(English title: Mushrooms) is a 2011 Indian Bengali erotic drama film directed by Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara. The film gained international recognition for its inclusion in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and various other global festivals. Film Overview Genre: Erotic Drama. Director & Writer: Vimukthi Jayasundara. Cast: Paoli Dam and Anubrata Basu. Location: Set and filmed in Kolkata, India. Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes. Plot & Themes
The narrative follows a Bengali girl, Paoli, and explores themes of displacement and the search for roots. It depicts the contrast between the rapidly modernizing cityscape of Kolkata and the natural world, symbolized by the "mushrooms" (Chatrak). Controversy
The film became highly controversial in India due to a leaked scene involving unsimulated sex between lead actors Paoli Dam and Anubrata Basu. While it was screened at major festivals like Cannes and Toronto, the explicit content led to significant censorship challenges and limited its commercial theatrical release in India.
Chatrak (2011) — concise wiki-style summary
Title: Chatrak (2011) Language: Bengali Country: India Genre: Drama / Psychological drama Director: Suman Mukhopadhyay Writer: Adapted from Sławomir Mrożek’s play "Tango" (with original elements by the director/writers) Producer: [not specified] Cinematography: [not specified] Music: [not specified] Release year: 2011 Runtime: ~90–100 minutes (approximate) Cast: Chatrak 2011 Bengali Movie Wiki
Plot summary: Chatrak explores desire, power, alienation and the collapse of bourgeois domestic life through surreal, symbolic sequences. The story centers on a troubled married couple whose intimate life disintegrates; the husband’s frustrations and obsessions lead to disturbing, absurd incidents that blur reality and fantasy. The film uses stark visuals and episodic vignettes to probe sexual politics, loneliness, and existential angst.
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Vimukthi Jayasundara, known for his slow cinema aesthetics and long takes, wanted to make a film about “the other side of development.” Having grown up in Sri Lanka during a civil war, he was drawn to the idea of abandoned spaces. He spent months researching the mushroom phenomenon in abandoned buildings on the outskirts of Kolkata.
The film polarized audiences. Mainstream Bengali critics found it “pretentious and painfully slow” (Anandabazar Patrika), while international critics praised its “ecological surrealism” (Variety). The Hollywood Reporter called it “a haunting, if opaque, meditation on post-colonial urban blight.” (English title: Mushrooms ) is a 2011 Indian
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 71% audience score, with consensus: “Chatrak is a challenging, visually stunning fever dream that rewards patient viewers with rich metaphor.”
No sets were built. All filming took place in actual half-constructed buildings, giving the film a raw, documentary-like texture.
Chatrak was released on DVD by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in 2013. As of 2025, the film is available for streaming on MUBI and Hoichoi (restored version).