Bengali Movie Shesh Boley Kichu Nei 2014 (Bengali Flim Review)

Shesh Boley Kichu Nei

Cast: Soumitra Chatterjee, Anjan Dutt, Jisshu Sengupta,

          Subhashree Ganguly,

Direction: Anjan Dutt

If the story of Shesh Boley Kichu Nei is all about the impact drug addiction has on the lives of the abusers, their families and friends, it fails to hit the nail on the head. It beats about the bush too much before getting to the point.

In fact, the first half is borderline boring. It seems more of a mono act with grey undertones, as writer Animesh Roy roams the back alleys of Bangkok to deal with the emotional turmoil triggered by an email from one Judhajit Royaka Jojo. The author of the email claims to be the estranged son Animesh had left behind with his father-in-law (Soumitra Chatterjee) 30 years ago, when he fled India to cope with his wife's death during childbirth. Animesh's subsequent return to Kolkata, discovering that his son has died in a road accident and finding out that Jojo was a drug addict, but a talented songwriter, culminates in the desperate quest of a man for his son's creations — his songs. This leads him to Jojo's friends Kakoli aka Koko (Subhashree) and Andy ( Jisshu Sengupta), and, in turn, the dark underbelly of the City of Joy, where disturbed youths find peace in the den of drug dealer Mercury (Arijit Dutta). Then, as we shift in our seats trying to imagine what will happen next, we are treated to this cliched goon-gets-an-oil-massage scene in the den. Cut to a 'violent' scene where a dangerous criminal vents his anger on Animesh by slashing his nose! Come on! An urban audience doesn't expect such frivolity nowadays, especially when it comes to violence. A hard punch on the nose would have been far more realistic.

But then again, there are two departments that shine — acting and music. With heavyweights like Anjan Dutt, Soumitra Chatterjee and Jisshu sharing screen space, you're treated to a master class in acting. Each excel in their own right. Bratya Basu, who plays Kunal — a character, we had to assume, was Animesh's long-time friend, as the relationship is never mentioned — shines in his 15 odd minutes of screen presence. Even Subhashree is good, though she seems a little ill at ease playing the girl next door with an attitude. Neel Dutt's music is as good as we can expect from anAnjan Dutt movie, though it seems a bit understated. The songs, though, are perfectly placed in the storyline.

But the way the close interactions are shot deprives the audience of experiencing the emotions involved. Most scenes, where the audience actually needs to connect to the characters, are tight and close, focusing only on the speaker. Though there is nothing wrong with this technically, it gives the film a bone dry feel when it comes to emotions, though the story is through and through an emotional one.

Then again, it is pretty difficult to digest the speed with which a cocaine and heroin addict transforms from a hallucinating vegetable to a singer of repute. Though Jisshu is perfect to the T, the way the whole rehabilitation process is presented seems a bit far-fetched. If you love watching acting powerhouses at work and listening to good music, do grab a ticket to Shesh Boley Kichu Nei. You may not walk out overwhelmed, but you will be entertained.