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Film Review: Dawshom Awbotaar ( Bengali Film ) screening in cinemas .. a pujo treat for my bong friends!!

Directed by Srijit Mukherji,Dawshom Awbotaar is a prequel to other films in his cop universe - Baishe Srobon, Vinci Da and Dwitiyo Purush.

It traces the beginnings of the two tough cops - Bijoy Poddar ( Anirban Bhattacharya) and Probir Roy Chowdhury ( Prosonjit) who are forced to work with each other on a complicated case where a serial killer is targeting victims based on the 10 Avatars of Lord Vishnu, hence the name Dawshom Awbotaar.

The clueless cops take the help of Maitreyi ( Jaya Ahsan), a psychiatrist, in order to understand the psyche of the killer and bring him to book. Will they catch him or will the hunters themselves become the hunted this time?

Boasting of a stellar cast Jisshu Sengupta, Prosonjit, Anirban Bhattacharya and Jaya Ahsan, what more could you have asked for in a suspense thriller. All of them do full justice to their respective roles and have grt screen presence.

The banter between Probir & Poddar is funny and brings a smile on your face. Great chemistry indeed!! Jisshu as the serial killer has portrayed his part well and Jaya Ahsan is decent too. The twist in the end is nice too like all the other films in the franchise ( though u might be able to guess it a bit earlier )

On the flip side the film seems slow at times and the climax , though well shot, is a bit stretched. The run time of 2 hr 34 mins could have definitely been reduced by at least 15 to 20 mins to make it more crisp and peppy!!

Don't compare it with the earlier films and u will come out of the theatre a happier person!!

I would definitely love to see the Probir - Poddar Jodi in action again In the future too !!

Going with 3.5/5 for this one .. adios 🙂!!

#sanjuzzreviews #dawshomawbotaar #JishuSengupta #ProsenjitChatterjee #AnirbanBhattacharya #jayaahsan #SVF #hoichoi.

Director #SrijitMukherji's latest product from his Cop Universe and from the house of #SVF, jointly delivered a much-hyped but a thoroughly disappointing melodramatic daily-soap kinda experience. The first half was no-doubt fast-paced and power-packed, but on the contrary, the second half lacked its pace and the screenplay went totally haywire. Music is equally awful, and so is the editing. The second poorest release after Bagha Jatin. The camera work is fairly moderate. But over-usage of slo-mo and Drone shots seems overrated. The plot is predictable and the screenplay is neither edge-of-the-seat, nor gripping. Both #ProsenjitChatterjee & #JisshuSengupta delivered good performances, #AnirbanBhattacharya is fair too, while #JayaAhsan tried her best, but all her efforts to cope up with the predictable plot rendered futile. However, its a one-time watch movie. Moral of the story, over-usage of cuss words and intimate scenes along with titillating the audience with previous franchises' hints couldn't save the drowning ship, when the premise is itself weak.

"Dawshom Avatar," the much-anticipated prequel to the blockbuster "Baishe Srabon" from 2011, falls disappointingly short of the expectations set by its predecessor. Srijit Mukherjee, the acclaimed director of both films, seems to have missed the mark this time. Let's dive deeper into what went wrong.

The film begins with Prasenjit Chakroborty's (Probir) first appearance on the screen, which unfortunately feels underwhelming. His portrayal seems cheap and cringe-worthy, his running appears awkward, and his overall demeanor comes off as aged. Anirban Bhattacharya (Bijoy Poddar) is depicted as a comic character, a stark departure from the complex character he portrayed in "Vinci Da." These portrayals certainly don't do justice to the characters Srijit Mukherjee built in his previous work.

One of the major drawbacks of "Dawshom Avatar" lies in its dialogue delivery. The dialogues come across as cheap, cringe, and recycled from previous movies, which is disappointing for a film of this caliber. Additionally, the plot appears weak and poorly constructed, almost as if it was hastily written. The audience deserves better than what feels like a script generated by an AI chatbot, like ChatGPT.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. Jishu, who plays Bissorup, shines with his excellent acting. His performance stands out amidst the sea of mediocrity. Jaya Ahsan (Maitrayee) delivers an average performance but struggles to elevate the material she's given. Prasenjit, despite his best efforts, and Anirban, are both limited by the subpar script and mediocre dialogues.

