Based on a gripping psychological plot, this is not just a technically well-made film revolving around a serial killer, but is a unique, praiseworthy project that gives you much more than an engrossing, satisfying mystery, especially to a non-Bengali viewer, not aware of such interesting details of the language and its literary culture.
The film is a poetic thriller based on the search of a psychopath serial killer who leaves a Bengali poem next to the body of his every victim, printed in the same style with some hidden clues left to be decoded by the police. An expert investigator specialized in such serial killings is called back on duty after years (of suspension) and he agrees to work on the case on his own terms. Smartly decoding the clues he gets hold of the culprit thoughtfully striking on the death anniversaries of all well-known Bengali poets. But there is lot more behind the killings coming as a brutal shock in the end revealing the real mystery.
As a film, Baishe Srabon has its own share of downers including an unrequired romantic sub-plot (that still remains sweet), a few avoidable songs, bold vocabulary used in its dialogues, a complex plot having a limited regional reach and an inspired concept too getting its basic content from a similar but less appreciated English thriller. However its unusual merits score well over the minuses resulting in a worth praising, unpredictable mystery as mentioned below.
1. It features some outstanding performances and a fine cast ensemble resulting in a great watch. Prosenjit delivers a highly polished act as the suspended police officer called back on duty and Parambrato performs brilliantly standing firm in front of his towering performance. Both Abir Chatterjee and Rajesh Sharma do complete justice to their given roles, Raima looks beautiful providing the glamour or relief quotient and the supporting cast contributes really well converting the film into an insightful investigative thriller.
2. Director Gautam Ghosh makes a comeback with a superb act of an eccentric poet, assuming a gifted divine link with the soul of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He simply nails it and one can also see his act as another severely tragic version of Guru Dutt’s struggling poet character in PYAASA.
3. Though I could only read the translated version of the Bangla poetry recited in the film in its English subtitles, friends well versed with the language are sure going to enjoy it much more forming an instant connect with the poetry and its actual flow. In fact the film offers a very rare combination of poetry, poets and serial killing never seen before.
4. The script makes you aware about the Hungry Generation movement in Bengali literature in 1960s and that is how cinema educates about the past too including such interesting references in the script. However the mention might turn out to be too deep and intellectual for the general audience not really interested in such literary details.
5. Baishe Srabon excels in its cinematography and at times the background score too. A few sequences are shot really well with an innovative use of camera angles, lighting and colour converting it into a visual delight. Hence it deserves to be seen, especially by the youngsters professionally involved in these specific departments of filmmaking along with the ones keenly interested in the same.
6. The title enlightens you with another intriguing fact about our Indian languages. Baishe Srabon points towards the death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore on 22nd Srabon, wherein Srabon is the fourth month of the Bengali calendar representing the year’s monsoon season. Interestingly in Hindi too the monsoon season month is called Saawan that sounds quite close to Srabon.
7. Inspired from Al Pacino and Robert De Niro starrer American film RIGHTEOUS KILL (2008), this is one of those rare instances where an inspired film goes miles ahead than its original source of inspiration. And that should ideally be a reason enough to search and go for this suspenseful thriller, available at all leading movie portals such as Amazon Prime and more.
Written (story-screenplay-dialogue) and directed by Srijit Mukherji, Baishe Shrabon certainly stands tall in the list of all Indian films made on the subject of a serial killer and thus deserved to be seen at the earliest, especially if this is one of the genre you are always interested in.
Rating : 4 / 5
