| Feature | Theatrical Cut (India) | Full 72 Cut (International) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Runtime | ~85-90 minutes | 72 minutes | | Content | Censored (muted explicit scenes, digitally draped nudity) | Uncensored, retaining Q’s original visual language | | Pacing | Slower, more expository dialogue | Rapid, fragmented, poetic | | Availability | Rare TV recordings | Festival circuit & specialty DVDs |
Most critics agree that the Full 72 version is superior because it removes the "explanatory" dialogue added for commercial audiences, leaving only the raw sensory experience.
| Publication | Rating | Highlights | |-------------|--------|------------| | The Telegraph (India) | 4.5/5 | “A masterclass in economical storytelling; every frame serves the mystery.” | | Film Companion | 4/5 | “Soham Chakraborty delivers his most nuanced performance yet; the rain becomes a character itself.” | | The Hindu | 3.5/5 | “While the climax feels slightly rushed, the film’s thematic depth compensates.” | | IMDb | 8.2/10 (≈ 18,000 votes) | Audiences applaud the tight pacing and social relevance. | | Rotten Tomatoes | 88% Fresh | “A compact thriller that proves less truly can be more.” | Bengali Movie Chatrak Full 72
Awards (2025)
To understand the film, one must look past a simple linear plot. Chatrak is set against the backdrop of a burgeoning real-estate boom in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). | Feature | Theatrical Cut (India) | Full
The Story: The film follows a migrant laborer named Sonny (Partho Gupte) who arrives in Kolkata to work on the construction of a massive new township. He lives in a shantytown near the construction site. His brother, Ramesh, has gone missing under mysterious circumstances.
Sonny begins a raw, physical relationship with a local prostitute named Mithu (Paoli Dam) , who lives in the same slum. Simultaneously, a rich, bored housewife named Meenakshi (Sreelekha Mitra) is dealing with her own sexual frustration and isolation in a luxurious high-rise apartment that overlooks the slum. To understand the film, one must look past
The "Chatrak" (mushroom) of the title appears metaphorically and literally—fungus grows on the walls of the unfinished buildings, symbolizing the uncontrolled growth of desire, decay, and the organic reclaiming of urban spaces.
In the 72-minute cut, the narrative is a tight rope walk between these two women's desires intersecting with Sonny's journey, ending not with a resolution but with a haunting visual of a fungal spread—implying that decay and life are two sides of the same coin.
Chatrak (translated as "Mushroom") is a 2011 Bengali drama film directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Q (Qaushiq Mukherjee). Known for his avant-garde and often provocative style, Q broke away from mainstream Tollywood (Bengali cinema) conventions to create a film that is raw, metaphorical, and visually arresting.
Unlike typical Bengali films that revolve around family drama, romance, or social realism, Chatrak enters the realm of surrealist eroticism and urban alienation. The film stars Partho Gupte, Paoli Dam (in one of her most daring roles), and Sreelekha Mitra.