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Star Cast: Paresh Rawal, Adil Hussain

Director: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

The Storyteller Movie Review Synopsis: THE STORYTELLER is the story of two elderly men. Tarini Bandhopadhay (Paresh Rawal) lives in Kolkata and has just retired from his job. His son is asking him to join him in the USA, but Tarini is reluctant to shift. One day, his friend Bankim (Rohit Mukherjee) and Bankim's wife (Tapati Munshi) inform him that there's an offer for the job of a storyteller in Ahmedabad. Tarini has been an avid storyteller his whole life. Hence, he's asked to take up the offer. Tarini agrees and he moves to Ahmedabad. The job application was published by a rich businessman, Ratan Garodia (Adil Hussain). Ratan is suffering from insomnia and hence, he wants someone to tell him stories so that he can have a sound sleep. Thus, Tarini begins narrating him stories every night. He also learns that Ratan never married, and he still longs for Saraswati (Revathy), his sweetheart from his young days. But that's not all. Tarini also stumbles upon a shocking secret about Ratan. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The Storyteller Movie Story Review: THE STORYTELLER is based on Satyajit Ray's short story ‘Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro’. The film’s plot is a bit different from Ray’s short and it is novel. Kireet Khurana's screenplay (additional screenplay by Allcap Communications and Srijato Bandyopadhyay) is slow-moving but has engaging moments and also unexpected turns. Allcap Communications and Srijato Bandyopadhyay's dialogues are quite memorable.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan's direction is simple. This is a film devoid of action, thrill or violence and relies completely on storytelling (pun intended) and performances. The characters of the protagonists are well fleshed out and the bond they share is heartening. Also, Tarini, a hardcore fish lover, moving to Ahmedabad, that too in a vegetarian household, makes for a fun watch. There’s a twist in the tale that comes unexpectedly.

On the flipside, it is not convincing to see Tarini, a staunch Kolkata resident, agreeing to move to an alien city. Also, the manner in which Suzy Fibert (Tannishtha Chatterjee) befriends Tarini and they start hanging out looks difficult to digest. The bigger problem with the narrative is the absence of conflict. Both Tarini and Ratan are hurt by each other, but they never get into confrontation. It, somewhere, takes away from the realism of the film. Lastly, the film has a niche appeal and is not for everyone.

The Storyteller Movie Review Performances: Paresh Rawal delivers a smashing performance and gets into the skin of a character of a Bengali intellectual. Adil Hussain, as expected, gives his hundred per cent. He, too, is convincing as a Gujarati businessman. The equation between the two actors is one of the strong points of the film. Tannishtha Chatterjee is quite likeable. Revathy delivers a confident part and slips effortlessly into the role. Jayesh More (Manikchand) has a crucial role and leaves a mark. Anindita Bose (Anuradha; Tarini's wife) has an arresting screen presence though she’s hardly there. Rohit Mukherjee, Tapati Munshi and Kaveri Basu (Mouli; maid) are okay.

The Storyteller movie music and other technical aspects: Hriju Roy's music is soulful but doesn't have a shelf life. Hriju Roy's background score is subtle. Alphonse Roy's cinematography is stunning, and the locales of both Kolkata and Ahmedabad are well captured. Preetam Rai and Bablu Singha's production design is classy yet realistic. Ritarupa Bhattacharya's costumes are straight out of life. Gourav Gopal Jha's editing could have been faster.

The Storyteller Movie Review Conclusion: On the whole, THE STORYTELLER makes for a hatke experience and rests on the towering performances of Paresh Rawal and Adil Hussain. However, due to the slow narrative and negligible awareness, the viewership might be affected.