Plastic flower or unloved child of the master One day, a former judge and current flower and milk merchant visited a private Calcutta detective, Bumkesh Bakshi, and his friend Ajit. He had a very strange request to a private investigator: to find out about the performer of a song once sounded in a Bengali film. And the answer had to be reported in his own home, the Rose Shelter and strictly incognito. This is not an ordinary and very intriguing story. This is after 20-30 minutes the plot will turn into a classic track for films of this genre. There will be murder, not even one. It will be hard to guess the villain. A lot of suspects, each of whom has his own motive for the crime and a very colorful memorable appearance. There will be a semi-comic contest between a police officer and a private detective, which, of course, can not be won by a simple-minded servant of the law. And compositionally recreated by all canons scene of exposure in the final.
Satyajit Rey himself admitted that he had no desire to make this movie. Several of his assistants worked on him, but their efforts were unsuccessful, so they turned to their mentor for help. S. Ray didn't like the detective genre. He was of little interest to him. The master of Bengali directing said that in such films it is impossible to specify the character of the main negative character in detail, since he must remain unrecognized almost until the very end of the film. And the obligatory detailed explanation of all the circumstances and motives of the crime, with the construction of a clear logical chain, could not inspire Ray, who loved hints, variety of interpretation options and multifaceted meanings.
But the master is the master. Ray was just unable to shoot anything sloppy. And even in this, one of his most unloved films, there are many interesting nuances and details. The eye-catching scenic chaos of Bumkesh's bachelor apartment. Skeleton in the living room, toly friendly, or frighteningly folding every visitor. The favorite pet of a private investigator is an elegant small and completely cold-blooded python. Fine humor and witty apt phrases. The comical Japanese masquerade of Bumkesh is emphasized, which gives a sense of how poorly people in the Indian province know about other countries and its inhabitants. The viewer learns that for Indians (as well as for many Russians) the Chinese and the Japanese are on the same face. And perfectly organized and arranged with good taste, having an almost idyllic appearance, the Rose Shelter is actually the notorious Menagerie, all the inhabitants of which are all former criminals. Artful contrast of plastic and real fragrant flowers.
Obviously, Bumkesh Bakshi is a variation on the Indian Sherlock Holmes theme. His best friend, Ajit, will even be called Watson. But the director will emphasize the difference between his and the English detective that if Mr. Holmes passionately loved playing the violin, then Bumkeshu’s passion for art is completely replaced by an ordinary gramophone. This is a gramophone composition for Ray and this is a movie. But this artificial plastic flower, although it does not have a living aroma, is still made very precisely and skillfully.