The Magical Camera of Uncle Manick (2024)—Wholesome, Educational Fun!

Have you ever dreamed of being a superhero or famous celebrity as a child? Of course you have! I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had those kinds of dreams when we were young. But as we mature, we realize that not all of our dreams will come to fruition as reality kicks us to the curb. However, even if our dreams don’t come true, they may still live on in the hearts of those we inspire. Raja Chatterjee’s film The Magical Camera of Uncle Manick (2024) explores the magic an inspiring teacher can do.

Uncle Manick is a middle aged man who lives a regular life, yet feels unfulfilled. Every Sunday, he spends his time teaching three boys from his neighborhood about the arts. The boys want to make the cover page of a popular magazine published by Uncle Manick who recommends that they make a movie. He gives them a book from his personal collection by the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray on the building blocks of filmmaking. The boys are excited to make a movie and set their best foot forward to make him proud.

It’s no surprise that for every person who has successfully achieved their dreams, there are a thousand failures. And are those failures necessarily untalented? Of course not. Many either lacked the resources or were tied down in life too early. Enter Uncle Manick. He studied films from books and even socialized with producers in the Tolygunge Studio area (known for being the center of Indian Bengali cinema). However, his dreams of being a filmmaker never came to fruition. When his father passed away, all the family responsibilities fell on his shoulders, thus any dreams he may have had were all but extinguished.

Despite that, his dream lives on in the form of the three boys he teaches. Uncle Manick teaches them each step of filmmaking, from screenwriting, to shooting, to editing. Through these lessons, we can see just how knowledgeable and passionate he is about the art. His methods of teaching truly are holistic, combining lectures with independent field training. And Uncle Manick doesn’t hold their hand during the process. Rather, he fully expects them to apply what they learned in class. To my surprise, the kids take his teachings to heart and display ingenuity and a strong work ethic. Throughout the film, they are continuously experimenting and studying outside of their Sunday lessons. And with each step, the boys and we as an audience learn more about the art of filmmaking. From the origins of photography and the term Silver Screen, to technical knowledge about shooting, such as how many frames are shot per second (spoiler: there are 24).

And why you may ask is Uncle Manick teaching the boys about art and film? Why not other disciplines like science or math (subjects most parents would like to see their kids do)? Because he believes that the arts can save the youth. What do I mean by this? Too many children these days are glued to their phones and social media which negatively impacts their mental health, leading to depression. By allowing young folk to focus on the arts, Uncle Manick teaches them to use their time to create something that may inspire others and even help them unlock their life’s purpose. To me, this is the making of a true mentor and someone who the world needs more of.

But as good this movie is, it still has its faults. And one of my biggest complaints is that the movie is intercut with the B-plot involving two escaped convicts. Their story is largely played for laughs, but you’re left confused as to how it intersects with the A-plot. It isn’t until the third act when you realize how they’re connected. But until then, it detracts from the main story and muddies the otherwise wholesome tone. Hell, I initially thought the two were characters in a movie thought out by the boys with how overly humorous the dialogue is. Had the movie cut them out, I think it would’ve made for a more focused and concise story. Additionally, the first scene involving the two is at night. But you can clearly tell the footage was shot during the day and had a day-to-night filter applied. To make matters worse, the filter doesn’t make it look like night, rather it just turns everything a desaturated navy blue. Lastly, the English subtitles are hit or miss. While they’re serviceable, they sometimes don’t make sense. For example, the words “new caption” appear a couple of times. I assume this was an overlooked editing error.   

Despite the film having a few hiccups, I still think it’s a solid children’s story. You like the three boys and are filled with joy whenever they’re interacting with either each other or Uncle Manick. Meanwhile, Uncle Manick himself is what I’d call the quintessential teacher. He’s kind, nurturing, and knowledgeable and wants to see his students succeed. And he’s always there to encourage them to use their imagination and further their studies in the arts. With a wholesome message and effective educational voice, I recommend everyone who’s interested in the art of filmmaking to give The Magical Camera of Uncle Manick a watch!