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What's New? Discover a rare gem! Our 3-part interview series with Kalyan Chatterjee from the Bengal Film Archive is now live on YouTube
ABOUT US
What's remembered, lives. What's archived, stays. Despite all our interest in nostalgia and passion for movies, too little has been done to document the history of Bengal's cinema from the previous century. The pandemic came as a wake-up call for us. As a passionate group of film enthusiasts, we decided to create a digital platform that inspires artists and audiences alike. That's how Bengal Film Archive (BFA) was conceived as a bilingual e-archive. At this one-stop digital cine-cyclopedia, we have not just tried to archive facts, trivia, features, interviews and biographical sketches but also included interactive online games regarding old and contemporary Bengali cinema
OUR YouTube SPECIALs
SOUND OF MUSIC
Sound of Music

Since the advent of the talkie era, playback has played a big role in Bengali cinema. From Kanan Devi’s Ami banaphool go to Arati Mukhopadhyay’s Ami Miss Calutta  our films have a song for every emotion. In this segment, BFA tunes in to the music composers, singers and lyricists who made all that happen. The bonus is a chance to listen to the BFA-curated list of hits across seven decades!

Survival against all odds and the clash between logic and desperation. Why the Hindi Dubbed Version is a "Top" Choice

: The film explores how hope can be more dangerous than the desert itself if it isn't backed by action. Where to Watch (Hindi Dubbed)

The movie is a staple of "Survival Sunday" marathons and is highly rated for its: Strong Character Archetypes

The first 20 minutes are relentless. As the pilots try to outrun a wall of sand, the Hindi dub adds urgency. The screaming of the crew ( "Bachao!" - Save us) and the pilot's commands ( "Ruk ja! Nahin to hum marr jayenge!" - Stop, or we die) raise the tension.

The story is simple but terrifying. A group of oil rig workers and passengers are aboard a C-119 Flying Boxcar cargo plane flying over the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. When a sudden, violent sandstorm shreds the engines and disables the navigation systems, the aircraft crash-lands hundreds of miles off course.

: The story focuses on the tension between Captain Frank Towns (Dennis Quaid), a traditional pilot, and Elliott (Giovanni Ribisi), a self-proclaimed aircraft designer who convinces the group to attempt the "impossible" Plugged In

Visually, the film is stunning, capturing the oppressive heat and the terrifying scale of the desert. The Hindi voice acting often emphasizes the "masala" elements of the thriller—upping the ante on the dramatic confrontations and the triumphant moment of takeoff. Conclusion

OUR FILMS
This archive is essentially a celebration of cinema from Bengal through words and still images. Yet, no celebration of cinema is complete without a tribute from moving images. In this section, BFA presents short films about unsung foot soldiers, forgotten studios and ageing single screens that have silently contributed to make cinema larger-than-life. For us, their unheard stories deserve to be in the limelight as much as those of the icons who have created magic in front of the lens.
BFA Originals
Lost?

The iconic Paradise Cinema has been a cherished part of Kolkata's cine history. Nirmal De’s Sare Chuattor marked its first Bengali screening in 1953, amidst a legacy primarily dedicated to Hindi films. From the triple-layered curtains covering its single screen to the chilled air from the running ACs wafting through its doors during intervals, each detail of Paradise’s majestic allure is still ingrained in the fond memories of its patrons. One such patron is Junaid Ahmed. BFA joins this Dharmatala resident as he recollects his days of being a witness to paradise on earth in this Bijoy Chowdhury film

House of Memories
House of Memories

Almost anyone with a wee bit of interest in cinema from Bengal can lead to Satyajit Ray's rented house on Bishop Lefroy Road. But how many know where Ajoy Kar, Asit Sen, Arundhati Devi or Ritwik Ghatak lived? Or for that matter, Prithviraj Kapoor or KL Saigal during their Kolkata years? In case you are among those who walk past iconic addresses without a clue about their famous residents, this section is a must-watch for you. We have painstakingly tried to locate residential addresses of icons from the early days of their career and time-travelled to 2022 to see how the houses are maintained now.