The film's attempt to incorporate elements of Sanatan Mythology and dispel common misconceptions is noteworthy, but it seems the audience struggled to grasp most of it. Additionally, subtle references to "Baishe Srabon" are scattered throughout, but they fail to provide a coherent link between the two films.

What disappoints most is the weak storyline riddled with plot holes, the comical portrayal of the once imperious police officer, Bijoy Poddar, and the unnecessary references to previous films. The side characters from "Baishe Srabon" (2011) appear aged and overweight, making their efforts to reprise their roles less convincing.

In the end, "Dawshom Avatar" leaves us with a line from "Baishe Srabon" that seems fitting - it is, indeed, "Kacha hathe lekha, baje bangla thriller er script." This film falls short of the standards set by its predecessor, leaving fans of the franchise wanting more and wondering what could have been.

The main thing about Dawshom Awbotaar is the all around consciousness of Bengali audience regarding a Srijit Mukherjee film recently that its gonna be either mediocre or bad, there may be a handful of conformist Srijit fans who still believes in him to return to his prime.

Even Srijit is aware of his lost brilliance and his inconsistency, but still Dawsham Awbottar manages to milk the nostalgia and the cult following the film has for being a prequel to his two previous films with the iconic characters.

Srijit doesn't even try to pen a consistent crime thriller; it is a deliberate negligence in the script department i.e he is not even pretentious but downright casual. The film essentially belongs to buddy cop genre and an exercise in making the two leads as iconic as possible, which surprisingly works very well. The relentless razor sharp funny banters between the characters of Anirban and Prasenjit are possibly one of the better written dialogues from Mukherjee in recent years, the power dynamic, and the diversity in the characters all fit in to feed the audience with some cult characters in the near future if there is a sequel.

Jishu Sengupta as antagonist has a certain world weary persona which was surprisingly given very little screen time, as I said already the main focus has been the cop duos, the film would have worked much better if a more detailed character arc was given to him. Jishu tries to embody his character very well, but with the protagonists being so larger than life, the treatment is surprisingly subdued for the antagonist. Though I would say some of the murders are staged well, especially the mythological connections they have.

It's evident there were no budget contrivances for this film, as the color grading fits in many scenes .The stunts were sharply performed, except those exhausting slow motions. There is a car chase with some brilliantly crafted inside the car and outside the car sequences.

The unhealthy obsession of Srjit Mukherjee in forcing gimmicky hand held sequences in filming a quarrel is also present here, and if it's been just passable or tolerable in his other films, here it is down rightly nauseating and redundant. What is repeatedly forcing him to obsess over his inconsistent editing skills, its a mystery.

Rarely Srijit has written a good climax; in here he is trying to replicate "Baishe Shrabon" in various ways which seems so half baked, so much out of place that the film completely falls flat due to the inconsistency in the end.

The Jaya Ahsan subplot doesn't work; neither does her arc in the story but her performance and chemistry with Anirban try to bandage the obvious gaps she had in the character.

Its remarkable though how Prasenjit fits in the role of a foul mouthed police officer even though 12 years have passed since 'Baishe Shravan' , his performance certainly is a prime highlight among the few positive points the film has.

Anirban has much more to do, as his screen time in 'Vinci Da' was much shorter .Here he is one of the leads, he has utilised that chance and with the help of shared chemistry with Prasenjit has given a crackling performance worth remembering for.

At a certain point in the film, the serial killing aspect took a backseat and waited for the protagonists to culp with their personal mismatches, tragedies and soon after everything comes to a truce between them, the killing starts.

The director may have been obsessing over his characters a little too much than it should be which is an evident black spot in how a cop thriller is written. If there is another film from this franchise which eventually is bound to happen, this obsession may worsen the narrative, or literally butcher the franchise from its cult following too.

The introductory scenes of the lead cops were staged like a mass film; where there was no absolutely need for to do so. The headache inducing slow motion totally shifts the expectations of the people who loved the way they are introduced in the first films they appear. It seems that Srijit was unsure of how to introduce his characters, so based on the recent obsession of audience regarding mass films, he chose to do this.

In the first ten minutes of the film, it makes you weary of those forced slow motions; some of them may also perceive a wrong idea of how this film turns out in the long run.

