2014 was an 'annus horribilis' for mainstream Bengali cinema. All the big superstars had bit the dust and the critics wasted no time in writing the epitaph for this genre of films. 2015 had started off on a bad note as well with big-budget ventures like 'Herogiri', 'Amanush 2' and 'Romeo v/s Juliet' sinking without a trace. But just when all hopes were extinguished, 'Jamai Sasthi' arrived with a change of fortunes at the Tolly scenario. Three son-in-laws lit up the screen with their exploits and set the empty cash-registers jingling once again!
There are some films which are so bad that it's good! A case in point is 'Jamai 420' which is incredibly silly but still doesn't fall short in delivering wholesome entertainment to its viewers. In fact there's a sort of guilty pleasure to be had in overlooking its cons and feasting on the fun. Otherwise the film has to be termed a huge disappointment in terms of its script and execution. Vaguely similar to the 2011 blockbuster 'Bye Bye Bangkok' (including the same locations of Bangkok!), the plot is half-baked and performances intentionally loud. Although the proceedings improve somewhat in the 2nd half, it's more courtesy the breath-taking locales of Bangkok than any credit of the script.
Yet what really works for 'Jamai 420' is its novelty. Inspite of being crass and slapstick, the film is still a proper 'comedy'. Unlike the other light-hearted action-dramas, laughter here is not served in a cock-tail of blood and gore. Such unadulterated comedies have been rare in the recent mainstream scenario and hence the audiences appreciated this for a change.
The film's biggest attraction has to be its star-cast. When was the last time Tollywood saw an assembly of three heroes: Sohom, Ankush and Hiran and three heroines: Mimi, Nusrat and Payel; and each one of them a bonafide star! Although none of them can be tagged as 'A- listers' unlike a Dev-Jeet-Prosenjit or Koel-Srabonti-Subhashree, their combined appeal proved to be superior compared to any of the A-listers appearing in a solo-starrer.
Although on face it's a multi-starrer, but honestly its Ankush, Mimi and Nusrat who steal all the limelight. The chemistry between Ankush & Nusrat is simply electrifying and is easily the biggest positive for the film. After giving the much-hyped 'Rangbaaz' a run for its money with their shimmering chemistry in 'Khiladi' (2013), the duo display enough potential to become the next Prosenjit- Rituparna, Jeet-Koel or Dev-Subhashree of Tollywood! It's extremely sad to see talented performers like Sohom and Payel getting relegated to the kind of roles they have done in this film which is only going to push their career backwards. As for Hiran, he has done justice to the limited scope entrusted to him by the director.
But no comedy can ever be successful without an ensemble supporting cast. And here too veterans like Kharaj Mukherjee, Biswajit Chakraborty, Shankar Chakraborty, Manasi, Shantilal, Supriyo Dutta, etc have played their part in generating the laughs. Still Biswanath Basu sticks out like a sore-thumb with his 'jatra'-istic performance that is too hard to digest. And a special word of mention must be made about our beloved Raj'da who delivers the most 'sensible' performance of the film in a pivotal cameo at the end!
As for director Ravi Kinnagi, the man once again proves his ability to adapt to the changing tastes of the audiences. With 9 consecutive hits being followed by three back-to-back flops, he has tried his hand at a comedy and succeeds in coming up with something fresh and new. Although he's clearly out of his comfort zone, he still ensures a colourful ambiance with glitzy sets and lush foreign locales which is just perfect for a comedy flick. In fact he's even credited with the original story, which means he actually deserves more credit for this film than most of his other better-executed 'remakes'!
In the end, the film can be best summed up by its music: Enjoyable as long as it lasts; but forgotten the moment it ends. Still, one shouldn't forget a very important lesson that the 'jamais' have taught us here: In the current scenario, a film need not be good; but it must have some sort of novelty in order to pull the mass audiences! The producers better take note...
There are some films which are so bad that it's good! A case in point is 'Jamai 420' which is incredibly silly but still doesn't fall short in delivering wholesome entertainment to its viewers. In fact there's a sort of guilty pleasure to be had in overlooking its cons and feasting on the fun. Otherwise the film has to be termed a huge disappointment in terms of its script and execution. Vaguely similar to the 2011 blockbuster 'Bye Bye Bangkok' (including the same locations of Bangkok!), the plot is half-baked and performances intentionally loud. Although the proceedings improve somewhat in the 2nd half, it's more courtesy the breath-taking locales of Bangkok than any credit of the script.
Yet what really works for 'Jamai 420' is its novelty. Inspite of being crass and slapstick, the film is still a proper 'comedy'. Unlike the other light-hearted action-dramas, laughter here is not served in a cock-tail of blood and gore. Such unadulterated comedies have been rare in the recent mainstream scenario and hence the audiences appreciated this for a change.
The film's biggest attraction has to be its star-cast. When was the last time Tollywood saw an assembly of three heroes: Sohom, Ankush and Hiran and three heroines: Mimi, Nusrat and Payel; and each one of them a bonafide star! Although none of them can be tagged as 'A- listers' unlike a Dev-Jeet-Prosenjit or Koel-Srabonti-Subhashree, their combined appeal proved to be superior compared to any of the A-listers appearing in a solo-starrer.
Although on face it's a multi-starrer, but honestly its Ankush, Mimi and Nusrat who steal all the limelight. The chemistry between Ankush & Nusrat is simply electrifying and is easily the biggest positive for the film. After giving the much-hyped 'Rangbaaz' a run for its money with their shimmering chemistry in 'Khiladi' (2013), the duo display enough potential to become the next Prosenjit- Rituparna, Jeet-Koel or Dev-Subhashree of Tollywood! It's extremely sad to see talented performers like Sohom and Payel getting relegated to the kind of roles they have done in this film which is only going to push their career backwards. As for Hiran, he has done justice to the limited scope entrusted to him by the director.
But no comedy can ever be successful without an ensemble supporting cast. And here too veterans like Kharaj Mukherjee, Biswajit Chakraborty, Shankar Chakraborty, Manasi, Shantilal, Supriyo Dutta, etc have played their part in generating the laughs. Still Biswanath Basu sticks out like a sore-thumb with his 'jatra'-istic performance that is too hard to digest. And a special word of mention must be made about our beloved Raj'da who delivers the most 'sensible' performance of the film in a pivotal cameo at the end!
As for director Ravi Kinnagi, the man once again proves his ability to adapt to the changing tastes of the audiences. With 9 consecutive hits being followed by three back-to-back flops, he has tried his hand at a comedy and succeeds in coming up with something fresh and new. Although he's clearly out of his comfort zone, he still ensures a colourful ambiance with glitzy sets and lush foreign locales which is just perfect for a comedy flick. In fact he's even credited with the original story, which means he actually deserves more credit for this film than most of his other better-executed 'remakes'!
In the end, the film can be best summed up by its music: Enjoyable as long as it lasts; but forgotten the moment it ends. Still, one shouldn't forget a very important lesson that the 'jamais' have taught us here: In the current scenario, a film need not be good; but it must have some sort of novelty in order to pull the mass audiences! The producers better take note...
