You feel it. You feel the very ingrained reminiscence of Satyajit Ray and Sonar Kella as you prepare a mindful watch. Director Sayantan Ghoshal strikes the right chord, amalgamating the bygone memories we have of Sonar Kella with novelty. It is a very classic, smoothened merge that you might not even expect before entering the theatre.
For films with a name like this, you often encounter prejudice…Oh, are we heading to the same pinnacle again? But no! Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan, featuring Parambrata Chatterjee, Koel Mallick and Gourab Chakraborty in leads, tells you what happens when you take creativity and imagination seriously! While the film utilises the nuances of Satyajit Ray to fit the narrative of Mukul Babu, giving them the quintessential lead to the ‘Jawker Dhan,’ you eventually find a colloquial, reinvigorated, creative story emblazoned within it.
It starts with Mukul Babu (Dhar) (played by Suprobhat Das) and his college street book store getting attacked, and we seeBimal (Parambrata Chatterjee) and Kumar (Gourab Chakraborty) rescuing him from the massacre. Then the three go to Dr Rubi Chatterjee (Koel Mallick), also Bimal’s love interest and a crucial entity in the film. Where they find out Mukul Babu is the same Jatismara (someone with the ability to remember past births), the young boy from Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella. The trio, along with Mukul Babu, goes on to unfold a mystery from the latter’s past in Rajasthan’s Golden Fort (Sonar Kella). You see a solid chemistry among the trio.
Speaking of characters, we also see a villain with empathy and ethics here. Saheb Chatterjee takes the crown as Sunil Bhargava, who is the mastermind behind the sinister chase of Jawker Dhan—someone who doesn’t like to attack kids. And as the film draws to an end, Sunil Bhargava will have your heart.
Something that garners your glances is the detailing and relevancy of the film. The film is perfectly aligned with the notions and foundations that a Bangali holds in their blood. We see Bratakatha’s influence all over the movie, which actually draws you in and prompts you to follow the film. The sets looked convincing, and you believe it through your eyes. With the puppet dance, the locals, and no unnecessary inclusions, the film maintained symmetry and consonance. You can’t really question the chronology that goes in unless you are watching it with a motive to pull it down.
But not going to deny a silly strike here; being a Potterhead, the red Philosopher’s Stone on the Snake almost had me think of the climax that goes in the first part of Harry Potter. That’s just a Potterhead reference, but the plot that you witness typifies the story. So you do not really lose the connection.
And there you have it. Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan is a reverberation of nostalgia dipped in present-day storytelling. It respects the classics without being burdened by them, and it dares to craft a tale that’s both rooted and refreshing. Sayantan Ghoshal doesn’t attempt to remake Ray; instead, he converses with him with flair. With compelling performances, a storyline that keeps you curious, and an emotional undertone that doesn’t scream but softly seeps in, this film is a surprise.
IWMBuzz rates it 4 stars.
