Vintage West Bengal

South Asia seems to have a lot of internationally underrated (if still rather sexist to the hilt) classics as well as a ton of so bad so good stinkers. 

However, let’s mostly focus on books and films from West Bengal.  

Indian Bengali films have come a long way from the days of the Great West Bengal Silents and Talkies, as well as that time when the East Indian state’s own celebrated (if at times convergent) take on the (mostly Anglocentric) Kitchen Sink Drama ruled the roost. 

There are also Indian Bengali pulps, but sadly, these ones not only tend to decay pretty fast and rather frequently in horrifying numbers (in the largely tropical climate of said state), many snobs and supposed pros perceive most of them as crass trash! Fortunately, due to nostalgia not being too much of a bad thing, the major ones are still selling well, even though most of them are just plain forgettable. 

While West Bengal does make stinkers once in a while, a couple of them ultimately evolved rather differently from their Anglo Counterparts. The result is that Byomkesh Bakshi, Shankar Chowdhury and Feluda are still the main retro West Bengali pop culture mainstays, while lifelong buddies Goopy Gain and Bagha Bain currently rule the South Asian PD kids’ story roost to this very day.