/37622679_1_hanuman-com-anjaniputra-sen-sharma-mishor-rahasya|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 April 2013|work=The Times of India|accessdate=26 March 2013}}
The movie also features Rabindranath Tagore's famous poem Chitto Jetha Bhayshunyo.
Soundtrack
{{Infobox album
| name = Mishawr Rawhoshyo
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = Indraadip Dasgupta
| cover =
| alt =
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Soundtrack
| length = {{Duration|m=33|s=03}}
| label = Shree Venkatesh Films
| producer = Indraadip Dasgupta
| chronology = Indraadip Dasgupta
| prev_title = Proloy
| prev_year = 2013
| next_title = Golpo Holeo Shotti
| next_year = 2014
}}
The soundtrack consists of six tracks composed by Indraadip Dasgupta with lyrics by Srijato. It was released on 2 October 2013 by the cast and crew in the Oberoi Grand Hotel in Kolkata.{{cite web | url=http://epaper.telegraphindia.com/details/36743-16329218.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20131008010506/http://epaper.telegraphindia.com/details/36743-16329218.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=8 October 2013 | title=The Egyptian Mystery | publisher=The Telegraph - t2 | accessdate=6 October 2013}}
{{track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| total_length = 33:03
| title1 = Kakababur Gaan
| extra1 = Rupam Islam
| length1 = 5:31
| title2 = Baalir Shawhor
| extra2 = Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh
| length2 = 5:51
| title3 = Kyano Aaj
| extra3 = Shreya Ghoshal
| length3 = 5:21
| title4 = Dilli
| extra4 = Arijit Singh, Shadaab Faridi
| length4 = 5:05
| title5 = Kakababur Gaan (reprise)
| extra5 = Anupam Roy
| length5 = 5:20
| title6 = Hani Alkadi R Gaan
| extra6 = Sonu Nigam
| length6 = 5:55
}}
=Critical response=
Sutapa Singha writing for The Times of India gave a rating of {{Rating|3.5|5}} and said the album is like an audio window to the gripping thriller on-screen.{{cite web | url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIKM/2013/10/19&PageLabel=36&ForceGif=true&EntityId=Ar03600&ViewMode=HTML | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021183059/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIKM/2013/10/19&PageLabel=36&ForceGif=true&EntityId=Ar03600&ViewMode=HTML | url-status=dead | archive-date=21 October 2013 | title=Mishawr Rawhoshyo - Indraadip Dasgupta | publisher=The Times of India - Calcutta times epaper | work=Sutapa Singha | accessdate=19 October 2013}}
Reception
Mishawr Rawhoshyo garnered mixed to generally positive reviews from critics. Gautam Chakraborty of Anandabazar Patrika rated it {{Rating|8|10}}.{{cite news|title=ভাঁজে ভাঁজে সুনীলের প্রতি শ্রদ্ধার্ঘ্য|url=http://www.anandabazar.com/16ananda-plus3.html|accessdate=16 October 2013|newspaper=Anandabazar Patrika|date=16 October 2013|language=bn|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016120846/http://www.anandabazar.com/16ananda-plus3.html|archive-date=16 October 2013|df=dmy-all}} Dippanita Mukhopadhay Ghosh of Ebela rated it {{Rating|7|10}}.{{cite news|title=Rahashyohin Mishwar, Kakababu madhumoy|url=http://www.ebela.in/paper/16-9-16@10@2013.html|accessdate=16 October 2013|newspaper=Ebela|date=16 October 2013}}
Awards and nominations
Sequel
The sequel Yeti Obhijaan was released in 2017. The second sequel Kakababur Protyaborton was released in 2022.{{Cite news |date=2021-11-30 |title=Release Alert! This is when ‘Kakababur Protyaborton’ will hit the big screens |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/release-alert-this-is-when-kakababur-protyaborton-will-hit-the-big-screens/articleshow/88001718.cms |access-date=2023-06-12 |issn=0971-8257}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.facebook.com/MishawrRawhoshyo Official Facebook page]
- {{IMDb title|3148268}}
{{Srijit Mukherji}}
{{Shree Venkatesh Films}}
{{Kakababu}}
Category:2010s adventure films
Category:2010s action adventure films
Category:Bengali-language Indian films
Category:2010s Bengali-language films
Category:Indian children's films
Category:Indian detective films
Category:Films based on Indian novels
Category:Indian action thriller films
Category:Indian action adventure films
Category:Indian martial arts films
Category:Films based on works by Sunil Gangopadhyay
Category:Fictional portrayals of the West Bengal Police
Category:Films directed by Srijit Mukherji
Category:Films scored by Indradeep Dasgupta