Professor Shonku O El Dorado
{{short description|2019 science fiction film by Sandip Ray}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Professor Shonku O El Dorado
| image = Professor_Shonku_O_El_Dorado.jpg
| alt =
| caption = First look poster
| native_name =
| director = Sandip Ray
| producer = Shrikant Mohta
Mahendra Soni
| writer = Satyajit Ray
| screenplay = Sandip Ray
| story = Satyajit Ray
| based_on = {{Based on|Nakur Babu O El Dorado|Satyajit Ray}}
| starring = Dhritiman Chatterjee Subhasish Mukhopadhyay
| narrator =
| music = Sandip Ray
| cinematography = Soumik Haldar
| editing = Subrata Roy
| studio = Shree Venkatesh Films
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2019|12|20|df=y}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Bengali
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Professor Shonku O El Dorado ({{Translation|Professor Shonku and El Dorado}}) is a Bengali science fiction adventure drama film directed by Sandip Ray based on Nakur Babu O El Dorado, a story of Satyajit Ray.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/film/satyajit-ray-feluda-professor-shonku-coming-the-big-screen-1499608|title=Satyajit's "Professor Shonku" coming to the big screen|last=Acharya|first=Subrata|date=4 December 2017|newspaper=The Daily Star|access-date=27 March 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/satyajit-rays-prof-shonku-is-ready-for-the-big-screen/article21382154.ece|title=Satyajit Ray's Prof. Shonku is ready for the big screen|last=Singh|first=Shiv Sahay|date=9 December 2017|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=27 March 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.frontline.in/arts-and-culture/cinema/shonku-on-big-screen/article10073920.ece|title=Shonku on big screen|website=frontline.in|access-date=30 August 2018}} Dhritiman Chatterjee portrayed the protagonist character of Professor Shonku.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/professor-shonku-o-el-dorado-shoot-commences-by-the-end-of-this-month/articleshow/64206514.cms|title=Professor Shonku O El Dorado' shoot commences by the end of|date=17 May 2018|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|access-date=30 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sandip-ray-readies-his-first-professor-shonku-film/story-kuEKunx8nmFk05wmo4RERK.html|title=Sandip Ray readies his first Professor Shonku film|website=hindustantimes.com|date=5 August 2018|access-date=30 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/confirmed-professor-shanku-o-el-dorado-releasing-on-december-20/articleshow/72164352.cms|title=Confirmed: 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' releasing on December 20 - Times of India|website=The Times of India}} The film was released theatrically on 20 December 2019.
Plot
This is an adventure story of the fictional genius scientist and inventor Professor Shonku visiting the heart of the Amazon forests in search of the mythical city of El Dorado. One day, a typical Bengali gentleman Nakur Chandra Biswas alias Nakur Babu comes to meet him in Shonku's house in Giridih. He lives in Makardaha. Shanku realises that Nakur Babu has supernatural power having the ability to read others' minds and see the future. Nakur Babu warns him about the upcoming incidents of São Paulo. Seeing his extrasensory power, an amazed Shonku goes to Brazil with Nakur Babu to join a science conference and the mystery begins ending in the fabled city of El Dorado deep inside the Brazilian Amazon{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/satyajit-rays-popular-character-professor-shonku-set-to-come-alive-on-celluloid-1590901.html|title=Satyajit Ray's Popular Character Professor Shonku Set to Come Alive on Celluloid|date=30 November 2017|access-date=30 August 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=828075784299411&id=100012909911062|title=Professor Shanku O El Dorado Movie Review|access-date=20 December 2019}}
Cast
- Dhritiman Chatterjee as Professor Shonku{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediainfoline.com/entertainment/professor-shanku-premieres-virtual-world|title=Professor Shanku Premieres into the Virtual World|date=10 December 2019}}
- Subhasish Mukhopadhyay as Nakur Chandra Biswas
- Eduardo Munniz as Lobo
- Jacqueline Mazarella as Professor Emilia Rodriguez
- Subhrajit Dutta as Samaresh
- Ricardo Dantas as Jeremy Saunders
- Roney Facchini as Wilhelm Krol
- Augusto Cesar as Hyter
- Meyerbeer Tapajós as Mike
- Felipe Montanari as Bob
- Fernando Coelho as Solomon Bloomgarten{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/sandip-ray-has-high-hopes-for-professor-shanku-o-el-dorado/articleshow/72005657.cms|title=Sandip ray has high hopes for 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' - Times of India|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2019-12-21}}
- Udayshankar Pal as Prahlad
- Ratan Sarkhel as Tarak
Reception
The Times of India gave the film 3 stars out of five and said, "Despite a perfect look and sharp glances, Dhritiman remains less convincing as Shonku. An indefinable stiffness engulfs his performance that questions the spontaneity of the character. Meanwhile, Subhashish too goes overboard with emotion as Nakurbabu. The film involves a lot of foreign actors and they deliver a decent performance. The overall CGI also appears to be a bit flimsy.
In children’s literature, Shanku makes a clean sweep with his scientific masterstrokes. However, his on-screen journey starts with a bumpy ride. Let’s hope for a better future for him."{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movie-reviews/professor-shonku-o-el-dorado/movie-review/72912259.cms|title=Professor Shonku O El Dorado Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of Professor Shonku O El Dorado by Times of India|via=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}
Firstpost gave the film 3 stars out of five and said,"One of the distinguishing features of anything Satyajit Ray has ever written is the conciseness of it all. There is always something happening. Each page, each sentence is loaded with information, and often as the story progressed, a certain sense of urgency crept in. It is this sense of urgency that is missing in Sandip Ray’s screenplay."{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/professor-shonku-o-el-dorado-movie-review-satyajit-rays-memorable-scientist-doesnt-come-to-life-in-sons-film-7854301.html|title=Professor Shonku O El Dorado movie review: Satyajit Ray's memorable scientist doesn't come to life in son's film |date=3 January 2020|website=Firstpost}}
The Indian Express Bangla gave the film {{frac|3|1|2}} stars out of five.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bengali.indianexpress.com/entertainment/bengali-film-professor-shonku-o-el-dorado-review-172758/lite/|title = Bengali News, বাংলা খবর, Latest Bangla News, Today Bangla News, Bengali News Live - Indian Express Bengali}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|8364102}}
{{Professor Shonku}}
{{Satyajit Ray}}
{{Sandip Ray}}
{{Shree Venkatesh Films}}
Category:Indian children's films
Category:Films based on Indian novels
Category:Films directed by Sandip Ray
Category:2010s science fiction adventure films
Category:Indian science fiction adventure films
Category:Bengali-language Indian films
Category:Bengali-language science fiction films