The film is certainly an an entertaining one, much more than his work on the web platforms. I wouldn't mind seeing more films made on the characters, as he focuses more on the buddy cop aspect rather than the central mystery,its entertaining and disappointing at the same time. But when it comes to a Srijit Mukherjee films,we are accustomed to being disappointed since last few years but it is since a long time,he has made an entertaining one so credit where its due.

I would say, during these glorious festivities Srijit Mukherjee's Dawshom Awbotaar is not totally a waste of two and a half hours, atleast from the heat and sweat of the pandel hopping crowd outside, it's a decent time spent inside.

"Dasham Avatar," Srijit Mukherji's 2023 Bengali thriller, arrived with a significant weight of expectation, not least because it promised to unite two of his most iconic police characters: Probir Roy Chowdhury (Prosenjit Chatterjee) from "Baishey Srabon" and Bijoy Poddar (Anirban Bhattacharya) from "Vinci Da." This "cop multiverse" concept, while exciting on paper, ultimately proved to be both the film's greatest draw and its most significant challenge.

The premise is immediately intriguing: a serial killer terrorizes Kolkata, with each murder meticulously staged to mirror the ten avatars of Vishnu. This mythological underpinning provides a fertile ground for a dark, intellectual thriller, and Mukherji, known for his intricate plotting, certainly starts strong. The initial acts are a testament to his directorial prowess, skillfully building suspense and introducing the compelling dynamic between the seasoned, often cynical Probir and the sharp, unconventional Poddar. Their camaraderie, a blend of witty banter and professional respect, is a definite highlight, carrying much of the film's early momentum. Prosenjit Chatterjee, reprising his role after over a decade, slips back into Probir's skin with effortless charm, while Anirban Bhattacharya continues to impress as the quirky Poddar.

Cinematographically, "Dasham Avatar" is a triumph. Soumik Halder's lens paints a vivid and often haunting portrait of Kolkata's underbelly - its labyrinthine alleys, bustling streets, and the interplay of light and shadow, all contributing to an immersive and atmospheric viewing experience. The visual storytelling elevates the film beyond its narrative shortcomings, showcasing a city that is as much a character as the protagonists. The meticulously staged murders, with their mythological connections, are visually striking and contribute to the film's chilling aesthetic.

However, where "Dasham Avatar" truly falters is in its execution, particularly in its third act. The film's ambitious narrative, initially so promising, begins to unravel, leading to a conclusion that many critics found rushed, incomplete, and unsatisfying. The intricate build-up of suspense and investigation gives way to a hasty climax, leaving viewers with unresolved questions and a lingering sense of unexplored potential. This abrupt ending significantly undercuts the film's impact and prevents it from reaching the heights of Mukherji's earlier thrillers like "Baishey Srabon" or "Chotushkone." The attempt to replicate the narrative twists of "Baishey Srabon" feels half-baked and out of place, ultimately diminishing the overall experience.

Moreover, the integration of the "cop multiverse" isn't entirely seamless. While the pairing of Probir and Poddar is enjoyable, the necessity of linking "Vinci Da" feels somewhat forced, with critics noting a lack of genuine connection or justification for Anirban Bhattacharya's character to be Poddar from that specific film. It often feels like a deliberate attempt to capitalize on past successes rather than a natural progression of a shared universe. Certain directorial choices, such as an overreliance on slow-motion sequences during confrontational scenes, also drew criticism for being gimmicky and even nauseating in some instances.

Despite these flaws, "Dasham Avatar" is not without its merits. The performances from the lead actors, particularly Prosenjit Chatterjee and Anirban Bhattacharya, are commendable. Jisshu Sengupta, as the antagonist, also delivers a strong performance, both in and out of his disguises. The film's soundtrack, featuring contributions from Anupam Roy and Rupam Islam, adds another layer of emotional depth. The commitment to visual detail and the initial promise of its unique premise make it an engaging watch for a significant portion of its runtime.

In essence, "Dasham Avatar" is a film that shines brightly in its individual components - stellar cinematography, strong performances, and an intriguing concept - but ultimately struggles to coalesce into a cohesive and wholly satisfying whole. It's a cinematic endeavor that, while visually arresting and entertaining in parts, leaves a sense of untapped potential, falling short of the high standards set by its director's earlier works in the thriller genre.