Here’s how you can watch some of the best Basu Chatterjee films online.
Basu Chatterjee, known for films like Chhoti Si Baat, Rajnigandha and Baton Baton Mein among more, passed away on Thursday at the age of 93. Known for his distinct cinematic language, he was one of the pioneers of middle-of-the-road cinema.
Here are some of his best films that you can stream online:
Chhoti Si Baat – Sony LIV, Amazon Prime Video, MX Player, YouTube
Starring Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha and Ashok Kumar, Chhoti Si Baat is the story of a timid man who can’t gather the courage to talk to the woman he admires. When he meets Col Julius, his life transforms as he suddenly finds himself extremely confident and direct. The film was appreciated for being a simple story of regular people. The film’s song “Jaaneman Jaaneman Tere Do Nayan” is still remembered.
Rajnigandha – Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar
Starring Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha and Dinesh Thakur, this film is the story of a woman who is torn between her past and present. While she has been in a long-term relationship, she finds her boyfriend to be flaky. When she happens to meet her old lover, she realises that she probably made the wrong call in the past. This dilemma forms the base of the story. Popular songs from the film include, “Kai Baar Yoon Bhi Dekha Hai” and “Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare”.
Baton Baton Mein – ZEE5, YouTube
Starring Amol Palekar and Tina Munim, this film is remembered for its melodious song “Uthe Sabke Kadam”. Here, the two protagonists are set up by the woman’s mother as she feels they would be an appropriate match for marriage. The relationship dynamic between the family members change as they discover more about the man, but amidst all this, a love story starts blooming.
Ek Ruka Hua Faisla – ZEE5, YouTube
A still from Ek Ruka Hua Faisla.
This film is the Indian adaptation of 12 Angry Men. Here, 12 jurors are locked up inside a room until they can all arrive at the conclusion of the murder case. The 12 men need to unanimously decide if the convict is guilty or not. The film is heavy on dialogue, and that is what keeps it interesting as they argue and convince each other.
Chitchor – Amazon Prime Video
Starring Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab and Vijayendra Ghatge, Chitchor is a tale of mistaken identities. A family plans to wed their daughter to an engineer who is coming from Mumbai. They are informed about his arrival, but mistakenly, they welcome another man. When the real prospect reaches the village, chaos ensues. Rajshri Films later remade Chitchor as Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon.
Chameli Ki Shaadi – Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
Starring Amrita Singh and Anil Kapoor, Chameli Ki Shaadi has developed a cult following since its release. The film also stars Amjad Khan and Pankaj Kapoor. Chameli and Charandas love each other, but Charandas is just too meek to marry her despite the opposition. Hence, Chameli takes matters into her own hands. The film’s comedy sequences are noteworthy.
Manzil – Amazon Prime Video
The song “Rimjhire Gire Sawan” is still remembered by fans of old Hindi film music. Manzil stars Amitabh Bachchan and Moushumi Chatterjee. Here, Bachchan’s character wants to impress Chatterjee’s character, so he starts posing as a rich person even though he is a middle-class man. He wants to be a big businessman, but things change when his business is threatened by a big corporation.
Piya Ka Ghar – Hungama Play
Starring Anil Dhawan and Jaya Bachchan, Piya Ka Ghar is still remembered for the Kishore Kumar song “Yeh Jeevan Hai”. The film is the story of a newly-wed couple who live with a big family in a one-room apartment in Mumbai. The two find it impossible to get some privacy in the house, which leads to some discord.