The Storyteller Review: A Thoughtful Tale of Creativity, Greed, and Unexpected Twists

The Storyteller Review: A Thoughtful Tale of Creativity, Greed, and Unexpected Twists - Filmsandfacts

Director: Ananth Mahadevan

Date Created: 2025-01-29 12:12

Editor's Rating:
3

Pros

• Strong Performances – Paresh Rawal delivers a stellar performance, supported by Adil Hussain, Revathy, and Jayesh More.
• Engaging Concept – The film’s premise, inspired by Satyajit Ray’s short story, offers a fresh take on storytelling and originality.
• Visually Appealing – Beautiful cinematography captures the essence of Kolkata and Ahmedabad, enhancing the film’s charm.
• Unexpected Twist – The story builds up to a surprising climax that leaves a lasting impression.
• Deep Themes – The film explores meaningful topics like creativity vs. commerce, self-discovery, and the impact of plagiarism.

Cons

• Slow Pacing – The film’s deliberate pace may feel sluggish to some viewers.
• Lack of High Drama – The narrative is subtle and restrained, which might not appeal to those who prefer high-energy storytelling.
• Underdeveloped Subplots – Some side stories, like the century-old tree and spy pigeon, don’t translate well on screen.
• Limited Screen Time for Supporting Characters – Revathy and Tannishtha Chatterjee’s roles feel underutilized despite their strong presence.
• Niche Appeal – The film’s themes and artistic approach may not connect with mainstream audiences looking for a more conventional Bollywood experience.

The Storyteller Review

This story is based on Satyajit Ray’s short tale “Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro.” It is about a storyteller who is hired by a rich man who can’t sleep. The storyteller tells him bedtime stories to help him fall asleep. However, everything changes when the businessman’s real plans come to light.

Tarini Bandopadhyay (Paresh Rawal) is a talented speaker, but he never writes down his stories because he’s afraid of being judged and rejected. The unusual leftist from Kolkata has had 75 different jobs, changing every six months. After leaving Amrit Publication, Tarini replies to a strange newspaper ad. Ratan Garodia, a wealthy businessman from Ahmedabad, is looking for someone to tell him original bedtime stories because sleeping pills and counting sheep haven’t helped his sleeplessness. Tarini moves to Ahmedabad to start a new chapter in her life. This story explores the conflict between making money and being creative. It looks at topics like copying others, finding yourself, and fighting feelings of doubt.

The film, co-written by Kireet Khurana and directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (who also helped write it), has a lot of humour, the pleasant yet sleepy atmosphere of Kolkata and Ahmedabad, and great acting. Garodia shares Tarini’s stories as if they are his own in a local Gujarati magazine to impress his ex-girlfriend, Saraswati (Revathy), who cares more about art than making money. As Garodia says, “Saraswati ko Lakshmi pasand nahi.” When Tarini meets her and learns she is Garodia’s business partner, he jokingly says, “He makes cotton, I turn it into yarn.”

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The movie is charming because of its slow pace and beautiful visuals, but some viewers may not like the slow speed. The stories of a hundred-year-old tree in the Aravali woods and a spy pigeon from World War II are interesting, but they don’t come across as very engaging when shown on screen. The story hides its big trick until the end, surprising the reader with a shocking reveal.

Paresh Rawal shines as a Bengali who loves maachh (fish) and Pujo (Durga Puja) and takes every chance to complain about capitalism. One of his key points about copying is, “You need smarts to copy,” which shows how he outsmarts Garodia. Adil Hussain convincingly plays a businessman who is nervous but wants to appear smart. Revathy, in her brief appearance, Jayesh More as Garodia’s house help Manikchand, and Tannishtha Chatterjee as the librarian Tarini befriends, also leave a strong impact.

Although the film’s slow pace and some parts of the story may not connect with everyone, its surprising twist and strong characters make it worth seeing and the story sticks with you after it ends.

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