Roga Howar Sohoj Upay (2015) Reviews

• A very unusual film

  but-then-perhaps2015-07-20

  It's rather hard to describe this film. It plays out like a comedy and a thriller but is a psychological drama. Parodies of popular Bengali films and ads abound. The concept is rather different and will take some time to sink in. Animated sequences are liberally used along with real ones. Some of it is downright silly or hilarious. But the film keeps you guessing till the end. It has a very contemporary issue at its heart-the culture of judging people by their weight and always feeling somehow incomplete till you've reached that elusive supermodel body. Subconsciously, we as a society and as individuals are always pressurizing ourselves and others needlessly to achieve that perfect weight. In the process we forget to think of a person as an individual with unique qualities that make them so different from others. The films take on this is serious and funny and a little scary all together. Acting is good, but Raima could have done better maybe. This is not a movie to watch with subtitles. It is too mired in the Bong culture that we grew up with and one needs the background to appreciate or follow a lot of the dialogues and puns. Kudos to the team for such a different film.

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• Watch Roga Howar Shohoj Upay for its lightweight treatment of otherwise heavy weight situations.

  sohompramanick2016-03-24

  'Chilo beral hoye gelo rumal' (was a cat, now it is a handkerchief). A metamorphosis, that gives birth to a new identity. A before and after module, which stands on a pedestal of complete identity alteration. There is no place for a makeover in today's time, what exists is rather a complete switch from who you are to who you should be in someone else's perspective. But even though the idea seems too alluring and promising, how much of the promise hold true in reality? Director Debaloy Bhattacharya in his directorial debut Roga Howar Shohoj Upay wanted to bring us closer to a reality that is regarded as 'magic' of our time. Going down by a few kilos, attaining size zero and getting into that perfect shape that many dream of is nothing short of magic. The spectator appreciates your magic and gets charmed by your maintained & toned self. But what goes on with the magician is an unanswered story. The tips and tricks are bottled up safely in the corner closest to everyone's dismay. A renowned kolkata based five star chef, Joy Sen (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) loses his wife in the alleys of this magic form, and comes back to a new wife after a work trip. As the director points out at several instances in the film, you are up for a comedy as getting serious makes things a little too suffocating and does not have a strong consumer connect too. So we can prepare ourselves to laugh at things, which are too serious otherwise. The seriousness is scary at some points too and will make you panic, but you have to understand Roga Howar Shohoj Upay is a comedy and everything will be alright at the end. Ranjana Sen (Raima Sen) is a woman who takes no nonsense. When she realizes that she might lose her husband's love because she is putting on weight post her marriage, she begins a separate innings. Putting aside the hard feelings, Ranjana devises a plump & succulent plan that forces Joy to perform at the magician's disposal. But unlike the rest, this magician is up for a magic that hypnotises to show reality. A magic, that works as an eye-opener of sorts. Parambrata Chattopadhyay is superb and extremely natural. Raima Sen perfectly balances the act with Parambrata. Rudranil Ghosh deserves a special mention. Other actors are also fabulous in their shoes and add up to the success of Roga Howar Shohoj Upay. To summarise, watch Roga Howar Shohoj Upay for its lightweight treatment of otherwise heavy weight situations.

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