Film: Projapati
Director: Avijit Sen
Actors: Mithun Chakraborty, Dev, Mamata Shankar, Kharaj Mukherjee, Ambarish Bhattacharya, Koneenica Banerjee, Koushani Mukherjee
Ratings: 4.5/5
What more do you need on New Year? A simple film with its heart at the right place. That’s exactly what Avijit Sen’s second Bengali film Projapati is all about. A film about a father and son, who will make you laugh and cry at the same time.
After a long time, Mithun Chakraborty is back in Bengali films. Of course, you have seen him judging dance reality shows in Bengali but nothing comes close to watching the MAN on the big screen. And what a treat it is for the Bengali audience at the end of the year to watch Mithun in all his elements. Not one scene you can find where we wouldn’t cast a spell on you. From the time he comes into the frame, which shows him cooking for his only son Joy (Dev), to the time he muches on phuchka with Mamata Shankar and the time he is hell bent on getting his son married, and comes up with various antics, Mithun weaves magic on screen. And as an able son both onscreen and off-screen, Dev supports Mithun in every frame.
Dev has established special connection with the senior actors. Be it Soumitra Chatterjee in Sanjhbati, Paran Bandopadhyay in Tonic and now Mithun in Projapati, Dev is getting matured with every film.
After 46 years of Mrinal Sen’s Mrigaya, Mithun and Mamata Shankar share screen in Projapati and the audience couldn’t be happier. Years might have passed away but the magic still remains. The chemistry between Mithun and Mamata Shankar is one of the highlights of the film.
As for performance, every actor does his part. Be it Biswanath Basu as Dev’s friend, Konnenica Banerjee as Dev’s sister, Ambarish Bhattacharya as the brother-in-law, Koushani Mukherjee as Mamata Shankar’s daughter, or Kharaj Mukherjee as Mithun’s neighbour, all the actors hit the right note.
Of course, Projapati is a wholesome entertainer but then there’s a greater message in the film. Projapati deals with loneliness of the senior citizens. It’s a film that is perfect for New Year to watch with family. Kudos to the producers and directors for such an awesome end to 2022.