Introduction
SVF's much awaited period action-adventure Raghu Dakat has finally hit the theatres amid a lot of expectations and while this film has hit some major chords, there have been some, that are missed as well. For the unversed, Raghu Dakat was a major Bengali figure (claimed to be real by some and an urban legend by others) in the late 18th and early 19th century. Cited as the Robinhood of Bengal, he's known to rob the rich, help the poor, and also pose as an outlaw against the British tyranny. Apart from Dev, this film stars Anirban Bhattacharya, Sohini Sarkar, and Idhika Paul in lead roles while Roopa Ganguly, Om Sahani, and Alexx O'Nell star in supporting roles.
Basic Plot
Set in the late 18th century, Raghu Dakat fights fiercely against the barbaric autocracy of the British Empire, and the oppressing zamindars of Bengal.
Positives
Performances, Production Value and Partial Direction
Director Dhrubo Banerjee is known for grand level visual aesthetics and he keeps his standard intact here as well. The staggering visuals, coupled with vibrant colours scream rich production value for all the right reasons. You will experience the production value with every passing scene and this is one such factor that subtly elevates and also carries the film at several places through out the screenplay. In spite of the story being fictional, I must say that the creative team has worked well behind designing the costumes of the characters. The make up has been pleasing as well, and it's the overall package of stunning visuals and rich production value that significantly helps the film, even when it dips in terms of screenplay.
Performances have been absolutely smashing and it's arguably the strongest of the departments in this film. Dev as the titular character 'Raghu Dakat' is convincing, and it's mainly due to his screen presence that the character looked all the more lively on screen, while his physique and attitude did the rest. In spite of being a pretty much one-dimensional character, Dev does well in the emotional scenes and that adds a more human side to this beastly character. Anirban Bhattacharya on the other hand has a comparatively less screen time than Dev, but he shines through-out the film. He's ruthless, he's menacing, he's unapologetic, and most importantly, he's a proper villain! What I absolutely loved about Bhattacharya's character is his dialogue delivery. This film packs some solid punchlines and the bang-on dialogue delivery just takes things to cloud nine. Sohini Sarkar is not to be missed out as she probably has the best character arcs among all in this film. Her accent aligns her with the character she plays, her equation with Dev' character, tussle with Idhika Paul's character (who did good as well), and how her character is referenced in the climax is very well thought and executed. Even the supporting cast has done commendable work which has again uplifted the film in crucial stages.
Director Dhrubo Banerjee's partial good direction includes majorly aesthetically pleasing aspects, which are cosmetic for sure, but not at all worthless. The setting of the timeline and world building has been believable and so has been the character presentations. Multiple entry sequences, unorthodox camera angles, and a good background score (synced according to context) have come together to present the leading men in larger than life avatars which caters to the mass audience as well. The impact that the actors generate with their raw act is further amplified with a good level of technicality, which partially overshadows the mediocrity of the screenplay.
Underwhelming Aspects
Action, Screenplay, and Partial Direction
It feels like director Dhrubo Banerjee somehow faltered in managing Dev and the screenplay. The film feels non coherent in most of the places and scenes do not seem to have much connection or flow between them. The screenplay jumps from one event to another without much clarification, and before you realise where the film is going next, either an action scene or some drama ensues. You know, the character of Raghu Dakat would've got a lot of bashing, had he been a corporate employee; he always arrives late. I mean, there were almost three solid instances where he arrived late and thus, things got complicated. One such scene is good if executed well, but using the same theme thrice in less than 120 minutes is seriously underwhelming. Seems as if director Banerjee ran out of ideas to design conflicting scenes and hence, he blatantly repeated himself.
The action is genuinely below par and what makes matters worse, is their placing and usage. You see, an underwhelming product can be got away with, if it's used in lesser amounts but here, it is unfortunately just the opposite! Ample amount of this below- par slow-mo filled action is flexed in the second half, which really makes zero impact after a certain extent. Just a single action scene in the second half which included Idhika Paul's and Sohini Sarkar is worth it, and the rest do not pack a punch. What's notable is the directorial inconsistency during the action scenes. The staging is nice, the BGM is on point, the stage is set, and then comes the action that doesn't justify the preparation at all. There are not many stakes by the time you enter the climax, and that can catch you off guard as the events in the final act could've happened anywhere in the film; it's that routine! The over-reliance on Dev has cost them their writing it seems; no offense, but director Banerjee looked up to only the able shoulders of Dev to carry out the film it seems. The climax was a well thought of sequence, but little did it appear on screen. The high-staked environment was not really being felt and hence, you would end up longing for more after the final act ends. After a good climax twist which also introduced a new character, you expect the character to make an impact in the second half as well, right? That highly potential character is marginalized supremely in the latter half of the film and you could predict from miles ahead that he won't stand a chance against Dev, and that's exactly what happens in the film.
Conclusion
Right from the disclaimer in the beginning of the film, it was clear that Raghu Dakat is simply made for entertainment purposes, with little or almost no connection to history. And the film does entertain in parts; the emotions work, the performances are great, the drama's nice, the production value will have your eyes rolling, and Soumik Halder's camera work is to die for. But all of these silver linings do not take away the fact that in spite of Dev oozing testosterone in all of his scenes, the screenplay is where the makers lost it. While all of the characters have been given spaces, the lack of a coherent writing has resulted in an inconsistent and disjointed viewing experience, which even Dev would find difficult to save. Enough hero worshipping has been done to cater to the target audience (and I have absolutely no problems with that), and I would've been happy, if even 10% of the effort that has gone behind making the canvas, was put into the screenplay. That being said, this film is surely going to mint money, but it remains to be seen, for how long can Dev manage to pull this film single-handedly.
Watch Out For
- Cast Performances
- Production Value
- Drama
WTF Rating
6.5/10